In this video I show you how to make pickles at home the old fashioned way. Follow us!! Facebook: / dannymacskitchen Pinterest: / dannymacskitchen Twitter: Da... Instagram / dannymacskitchen
Great video. I've been fermenting for many years and have found that if you put the dill and garlic in the bottom of the jar, they are less likely to float to the top and be above the brine. If you pack your pickles tight you don't have to worry about them either. Putting the dill on top leaves too much possibility for spoilage. Thanks again.
Great tutorial! Started fermenting a few years ago. One of the most common tip in the recipes I've seen, gleaning the best for my own use, was that you have to take about 1/8 inch off the blossom end of the cucumber because of the enzymes there that will make the pickle mushy.
+jrdube indeed it will and thanks for sharing! Ideally remove the stem but not so far as to allow a way for the brine to infiltrate the pickle to quickly as it will produce a mushy product.
Great advice for all fermenters out there. If you do it as soon as you pick the cucumber( for you growers) it helps keep it firm for salads as well. I Put a jalapeno in with the cucumbers as well. Take out the seeds and white ribs and you have nice mild warmth. Also, so many over salt, you r amount was just right.
Thank you so much. I've been getting into fermenting lately. I've done some parsnips and some carrots with ginger. This is making the pickles look easy!!! Thank you.
We made our first batches of Lacto-Fermented pickles this summer. Quite good. We fermented them in the wine fridge at 41 degrees F. At ten days they were pretty well fermented, but still a little 'cucumbery' tasting. By three weeks the flavors had all blended and we had some fine half-sour pickles with all the flavor one could want. Next batch will be like this (Danny Mac's)- ferment at room temperature. Thanks!
At 9:10 I started looking all around my desk for my phone. Once I found it, I had realized it was your phone. That was crazy. Thanks for the info and going through each step, one by one. It really cleared some questions up that I had for a while. Great informative video. Definitely a thumbs up.
You can tell by the uneven color when you cut it open, that these are NOT done yet. It takes longer than 4 days for lacto-fermentation to work its magic. A week at minimum, and 2 to 3 is even better.
I disagree. I've made it this way many times. Yes you can ferment it longer however in my experience slowing down the process by refrigeration yields an awesome product. At the temperature in my home that I made this, they always came out perfect. I've let it go longer and then refrigerated it and yeah it was awesome however 2-3 weeks later the pickles were very soft and mushy. They still continue to ferment in the fridge at a much slower rate and the times I recommended maintained the pickles awesome crispiness.
I didn't mean to imply that they wouldn't taste good at 3 or 4 days, but Lactobacillus takes 3 full weeks to mature. That's a scientific fact, not opinion. They are salted brined pickles, not lacto fermented pickles, at 3 or 4 days.
@@LoveoftheDarkFiberArts ...good to know. I have sunchokes fermenting, I heard 4 days for most veges while using the perfect pickler air lock...then i heard 3-4 weeks for sunchokes from others who have done it..I will take heed and go at least 3 weeks...its all about the lactobacillus for me.
I been growing pickles for years in my backyard and I have been tempted to do this but I have always been a little skeptical. I am going to try it out specially after you took that bite and hearing that crunch just made my mouth water lol. I might add a pepper to give it a little spice to it. Thank you for sharing and God bless!
Try the recipe and if you like it spicy add red pepper flakes while fermenting I love spicy and recently added lots of red pepper and it came out amazing!
I wish I'd seen this video before making my first attempt at fermented pickles. The recipe I followed didn't forewarn me of the perfectly normal murky/cloudy appearance as fermentation progressed, and I ended up throwing out the entire batch thinking something had gone terribly wrong. I was so disappointed that I never tried again and just kept making vinegar pickles. Your video clarifies all that, so now I will try again...thanks!
Pleased you mentioned burping. I just finished my batch and heard the metal seal *pop* so, the science is definitely real! But wasn't it always? Nice video too! Can't wait to try mine. I grow hot peppers as well and made red pepper flake last year. I added that to this same recipe. Hopefully we'll have some heat too! Best!
You can keep it fermenting for long time (about two month in refrigerator or two weeks at room temperature 20-22 degrees) and you will have more lactic acid and still crispy cucumbers. I prefer fully fermented vegetables at room temperature.
Andrii Muliar I keep it in the refrigerator for a while...sometimes for months. Just had a pickle the other day from 6 months ago and it was awesome and still crispy. Yum!
Thanks so much! My search started with fermented hot sauce after a trip to Puerto Rico. I ended up here, and I was not disappointed. I have been interested in pickling for a while now, and I appreciate your tips (and your responsiveness to comments). Thanks, again.
Wendy L. Logan Thanks for the comment!! Pickling is such a fun hobby of mine. Definitely give it a shot! You won't be disappointed.If you do let me know how it worked for you.
