Make your own pickles?

[T.G]

There are many different fermented recipes out there.

Few recommendations:
1) use a scale for the salt as 6TBS of some salt, say kosher salt, is not the same as 6TBS of pickling & canning salt. The kosher salt is much lighter and packs less densely. In the above example, the pickling & canning salt would be about twice as salty as the kosher salt. Sea salt falls somewhere in between. Alton Brown recommends 5.5oz of salt per gallon of water - so it doesn't matter what type of salt you use, you'll still end up with about the same salt content (percentage).

2) never, ever, ever use salt with iodine or anti-caking agents added. The iodine will screw with the lacto fermentation and anti-caking agents can end up introducing off flavors.

3) if you use dried dill weed / leaf then you are going to need to put it in a spice bag or a piece of cheese cloth tied with cooking twine because the stuff floats. Anything that floats on the surface of the fermenter is subject to growing mold, which you don't want. Some other spices like coriander, fennel and some mustard seeds, will float for a day or so before they become waterlogged and sink.

4) don't confuse kahm yeast with mold. Kahm yeast is a bright white filmy layer that forms on the surface of the brine. It's basically harmless. The worst it will do is cause a subtle off flavor if it is allowed to go unchecked for weeks. It's actually kind of hard to skim, but just get what you can once every 3-7 days, depends how fast it's forming. Not all batches will develop it. Mold looks like what we grew in petri dishes in high school biology class - that you want to get out.

5) use pickling cucumbers or gherkins, the smaller the better. Salad slicers don't ferment well, the rind is too thick and the area around the seeds ends up falling apart. Pickle the salad slicers in vinegar.

[pektel]

Originally Posted by T.G

There are many different fermented recipes out there.

Few recommendations:
1) use a scale for the salt as 6TBS of some salt, say kosher salt, is not the same as 6TBS of pickling & canning salt. The kosher salt is much lighter and packs less densely. In the above example, the pickling & canning salt would be about twice as salty as the kosher salt. Sea salt falls somewhere in between. Alton Brown recommends 5.5oz of salt per gallon of water - so it doesn't matter what type of salt you use, you'll still end up with about the same salt content (percentage).

2) never, ever, ever use salt with iodine or anti-caking agents added. The iodine will screw with the lacto fermentation and anti-caking agents can end up introducing off flavors.

3) if you use dried dill weed / leaf then you are going to need to put it in a spice bag or a piece of cheese cloth tied with cooking twine because the stuff floats. Anything that floats on the surface of the fermenter is subject to growing mold, which you don't want. Some other spices like coriander, fennel and some mustard seeds, will float for a day or so before they become waterlogged and sink.

4) don't confuse kahm yeast with mold. Kahm yeast is a bright white filmy layer that forms on the surface of the brine. It's basically harmless. The worst it will do is cause a subtle off flavor if it is allowed to go unchecked for weeks. It's actually kind of hard to skim, but just get what you can once every 3-7 days, depends how fast it's forming. Not all batches will develop it. Mold looks like what we grew in petri dishes in high school biology class - that you want to get out.

5) use pickling cucumbers or gherkins, the smaller the better. Salad slicers don't ferment well, the rind is too thick and the area around the seeds ends up falling apart. Pickle the salad slicers in vinegar.

Wow, lots of great info/advice. Thanks! Now I need to buy a scale too. Off to walmart after work I guess. Well, I need to buy cheesecloth and cooking twine too.

Regarding the salt... I use Morton coarse grind kosher salt. Can't remember if that has additives in it or not, but I'll make sure before I use it.

I should really have an herb garden by now.

[T.G]

Originally Posted by pektel

Wow, lots of great info/advice. Thanks! Now I need to buy a scale too. Off to walmart after work I guess. Well, I need to buy cheesecloth and cooking twine too.

Regarding the salt... I use Morton coarse grind kosher salt. Can't remember if that has additives in it or not, but I'll make sure before I use it.

I should really have an herb garden by now.

That's the blue box Morton's kosher salt, right? I think it has an anti-caking agent in it.

If you are going to wall-mart, just grab a box of the Morton's canning and pickling salt it has no additives whatsoever. Comes in a green box, it's cheap too, less than $2 for 4 lbs IIRC.

You don't have to use dill weed (leaf), you can do the whole thing with dill seed.

On the leaves - you can also use blackberry or rasberry leaves, just don't use too many as they have a stronger flavor. The leaves are there to provide tannins to keep the pickles somewhat crisp.

Remember, there are so many variables in this type of fermenting of foods that sometimes things will go better than others. It might take a few tries to get things the way you like them but the results are totally worth it.