How to make Manhattan-style, Fermented Pickles with Garlic and Dill! An easy step-by-step guide to making the most flavorful, crunchy, tangy pickles full of healthy probiotics, with only 20 minutes of hands-on time! The pickle brine is like a “tonic” -drink a shot of it daily to help build immunity!
What happens when people open their hearts? They get better. ~Haruki Murakami
I’ve been chomping at the bit to share this easy recipe for Fermented Pickles with you! If you are a crunchy pickle lover like me, you are going to be in heaven. Seriously, these are the best!
These Manhattan-style “half-sour” pickles, are crispy, crunchy, flavorful and ohhhhhh so alive! They are not for canning, but rather live happily bubbly lives in your refrigerator. They are fermented in a salt brine and get their delicious tanginess from light fermentation rather than vinegar.
Full of healthy, gut-healing, immunity boosing probiotics these little guys are perfect as a low-calorie snack, or sliced and added to sandwiches or served as a tasty side.
Not only are they delicious, and incredibly EASY to make, they are also incredibly good for us!
And as crazy as this may sound to some, the fizzy brine itself is like a healing tonic to me – I love to drink a shot of it- especially when I feel like my immunity needs a boost! So flavorful and totally energizing.
It starts with 2 lbs of “pickling cucumbers”. This recipe makes one large 1/2 gallon jar (or use two quart-sized jars) – a relatively small batch.
You will find Pickling Cucumbers at your local farmers market and you will recognize them by their small ( 4-6 inches) blocky shape, bumpy skin and color gradient from light to dark. Ask the farmers if they have Kirby cumbers or pickling cucumbers, they can help direct you to the right ones.
Your pickles will only be as good as your cucumbers, so choose wisely!
Make sure they are roughly all the same size -all about 4-5 inches long with 1 1/2-inch to 2-inch diameters – to fit in the jar nicely and to ferment at the same rate. Handpicked each one. They should be fresh and crisp.
Wash them, and soak them in an ice bath for 10-15 minutes to firm and crisp them up.
Gather your fresh Garlic and Dill and pickling spices.
Here I’m using fennel seeds, mustard, peppercorns, coriander seeds, allspice, and celery seeds. Feel free to embellish! I added a couple of chilies for a little heat.
Fermented cucumbers need tannin to help keep their skins from going soft. Traditionally, a few grape leaves are used but bay leaves work well too!
Because these fermented pickles are left whole, you really want the brine to be extra flavorful.
I add a lot of garlic… 10 cloves! Layer the cucumbers, spices, garlic, dill and bay leaves in a large two quart jar ( half gallon).
Mix salt and water and pour this brine over the pickles.
A couple notes on the brine: You want to be precise when measuring the salt and water in the recipe. Too much salt may kill off all of the bacteria -preventing fermentation. So be sure to measure.
SALT TO WATER RATIO: One teaspoon fine sea salt per cup of water.
Use unprocessed salt (sea salt) and unchlorinated, filtered water for best results.
Leave an inch or two of room at the top.
Weigh down the cucumbers so they are completely submerged under the liquid, using fermentation weights, a small zip lock bag filled with a little water, or something as simple as a clean river stone. (My friend Tonia uses stones she collects on the beach and she gave me this idea.)
Cover with a loosely with a lid, place in a bowl or pan to catch any overflow, and place them in a cool dark place for 3-7 days, like the basement. I’ve found a slower, cooler fermentation works best here.
Check after 3 days. Look for signs of life: bubbles, or cloudy water. This took me about 4 days. I let it go one more day, then placed the jar in the fridge to further slow the fermentation.
If you like to create a “fizzy” brine for drinking , tighten the lid, and burp daily. This will create a little pressure and give it some effervescence.
The fermented pickles turned out absolutely perfect! Crunchy and flavorful!
The brine is deliciously tangy, salty and effervescent -so tasty!
Let me know what how you like this one in the comments below.
xoxoxo
RELATED: How to make Kimchi! How to make Fermented Hot Sauce!
PrintFermented Pickles with Garlic and Dill
How to make Manhattan-style, Fermented Pickles! A simple recipe for making the most flavorful, crunchy, tangy, garlic dill pickles with only 15 minutes of hands-on time. Full of healthy, gut-healing probiotics these little guys are perfect as a low-calorie snack, or sliced and added to sandwiches.
- Prep Time: 4 days
- Total Time: 4 days
- Yield: ½ gallon 1x
- Category: fermented, preserved
- Method: fermented
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 2 lbs pickling cucumbers- all similar size (4–5 inches)
- 6 cups filtered water (non-chlorinated)
- 2 tablespoons fine sea salt or Himalayan salt
- 8–10 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 teaspoon each: fennel seeds, coriander seeds, allspice, peppercorns, dill seeds, mustard seeds,
- handful fresh dill
- 1–3 fresh red chilies – or add chili flakes ( optional)
- 3–4 bay leaves ( or a grape leaf)
You’ll need a 1/2 gallon mason jar, crock, or 2 quart-sized jars- clean and sterile.
Instructions
- Rinse the cucumbers and place in an ice-water bath, to crisp them up ( 10-15 minutes).
- Warm 1 cup of the water on the stove, and stir in salt until dissolved. Let cool to room temp.
- In a large, clean two quart jar, layer the cucumbers, garlic slices, fresh dill sprigs, bay leaves and spices.
- Pour the salt water brine and remianing 5 cups water over top, leaving an inch of headroom.