I don't buy store pickles after making my own! They taste delicious as well as having no added ingredients/chemicals! I use the nipple lids so that I don't have to manually burp. I have pickles in less than 3 days! Thank you for your "on point" video!
Not to be negative but this I will say the younger the cuke the smaller the seeds and tender you did not mention the salt less i missed something ..you need kosher salt, sea salt, pickling salt, Himalayan salt NOT IODIZED table salt I prefer kosher. Easy to get , cheap and no chemicals. thanks for the knowledge cheers.
This reminds me of wine making. One useful tricks is to fill the fermentation lock with a solution of potassium metabisulfite which can be obtained from any wine making supplier. It is a steriliizing agent and it prevents unwanted microbes from entering the vessel.
True. But consider that the bacteria that may be present may not be the one you want and it might possibly be very harmful. I think I would want to inhibit ant random bacteria that is floating on the wind and innoculate with a known source.
Yeah, don't think it's very tasty at all if you drink it pure... However.... When you need some acidity in your food, and you would have used vinegar or Lemon juice, take that stuff :)
Fermented pickles really are amazing. For anyone who hasn't tried it, you should! You wont ever buy pickles from the store again. I made a half gallon jar 3 weeks ago and they are gone already! I'm starting another batch of pickles tomorrow and some sour kraut also! Good video
Thanks! It's funny, I made a batch 2 weeks ago and lo and behold three days later I had only 3 left. So another batch was made and the best part is that it only cost 4 dollars to make. Once you make them yourself you will never go back! Thanks for the comment!
Hi, I noticed that the top of the cucumber was above the salt water level. Is that alright? I thought you have to have everything below the water level. Also can we keep the pickled water after removing the cucumber for the next batch of pickles?
It was above the level however I would shake it up to disperse the liquid intermittently so the cukes change position. And definitely save some of the liquid. I do! ....As a starter for the next batch
make sure everything's below the water. There are different methods to do this. You can buy glass weights made for mason jars or use a crock and a plate or some people put a ziplock filled with water on top.
Making sure all of the pickles are 100% submerged is very important too people. That makes it an anaerobic environment. If any part of the pickles are above the water surface it is in aerobic environment meaning free oxygen can get into the pickles causing them to spoil. He is using brewer airlock so his should be okay but if you are not using one, you have to keep them under the waters surface.
Thank you for your comment and pointing out all of these important points! They will definitely spoil if the O2 takes over and the pickles are not submerged completely.
I made fermented asparagus not that long ago and it was delicious. It's definitely not for everyone since the flavor is intense. Like kalumata olives. I absolutely loved them.
Great video. I'm going to try this. How do you make the salt water? Do you boil the water and salt together then let it cool? Also I'm guessing regular tap water will have chlorine, should I buy a jug of distilled water instead?
Jeffmorgan83 Ideally yes! Most water in the US is chlorinated and fluoridated. Definately use distilled water for the best result. I've used both and the best result comes from distilled water.
Hey Danny, looks yummy..question..do they have to be stored in a fridge to stop fermentation? as in how do you manage a large batch? can they be stored in cellar/pantry?
Fermenting process does not require sterilization, although that doesn't hurt and is more for canning. Fermenting can be done in a crock or loose fitting lid on a jar.
You're suppose to cut off the flowering end of the cucumber. It has enzymes in it that make your pickles soft. You don't want a soft pickle. You want it crunchy.
Right on Danny! Request to put links to the equipment you used in the description 👍 subscribed and looking forward to checking out more of your videos!
Danny Macs Kitchen I live in the Netherlands. I found some special fermentation jars on internet but they cost around 40 Euro. The air lock seems like great solution!
You missed something very important. Not only do you need to cut off the stem end but you MUST cur about 1/2” off the blossom end because it contains an enzyme that will make the cucumber/pickle softer. 🙏🏼
Where did you learn these pickling ideas? Before I came here to Europe and found myself married to a Russian pickling master (Who is also a financial expert here) I have never seen an American do this. I do not know if you have tried it but here they pickle these tiny pumpkins and they are awesome. (She hates your cloves in the recipe)
emailchb I learned basic pickling in culinary school and more recently began experimenting with new recipes. The tiny pumpkin idea sounds really interesting I'll have to check it out. Thanks for the comment.
I have no idea if they are true pumpkins and I have never seen them outside of Europe but they are 100% delicious. Sorry I cannot be more specific Thanks!.
Everyone serious about fermenting go to Amazon and order easy fermenter lids. They allow carbon to escape without allowing oxygen in. It also comes with a pump in case you need to taste and troubleshoot your ferment. You can then pump out the oxygen and continue on. No burping required. One of the best Amazon purchases I've made.
