The Recipe: Ingredients

2-4 pickling cucumbers, washed, peeled, and thinly sliced (1/8″-1/4″)

1 medium onion, sliced very thin

1/2 to 1 bulb of garlic, peeled and lightly crushed

2% brine (2.5 tsp pink Himalayan salt dissolved in 3 cups of boiled, cooled filtered/non-chlorinated water)

2 tsp mustard seeds, divided

2″ piece of fresh turmeric root, divided (Our local stores don’t have this; I substituted 1 tsp powdered turmeric with no problems)

A couple grape, oak, or horseradish leaves (optional, but enhances crispiness)

The Recipe: Assembly

Sprinkle half the spices and garlic into the bottom of a clean quart Mason jar. Add a leaf.

Pack the Mason jar a little more than half full with the cucumber/onion mix. Use a non-metallic utensil to gently tamp the produce down.

Add the second half of your spices and garlic, and another leaf.

Continue adding cucumbers/onions till the jar is full, then tamp down again. Add cucumbers until the jar is nearly full, then fill the jar to within 1″ of the lip with your brine.

Use the utensil to gently loosen the air bubbles trapped in the jar. Add brine to maintain a headspace of around 1.5″

Use another leaf to cover all the vegetables and loosely tuck it into the neck of the jar. Place the glass weight and gently press down until it is submerged.

Add airlock lid and place in a darkened corner of your kitchen, on a small tray.

Gently swirl and check vegetables daily. You will notice bubbles rising in the jar. Release pressure as needed and make sure all vegetables remain submerged. Remove any pieces that float to the surface.

On day three, it is time to start tasting! As the mixture sits on the counter, it will become more fizzy and tangy. Depending on room temperature, the entire process takes between 3-7 days. I usually like to leave my jars out for 4-5 days.

Once the pickles are to your liking, remove the glass weight and replace the airlock with a regular Mason jar lid and place in the fridge. If you are able to stay out of them, they get better as they age. Enjoy!