Its that time of year when the cukes start overtaking the farmers markets. Still a lot of the smaller ones, so lets make some pickles.
About all the equipment you need to make a batch of pickles is a bucket and some jars. Not much for ingredients either, especially if you ferment them like I am for this first batch of the year. If you are looking for Vinegar based pickles, here are my IPA Pickles
All I’m using today is:
- Small pickle cukes. (As little or as many as you want)
- Kosher or pickling salt, (don’t use iodized salt)
- garlic cloves
- dill seed, mustard seed, black pepper corns
- a bayleaf
- fresh dill flowers (this optional as the dill seed is just fine)
First thing you wanna do is clean the cukes of course. Then let them cold in some cold ice water for an hour or so. This help to keep them crisper.
After the soak go ahead and cut of the tips of the cukes.
Next get put all your other things in your fermentation crock or bucket. Here I used 5 cut up garlic cloves, some fresh dill sprigs, one bay leaf, and 1 tsp each of the mustard seed, dill seed and peppercorns. 
Mix up your brine. 1 gallon of filtered water and 3/4 of the kosher salt. 
Put your cukes the bucket and add enough of your brine to completely cover them.
Use a plate to keep the cukes under the brine.
And that’s it. Either cover the bucket with a towel or put a airlock on like I did and put it in a warm place to let it ferment.
After a week or so, take a test taste to see if they are sour enough. If not then let them go another day or so. Once they get where you want them pack them up in jars with the brine and put them in the fridge. (Unless you can them, they gotta stay in the fridge)
That’s its it! Start your pickles now and will be ready just in time to get your crocks back for Kraut!
PS: for those wanting to can these for storage this is easy too.
get your jars ready for normal canning. drain, strain and keep the liquid. pack your jars tight with the pickles. boil the liquid for a minute or two and pour into the jars leaving a 1/2 headspace. waterbath for 10 min pints, 15 quarts.
