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Beginner’s Guide to Classic Dill Fermented Pickles Without Vinegar

A glass jar filled with fresh cucumbers, dill fronds, garlic cloves, and spices for making fermented pickles.
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Learn how to make probiotic rich pickles using a simple salt brine method. This guide provides easy fermented pickle instructions for making the best crunchy fermented pickles at home.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 lbs pickling cucumbers (Kirby or similar firm variety)
  • 6 cups filtered water
  • 3 tablespoons non-iodized salt (sea salt or pickling salt)
  • 1 head fresh dill, divided
  • 6 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
  • 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds

Instructions

  1. Wash the cucumbers thoroughly. Trim off the blossom end of each cucumber; this end contains enzymes that can cause softening.
  2. Prepare the brine: Dissolve the salt completely in the filtered water in a non-reactive bowl. Stir until the water is clear. This is your salt brine pickle recipe base.
  3. Pack the jars: Place half of the dill, garlic, peppercorns, and mustard seeds into two clean, quart-sized glass jars. Pack the cucumbers tightly into the jars vertically. Top the cucumbers with the remaining dill and garlic.
  4. Pour the brine over the cucumbers, ensuring the vegetables are completely submerged. Leave at least 1 inch of headspace at the top of each jar.
  5. Seal the jars: Place fermentation weights on top of the cucumbers if necessary to keep them under the brine. Seal the jars loosely with lids, allowing gases to escape (or use airlock lids).
  6. Ferment at room temperature: Place the jars on a tray to catch any overflow and keep them out of direct sunlight at room temperature (65-75°F or 18-24°C).
  7. Monitor daily: Check the pickles daily for the first week. You will see bubbles forming; this indicates active lacto-fermentation. Skim off any white film (kahm yeast) that forms on the surface; this is normal and harmless, but remove it.
  8. Taste test: After 4 days, begin tasting. The pickles are ready when they reach your desired level of sourness. For a milder flavor, ferment for 5-7 days. For a stronger sour pickle flavor, ferment for 10-14 days.
  9. Refrigerate to stop fermentation: Once the flavor is right, seal the jars tightly and move them to the refrigerator. This slows the process significantly. Your long term fermented pickles will keep for several months refrigerated.

Notes

  • For the best crunchy fermented pickles, use very fresh, firm cucumbers. Avoid older or waxed cucumbers.
  • If you prefer a spicy fermented pickles flavor, add 1-2 dried chili peppers or a few slices of fresh jalapeño to each jar.
  • If your brine becomes cloudy early on, this is usually normal during safe vegetable fermentation. If you see fuzzy, colored mold (green, black, or pink), discard the batch.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://pureplatepath.com/fermented-pickles-recipe-guide-home-made/