Thanks so much. Fermented foods, I have found can do a lot more than clean your pipes. It totally cleared up my brain fog and helped with my mood and gave me energy so I no longer fall asleep a few times a day.
I've always wanted to pickle and ferment. I first watched your sauerkraut video (which amazed me with its simplicity) then watched this video. I'm now subscribed! Thank you very much for your tutorials!
Craig, just found your channel. You're the first person who doesn't make it sound like rocket science or in love with their own voice. One lady talked for 30 minutes before saying anything worth while. I'm going to try these pickles soon.
Hey Craig! I am just getting into fermentation, and have been watching a couple of your vids. I just want to say that I find you very genuine and warm, you seem like a great guy and your videos are very nice to relax and watch! Thanks for being you :)
Thank you Craig. I have Ulcerative Colitis and have started eating for my health. I have just started fermenting foods. Your pickles are on my list of making. Thank you again.
Craig, grapevine leaves are also excellent for keeping pickles crunchy, and form the perfect 'cover' to help keep them under the brine. A 2% salt solution is best. That is, 20g salt to 1 litre of water, 10gr to 500ml, 5gr to 250ml.... works fantastically, I find....Try poking the dill fronds down between the cucumber spears. It leaves room on the bottom to push them right down, leaving space at the top, and helps wedge the cucumber spears solidly into the jar...
Thanks, Craig for making the only video I can find which uses "english" cucumbers, the only kind of cucumbers that I can find. Because I, um, LIVE in England, and those are all that they sell here. You are a life-saver and my gut biome thanks you too. The bay leaf idea also seems to be unique to you also. Crunchiness rules!
Craig, I cant wait to try this recipe. I have been making your fermented sour Kraut and I am addicted. I eat some every morning with my veggie Omelet. The kraut has also cured my heartburn. I have been trying to get my sister to start making the kraut and eating it because she takes prescription medicine for heartburn, and-- not Good ! -- I believe it will improve her overall health. Thanks Again for your awesome videos.
Did this last year , my husband loved them, thank you. I also used some of our green beans , added some with the cucumbers and a couple jars of them on their own. That is my favorite! Thanks again.
I saw this video last year and was looking all over for it today. Going to try again this year... Thanks Craig for the showing the simplest method for this...
Actually Cabbage leaves , bay leaves, oak leaves (red oak, white oak the best) all have the lacto bacillus bacteria growing on them naturally. Oaks and bay also provide tannin which make the pickles crisp. So Now you have a source of the bacteria you need right in the jar. Give the bacteria a good environment to grow in the pickling jar and you are in business. A good hot wash of the jars and lids is always a good idea. I enjoy Craig's videos, they are always informative. Most experts say 7 days is complete fermentation. I also use jalapeños, carrots, onions, and cauliflower. The jalapenos actually lose some heat. Thanks Craig.
I use live one I pick from the tree. They make a good presentation in the jar when they are displayed on the outside as well. Stick them in so you can see them then stuff the jar.
The cucumbers themselves are really all that is needed to have lacto bacteria growing in your ferment. You don't need the leaves. Also fermentation is most active after the 1 week mark. You will have much better tasting ferments of most vegetables if you let them go much further than only 7 days. Pickles are an exception, because crispness is desired, and you wouldn't want them overly sour.
just a suggestion if you want to try. Put the end piece from a loaf of bread on top of the pickles and let sit in sun for 5 days . this will give you an unbelievable sour but tasty pickle
Trying this today. Grew my own dill... just left the farmers market with mini cucumbers. 🥒 My pickle cucumber plants have not done much yet. I’ve watched many videos on this and yours seems to be the easiest to follow and what I am looking for. I’m going to use a tall olive jar I have from the Costco 2 pack. So excited to use my garden dill!! Praying my own cucumbers come in soon! Thanks for this video. I’ll let you know how they turn out!! Melanie in Maryland
My mom did hers in a 25 gallon crock and we 5 kids would sneak a pickle every day and when she went to put them in jars to seal in a water bath, she was surprised to find only 8 pickles to can. Needless to say, she left those 8 pickles for us to eat and dad had to go to the Amish and buy several more bushels of cucumbers. All of us LOVE fermented pickles still today!
Made some of these at home last week. If I'd known it was this easy I'd have tried it long ago. Turned out great. I used big plugs of dill, bay leaves & garlic. Some mustard seeds and peppercorns would have made them better. Next time I'll use those.
like you videos. you make it easy, and you are very clear and to the point. I hate those videos that drag on, and on, and on, before they actually get to the part of actually making something,, Good Job
You can also put the bay leaves over top of the pickles to keep the brine above the cucumbers so it won't go bad. People normally put cabbage leafs over their sauerkraut to protect it while fermenting.
I have starting watching your videos in 2008, you taught me how to brew (wine), I enjoy the way you try your brews .. makes me thirsty ... but now .. I am gonna get going pickling too ...Thanks Craig.. close to ten years now wow .. "this is my first comment though !"
I'm from Poland. Doing fermented ghrkins/pickles is Poland's national sport. I do it too. Ask Polish people how its done, because our fermented gherkins/pickles without vinegar are delicious even after a year, not only after 4 days.
I used to get the one gallon jars of pickled Jalapeno peppers. After i ate about half the jar I would add two or three jars of dill spears and let them soak for about a week. went great with beer.
