Help the development of the site, sharing the article with friends!

Dill gherkins are the kings of pickled gherkins: unlike classic gherkins and gherkins, they are not preserved in vinegar, but get their flavor and shelf life from lactic acid fermentation. Their taste will convince even the most die-hard pickle lover!

Dill and cucumber simply belong together

How does lactic acid fermentation work?

"Wild fermentation" is currently on everyone's lips. This means nothing else than the lactic acid fermentation of food, which becomes durable and has a slightly sour taste. A typical example of this is sauerkraut. In wild fermentation, the work is left to the lactic acid bacteria, which are naturally present everywhere: the salted vegetables are stored in the absence of oxygen, which allows the lactic acid bacteria to spread and do their job - fermentation begins. The lactic acid bacteria prevent putrefaction because they suppress other microorganisms.

Recipe for dill pickles

Many people think of dill pickles as pickles that have been pickled with lots of dill. Here you will find a recipe for the “real” dill pickles.

You need:

  • 1 kg of cucumbers
  • two bunches of fresh dill
  • Spices to taste (mustard seeds, juniper berries, peppercorns)
  • 1 liter of water
  • 20 g iodine-free salt
  • mason jars
  • Wash the cucumbers and dill well, cleaning the cucumbers with a vegetable brush if necessary. Drain both on a kitchen towel.
  • Prepare the brine by boiling tap water, adding the salt and allowing to dissolve. Then let the salt water cool down.
  • Roughly chop the dill. Optionally, you can slice the cucumbers.
  • Alternately layer the cucumbers and dill, along with the spices if necessary, tightly in the sterile jars (sterilized in the oven or boiled in hot water). Leave some space at the top as the contents of the glass may begin to foam.
  • Pour the brine over the dill pickles. Make sure they are completely covered by the liquid.
  • Put the jars closed with a rubber ring and clamps or the screw-top jars closed with a metal lid in a room-warm place.
  • After about a week, the lactic acid fermentation is so advanced that you can store the dill pickles in a cool, dark place. The longer the cucumbers soak, the better they taste. The white layer over the pickles is a typical sign of successful lactic acid fermentation and does not mean that the cucumbers are spoiled.
  • Consume the dill pickles within a year. That's at least how long they can be kept unopened.

    • The garden journal freshness ABC

    How can fruit and vegetables be stored correctly so that they stay fresh for as long as possible?

    The garden journal freshness ABC as a poster:

    • as a free PDF file to print out yourself

    Help the development of the site, sharing the article with friends!

Category:

Vegetable garden