Veggie Box Pickles by
Ingredients
VERSION ONE
Veggie Box cucumbers - 1 pound
Enough brine to cover all your cucumbers. The ratio is one heaping teaspoon fine sea salt (7 grams) per one cup of water, for a 3% brine.
(non-chlorinated- tap water may have chlorine which can inhibit fermentation)
2 tablespoons of pickling spices (you can buy pickling spices, or make your own! It includes: mustard seed, whole allspice, coriander seeds,
whole cloves, ground ginger, crumbled bay leaf, and red pepper flakes).
4 cloves of Veggie Box garlic cloves, sliced (or
double for extra garlicky)
Veggie Box fresh dill
VERSION TWO (w/jalapeno)
Instructions
VERSION ONE
Rinse the cucumbers, remove the flower end of each cucumber and place them in an ice-water bath, to crisp them up (10-20 minutes). Leave
them whole. Make the salt water brine. In a large, clean jar (or two if need be!) place all the whole spices into the bottom. Pack one layer of cucumbers tightly, standing on end, then add garlic, and fresh dill sprigs. Press everything down, leaving an inch of headroom. Pour the salt water brine over top and weigh down the cukes
with fermentation weights so they are submerged under the brine, leaving an inch of headroom, in the jar. (Use a fermentation
weight, or a small ziplock back with a little water in it ). Cover the jar loosely with a lid or with a cloth- basically, you want air to be able to escape. Place the jar in a pan or bowl to collect any overflow and leave it in a dark place (below 70F) for 3-7 days (a basement, or lower kitchen cupboard). It's recommended to check for signs of life every day: bubbles, and clouding. Tap the jar, and see if tiny bubbles rise to the top. Longer ferments will yield tangier pickles but will get softer as they ferment, and lose their vibrant color. Up to you. You can taste them at any point after you see bubbles, and ferment longer if you like. The brine will get cloudy as it ferments- this is a good sign! Once you see active bubbles, you can at this point place the jar in the fridge, where it will continue to ferment, but much more slowly. Keep the pickles submerged.
VERSION TWO
Rinse the cucumbers well under cold water, pat them dry, and then set them on a towel to dry completely. Slice the cucumbers and onion, then
pack them in the jars: With a sharp knife or a mandolin slicer, slice the cucumbers and onion into slices 1/8- to 1/4-inch thick. Firmly pack the cucumbers, onions, dill sprigs, optional jalapeņo, and garlic into the jars, fitting in as many as you can without smashing the vegetables. Leave 1/2-inch or so of headspace at the top of the jars. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the vinegar, water, sugar, salt, and pickling spice up to a simmer. Stir occasionally and continue simmering until the sugar and salt are dissolved. If you have a canning funnel, use it here to make it easier to fill the jars. Carefully pour or ladle the hot brine into each jar, filling the jars until the cucumbers and onions are covered. It's ok if a few small pieces poke out the top. Screw on the lids, then let the jars cool to room temperature (about an hour). The cucumbers will start off bright green, but will become darker and more "pickle-colored" as they cool. Place them in the refrigerator. Wait at least 24 hours before eating the pickles in order to let the flavors develop. Use them within one month.
Rinse the cucumbers, remove the flower end of each cucumber and place them in an ice-water bath, to crisp them up (10-20 minutes). Leave
them whole. Make the salt water brine. In a large, clean jar (or two if need be!) place all the whole spices into the bottom. Pack one layer of cucumbers tightly, standing on end, then add garlic, and fresh dill sprigs. Press everything down, leaving an inch of headroom. Pour the salt water brine over top and weigh down the cukes
with fermentation weights so they are submerged under the brine, leaving an inch of headroom, in the jar. (Use a fermentation
weight, or a small ziplock back with a little water in it ). Cover the jar loosely with a lid or with a cloth- basically, you want air to be able to escape. Place the jar in a pan or bowl to collect any overflow and leave it in a dark place (below 70F) for 3-7 days (a basement, or lower kitchen cupboard). It's recommended to check for signs of life every day: bubbles, and clouding. Tap the jar, and see if tiny bubbles rise to the top. Longer ferments will yield tangier pickles but will get softer as they ferment, and lose their vibrant color. Up to you. You can taste them at any point after you see bubbles, and ferment longer if you like. The brine will get cloudy as it ferments- this is a good sign! Once you see active bubbles, you can at this point place the jar in the fridge, where it will continue to ferment, but much more slowly. Keep the pickles submerged.
VERSION TWO
Rinse the cucumbers well under cold water, pat them dry, and then set them on a towel to dry completely. Slice the cucumbers and onion, then
pack them in the jars: With a sharp knife or a mandolin slicer, slice the cucumbers and onion into slices 1/8- to 1/4-inch thick. Firmly pack the cucumbers, onions, dill sprigs, optional jalapeņo, and garlic into the jars, fitting in as many as you can without smashing the vegetables. Leave 1/2-inch or so of headspace at the top of the jars. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the vinegar, water, sugar, salt, and pickling spice up to a simmer. Stir occasionally and continue simmering until the sugar and salt are dissolved. If you have a canning funnel, use it here to make it easier to fill the jars. Carefully pour or ladle the hot brine into each jar, filling the jars until the cucumbers and onions are covered. It's ok if a few small pieces poke out the top. Screw on the lids, then let the jars cool to room temperature (about an hour). The cucumbers will start off bright green, but will become darker and more "pickle-colored" as they cool. Place them in the refrigerator. Wait at least 24 hours before eating the pickles in order to let the flavors develop. Use them within one month.