- Weigh down the cucumbers if need be, so they are submerged under the brine. ( Use a fermentation weight, a clean stone, a small ziplock with a little water in it). Place a lid on it, loosely tightened. Place in a pan or bowl to collect any overflow.
- Place in a cool dark place for 3-7 days, checking after 3 days.
- After 3 days, check for signs of life: bubbles, clouding. Check every day after.
- Once you see active bubbles you can place the jar in the fridge, where it will continue to ferment, but much more slowly. Slow and cool ferments seem to yield the best results here.
Notes
If you need more brine, make sure you use the same measurements- 1 teaspoon sea salt per 1 cup of water.
If using a grape leaf, place it on the side of the jar, then layer remaining ingredients.
Keywords: fermented pickles, fermented cucumbers, kosher dill pickles, lactose-fermented pickles, how to ferment pickles, fermented dill pickles, kosher dill pickle recipe
This is my first time making pickles! This recipe was easy to follow. It turned out well. I saw bubbles forming after 3-4 days, then in the fridge they went. Had some tonight with dinner. Yummy. Garlic dill flavor is strong. Cukes were crisp! Great way to extend the life of last weeks pickles! Will share with friends. Btw: I just used any kind of cukes , because I had a variety of them from my csa boxes., and they still came out! So go ahead and try this recipe. If u don’t like a spice, don’t use it. Don’t have it, maybe sub in a spice that is similar. Just saying, give it a go.
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Im so glad you gave this a try! I actually use this recipe to ferment everything! Carrots, cauliflower, peppers or whatever scraps I need to use up. The brine is delicious- I guzzle it!
I carefully measured but the pickles are too salty to enjoy. 3 tablespoons of salt is an awful lot for 6 cups of water. I will try to rescue them using an apple cider vinegar recipe.
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Jared, there was a typo with the salt- I’m so sorry. I fixed it and I appreciate you letting me know.
This is my first ever ferment. I’m wondering how long to leave it ferment in the fridge before I can eat it? Or is it ready to go after the first 3-7 days?
Hi Amy, You can eat them at any point, yes they are ready to go, but I find waiting a few more days develops the flavors further. Like a week.
Great recipe! So when I eat all my pickles, can I add more cucumbers to the brine?
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Yes, or you can drink the brine like I do…delicious!
did you slice off the tips of the cucumbers,, helps to keep them for storage,,,also 15 grape leaves and 6/7 bay leaves per gallon of 3/4 inch cukes will keep them very crisp for at least one year…in 2 qt. jars refrigerated,, we usually make 10 gallons per year in old red wing crocks but they never last
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If I cant find the pickling cucumbers which do you suggest?
They are much easier to find in the summer. I haven’t tried this with other cucumbers…but pickling cucumbers have the perfect thickness of skin. I hesitate to recommend another kind.
Just finished preparing this one. How long do you suggest fermenting the pickles once they move to the fridge?
I just keep them in there until they are gone! They are stored in the fridge indefinitely.
How long did you leave them in the fridge before you started eating???
Just a few days. like 3!
Thank you for this wonderful receipe. Can I use it to pickle different vegetables like fennels, peppers, carrots ? Thanks for your reply
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Yes I think it would work fine!
How many bay leaves?
I’m so sorry! 3-4! Updated the recipe.
I love to ferment, was wondering what temperature would a cool, dark place be?
Hi Terry! 50-60 F. Basically, cooler temps slow the fermentation down a bit. It’s OK to ferment at room temp (like 70 F) but it will ferment faster. Which is ok. I’ve heard a slower ferment yields better flavor, but honestly not sure if true?? Just don’t put it by your stove, and I think it will be fine! Perhaps use lower cabinet in the kitchen, if no basement. 🙂
Is it necessary to cut off the blossom end of the cucumbers before brining? That is always a needed step when making traditional pickles with a vinegar brine.
I’ve heard that as well and actually tried it both ways, and found no difference. But up to you?
Recipe works great, and the pickles are terrific!
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Just tried our first batch last night. So delicious! Just like the refrigerated kind we buy at the grocery store- only better because we made these ourselves. Thanks for sharing this fabulous recipe!
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Success! We love them!
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Yay!!! So happy you like them…I LOOOOOVE them! Such a tasty healthy snack.
How long would these last in the fridge?
Indefinitely!
How do you make this with sliced cucumbers? I’m innudated with cucumbers this year, but they are larger….6″ long. Would love to use with this recipe.
What if you tried spears?
How can I be sure the cucumbers do not produce harmful toxins while in the fermentation process?
What keeps them safe to eat?
I really enjoy your posts. Great recipes and photos
Salt kills the bad bacteria. I guess it requires a bit of faith. ?
“A couple notes on the brine: You want to use the exact ratio of salt to water in the recipe. Too much salt may kill off all of the bacteria -preventing fermentation. So be sure to measure”. This is what I read on your instructions, then on the recipe it says 3 1n3 1/2 TBSP dea salt and 6 cups of water. Please clarify.
Yes. Use 3 1/2 tablespoons of salt, mixed with 6 cups of water. I’m not sure I understand your question? I’m sorry!
I was wondering what size salt grain for the brine, since that will affect how much salt is in the teaspoon measure. Do you have a weight in grams?
Hi Sherri- I use a fine grain of salt.
I read the recipe the same way – you don’t mean use equal parts salt to water but exact measurements as the recipe states. I’ve fermented pickles in the past so already had my ingredients but needed the salt to water ratio. Luckily I read the whole page or I’d have incredibly salty pickles 😊
OH! I see the confusion! OK- I fixed it. 3 1/2 tablespoons sea salt to 6 cups water. Thanks!!!