My grandmother nor my mother know my great-grandmother quit jail or bad like in their fermented sour pickles. They reserved the deal and garlic and whatever else for their vinegar canned pickles. Fermented pickles were only sour pickles and half-sour deals along with deals were made with vinegar and of course I've said canned. I have tried my fermented cucumbers with the dill and garlic and I just don't like the flavor with the sour pickle because fermentation is going to give you a sour pickles the kind that you get at delis and places that make sandwiches not a dill eating pickle. I eat my fermented pickles and I have since I was a child just as they are from the jar. I don't need to make a sandwich with them is not what I meant. You need to be very precise with your salt is that is the only thing protecting bad molds and yeasts from growing. Salt needs to be measured there are many nice charts online that will tell you how much to you use per pound of cucumbers and it must be weighed. MyChart for 1/2 gallon of brine for pickles is 33 grams of salt. Those cucumbers better be covered with brine from the moment you brine them! Nobody ever needs to use an airlock never! Four generations of my family and nobody used in airlock plus all of the side branches of my family to pickles nobody ever owned an airlock it's just a waste of money. Just don't screw the jar lid tightly set the jars on the towel and if it is bubbling without burping it then leave it alone. The pickles will tell you if they need to be burped or not.
I wouldn't reuse all the liquid for the second batch because it could be too strong. However, save some of the prior liquid and add it too your new batch and it will kick start the fermentation process that much faster. I've done that before and it works great.
It always makes me either giggle or feel slightly uncomfortable when I watch cooking videos and hear the sounds they make when they try their own food LOL! I know they want to make it sound good, but sometimes they're too successful at it XD
I suppose if you have imperfections in the glass, you're probably right. I'm new to this type of fermenting. Have been brewing beer for a few years now though...
It’s really not necessary. Just wash with warm soapy water is fine. Every thing clean including the cutting board, hands, knife etc. Sandror Katz speaks at length on this subject.
Clean dry jar is fine, been doing it for years and never sterilized anything. I'm a micro biologist by trade. You think the cucumbers are sterile? No fancy top either. Just don't screw the lid tight it out gasses fine unless your'e fermenting A Kim chi super gassy mixture. Then it might need burping.
Well done to you for all the extras you put, I'm always that way too ... and add some chickpeas. The secret of my secret (now yours and your readers too) and it makes the cucumbers really tasty and vibrant. Adopt this tip is worth to you. Thanks
They do look mouth watering lol I been pickleing for over 30 years with vinegar I'm afraid of getting sick to make fermented pickles lol Is there a big big difference between these and useing vinegar?
Sorry for the long delay..OMG there is a huge difference between the 2. I enjoy both but prefer the fermented version better...Plus vinegar kills off all the beneficial lactobacilus bacteria.
could be..it will ferment probably too fast and possibly develop mold ideally keep it in a dark area like a closet where it's cooler you can split the ferment half in the refrigerator and half out of it
+ShotgunLlama The longer you let them sit the more mushy they will become. For half sours ferment for a day or two then place them in the fridge to greatly reduce fermentation. After an additional 2 days in the fridge they should be perfectly 1/2 sour.
So people say fermented foods last a long time but I am confused. If it were ancient times and you were fermenting for preservation, not just for flavor, Can you ferment for months without refrigeration?
You can ferment without refrigeration under controlled circumstances. The temperature has to be low enough and in a dark place. Many cultures would bury food underground to ferment for months at a time as a means of preservation... Refrigerated, they can last for a very long time but they will continue to sour at a much slower rate.
I have made fermented dill pickles. I have this great left over juice. Have you ever reused the juice to make another batch? I assume will replace the garlic, bay leaves, dill, etc.
Yessss! Only use a small amount of the juice like 1 Oz. for your next batch. Reserve whatever juice you have left however. That 1 Oz. you save and ad to the next batch is a fantastic starter to begin the ferment...like immediately it will start. Save the remaining juice for future ferments .
For a cheap and easy water seal: just punch a hole in the top of your mason jar lid, and stick a teflon tube in there. Then make a "U" shape out of the tube, and put a couple mils of water in there. Bang, cheap water seal.
Yummy! If I make these in normal jam jar styles how often do I need to burp it until I can leave it in a cool dark place and how long should they last?
Burp once a day. I ferment mine 3-4 days and they last in the fridge up to a month. They will lose crispiness over time though but the flavor is amazing!
so you said it was important to keep all submerged but there was a big cucumber sticking up out of water does that matter. or do you know that later it will go under?
@@Dannymacskitchen ok cool thanks im going to try to make pickles for the first time. thanks for the video. I cant buy them where i am anyways. I like the commercial ones like bubbies, but i bet these will be even better. i got those fermenting lids that look like silicon, i hope they work
And something else ... I make the hot cucumber with a very ordinary lid for years. And it does not explode in any case and I even make the jar sit on one side of the jar every day and everything is fine. I wonder why it explodes with you? It should not explode ...