Your recipes are so fast and easy. I cant wait to make these pickles tomorrow. I have been looking for pickle recipes and they were so complicated I just gave up. I am going to make your fermented vegetable this week as well. I will let you know how they all turn out. Thank you so much.
Hi Craig. I tried this recipe of yours. OMG. Damn those pickles were great. I also rolled my eyes like you did when I tasted it. Making my second batch right now. Thanks for the recipe. Kevin.
This is my first time making pickles, i was instructed to use bay leaves, but i didnt have any. I used pickling salt, 1 tablespoon per cup of water, they have been going for 3 days. My grandmother showed me her dilly bean recipe I canned 7 jars of them, then on my own i canned Asparagus !! im excited
In addition to cucumbers, I have done carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, onions, celery, fresh corn cut off the cob. All of them turned out really great, and in addition to dill pickles, I've done all of the above in a sweet & spicy brine.
Craig, last week I made my first batch of dill pickles following you and they are delicious. Thank you. The cukes came from a local farmer and are organic and I grew the dill. What I learned is to not place a red cabbage leaf across the top to keep all below the liquid. Little did I know it would dye the brine at the top! but no mold is the good news!
Thanks for sharing this recipe! I love fermented vegetables and have lots of cucumbers from the garden this year. I'm going to try this one tonight. Thanks again. Rick
Yet another fermenting video I'll happily pass on to others. You do everything the same as my process (except I ALWAYS add jalepenos and peppercorns and sometimes even serranos or a habenero - love'm spicy!) and you cover and say everything that's important to mention! Well done man!
this year is a bummper crop of cuccumbers i'm going to try this. because i love pickles maybe not as much as you ,but close. and another reason i'm going to try this is you give little tid bits of info as you go along. from your bloopers at the end tells me your human. let you know soon .have an awesome week
Really nice share! Other websites suggest using about 1/2 cup or starter fermented water to the new batch. Your recipe is so easy and the result, wow! I might try your recipe with about 1 tsp. of pickling spice. I saw one video where the recipe called for about 1/3 cup of pickling spice! Whoa! That's a little too much for me. Maybe I'd throw in a pinch of chili flakes though. Lacto fermentation. So simple and so smart! Thanks for this video!
In Australia we call those "Continental cucumbers" The English ones are the big fat ones lots of seeds and water. The smaller ones are called "Lebanese cucumbers" then at Aldi they have the pickling small ones. I loved this video and can't wait to make them. You are a great teacher and thank you so much for taking the time to share. xxxx
Made sauerkraut for the first time recently. It tasted awesome. I made a big batch, so when it was ready, I filled plastic ziplock bags, and froze all except what I could use at the time. Even months later, once thawed, the kraut was still crunchy, and delicious. I just started my first batch of dill pickles, and I am excited to try them. I used lots of garlic, dill, pepper corns, and a few dried peppers, in a two gallon crock. I also placed some cherry leaves in to provide the tannins.
Hi Craig.. well done... not Alton Brown but looks good. Here in Hungary we use a piece of rye bread on top and cover with a linen. I think the rye bread gives a bit of cumin taste too... they are called kovászos uborka (ko-vash-owesh ew-bor-ka) they let them sit in the sun for 3 or 4 days
Dude, you rock. Great tips all throughout this video.. all they way to the end. Another fermenting recipe I can't wait to try. Thank you. Cheers Brother!
My success in trying this recipe.My brine didn't bubble at all. Craig recommended to pickle cucumbers for 4 days or more. My came out delicious, just after 3 days, then I put them in refrigerator to stop pickling ( fermentation) process. I cover my spears with the leaf of cabbage. Next time, I'll put just one bay leaf, instead o three. Result of my pickling came out as great tasting fresh pickles. By the way, I told all of my friends, that they can pickle English cucumbers. The were very surprised, because in our tradition, we were pickling only Kirby cucumbers. I put a lot of fresh dill to my cucumbers, 3 cloves of fresh crushed garlic, plus I added " pickling spices mix" (coriander,foenugreek,mustard,bay leaf,chiles, all spice). I added extra celery seeds at the end ( my great idea). The final product came out so great. Thank you Craig.👍
regarding chopping the ends off there is an enzyme in the end of the cucumber where the flower is /was that is what makes them go soft but because unless you pick your own its hard to figure out which end is which so top and tailing them is easier . love your video btw
An excellent video. Thank you. Water is a huge deal to keep up health and this is not always about taste. In this point , it is much safer to use clean rain water, clean spring water of course it should be FL and CL free. Those things are made a HUGE difference in health. Our new generation needs more cleaner air and water than our older generation. I'd love more to drink pickle juice than just pickles cause the brine after fermented , becomes extremely powerful and most world class athletes rely on this juice to enhance the strength . Thank you again
The best video ever and I followed your steps on fermenting and only success. But to see you on a video singing 😮 WOW AND DOUBLE WOW!!! Your voice is truly amazing..
I have Korean Bay salt which is used for making kimchi and I use it in everything I ferment or pickle. I use it in everything only because I have it for kimchi and I buy a big bag. But any sea salt or pickling salt will work.
That Himalayan pink salt, is good for a faster fermentation, had good results with jalapenos, usually done in 3 days. It wont last as long, the iron in the pink salt is the problem, I usually go through a gallon every 2-3 weeks and they are fine, get softer close to the 3rd week, not like regular seas salt, but still better than the worse jar of pickled jalapenos I have bought at the store before.
