Pickles

Naturally fermented pickles, that is. The next step in my adventure into fermentation, and a natural progression from sauerkraut. My neighbors grow cucumbers for pickling, so I ordered a half bushel from them last Monday. I wanted them very fresh, and had to wait while they picked them. I brought them home and processed them immediately. Doesn't get any fresher than that. My favorite resource is "The Joy of Pickling" Revised Edition, by Linda Ziedrich of Scio, Oregon, and published by Harvard Common Press. These are "Robert's Tea Pickles." They consist of cucumbers, a jalapeno pepper halved, sliced garlic cloves, piquin peppers (the small red peppers you see), Lapsang Souchong tea, water and salt. The tea gives them a bit of smoky flavor and the peppers give them a bit of zip. Grape leaves are put on the bottom and top of the pickles. The tannin in the grape leaves keeps the pickles crisp. They have been fermenting for a week, and will be ready in another week or two.

The small cucumbers were packed into my Gartopf pickling crocks with dill weed, garlic cloves halved, allspice berries, whole black peppercorns, coriander seeds, salt and water.

The larger cucumbers were cut into spears or slices and put in my clear jars. The lids are just sitting on top and aren't tightened down so the pickles can breathe. I use a 5% brine, which is three fourths cup of pickling salt to a gallon of water. They develop a very delicious sour flavor, without the vinegar taste. They are more of an old fashioned pickle flavor. I'm not too keen on sweet pickles, but I love sour pickles.

Thanks to everyone who left comments on my 1000th blip yesterday. I was very humbled to read all of them. Like I say, the best people in the world are on blipfoto!