“Sometimes questions are more important than the answers.” ~ Nancy Willard
I have been make lacto fermented pickles for years. They are delicious but they were never quite as crunchy and crisp as I would have liked them. It kind of started bugging me.. a lot. Why don’t they snap when I bite into them like Bubbies dill pickles? These are the things that drive me crazy wanting to know not just how, but why. It is my reason for being. It is to understanding the why’s of this life.
I have a journal that sits by my bed at night. I write countless questions that I would like answers to. I write down the question, and then I stop thinking of the question and wait for the answer to come. The answers always come and it never ceases to amaze me. My questions are sometimes philosophical and many times spiritual but more often than not they are practical.
Questions like; why does the bottom of my husband’s foot suddenly start hurting when he sleeps at night? Answer; he needed more B12.
How can I make my own toothsoap? I loved the answer to this one. It had a little science thrown in.
And this one; exactly how many angels do I have helping me? Answer; I have a team. They are my personal managers.
The crunchy pickle dilemma went into the notebook, and I waited for the answer.
When you teach your friends to ferment it can be quite helpful because they will start having all kinds of unique ferments that will often help you. On one particular week two of my friends came to me to tell me they had made pickles and that they had used clean grape leaves (they’re also other leaves you can use) in the jar because the tannins in the leaves make the pickles crispy. One of my friends had her pickles with her and let me try one. When I bit into it, there it was the crispness I had looked for. I get really excited when I get my answers, but when they come through my friends it really moves me. I often will bite my lip to keep from crying because the person in front of me has no idea that they have just delivered to me something I have been asking for. I have scared a few strangers by tearing up while they were innocently answering questions for me without ever knowing it.
Most appreciative of the answers I receive. I will keep asking questions because there is just to many things I need to know the answer too.
“The art and science of asking questions is the source of all knowledge.”~ Thomas Berger
Try my cinnamon pickles or leave out the cinnamon stick and make them regular. Get one of these types of leaves. Grape,oak, raspberry, blackberry or cherry leaves and make the pickles snap when you bite them!
Cinnamon Dill Pickles
Makes 1 gallon
3-4 lbs of cucumbers (small to medium is ideal, but if all you have is large, cut them into spears)
6 Tbsp Celtic sea salt
2 Cloves of garlic
2 sticks of cinnamon
3 Tbsp whole dill seed
2 Tbsp whole coriander seed
1 tsp whole mixed peppercorns
1 tsp juniper berries
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp dill seed
1 Veggie pck or 1/2 cup kefir whey
Filtered water
A handful of fresh, clean grape leaves, oak leaves, or cherry leaves, raspberry or blackberry leaves work too. ( It’s the tannins you want in the leaves that makes them crispy)
If using a veggie starter, add 1/2 cup of water then add veggie culture. Feed it a little sugar to wake it up about 1 tsp and stir till dissolved. The sugar will be consumed quickly by the bacteria cultures, and there is no need to worry about the added sugar. If using kefir whey proceed with other instructions below.
Chop cucumbers in half place flat side down on surface and cut into spears.
Place cucumbers in 4- 4 quart jars. Place other ingredients in a measuring cup with a spout for easy pouring.
Mix all ingredients till well combined. Pour mixture into jars making sure that each jar gets equal amounts of ingredients. (Some of the seed may fall to the bottom)
Fill the jars with extra water leaving a 1 1/2 inches of room at the top and making sure veggies are below the water. The veggies will mold if left above the water. If this happens scrape off the mold or discard veggies and push the others below the water. The mold is harmless and won’t hurt anything but they can ruin the taste of the veggies. Set at room temperature for 3 days and then place in the refrigerator. They taste the best after 3 to 4 weeks in the refrigerator.
[...] – pickle spears ( Lacto fermented homemade pickles or, Bubbies is a store bought brand that you can also [...]
Aha! I was just wondering why my pickles tasted great, but were mushy. I thought it was because they had had a skin of mold occur on day 5 at room temp. I had a hard time packing them down (even shoved celery sticks between them to hold them down tighter), but they had still floated up. Maybe lack of tannin was the real culprit. Will try new batches this afternoon. Look out tree across the street! Ha ha! PS – Do you have any tricks for keeping the veggies packed down? How would I ferment sliced cukes? They’d never stay down! Thanks!
Did you add salt? It makes them crunchy and without it they are mushy. Pickles float a lot. I just try to put one of two in sideways to keep the others down and they do fine. If you use Caldwell veggie starter you don’t have to worry about keeping them down. They never mold with the Caldwells. Really makes fermenting so much easier. Also you can slice your pickles anyway you want doesn’t matter and they do fine. Also make sure you cut off the blossom end. It has an enzyme that can make your pickles dissolve. http://www.culturesforhealth.com/caldwell-starter-culture-for-fresh-vegetables.html
Hi Donna – Thanks for the quick response. Yes, I used celtic sea salt in the amount your recipe states. Yes, I used Caldwell’s – but I used 1/2 packet per quART JAR. nO, i DID NOT CUT OFF THE BLOSSOM END – i WILL TRY THAT NEXT TIME. i JUST MADE SOME SWEET PICKLES TONIGHT, LEFT THEM WHOLE AND DID NOT CUT OFF THE BLOSSOM END. sHOULD i OPEN THEM UP AND CUT IT OFF OR JUST LET THEM BE?
I suspect if you did those others things it must be the enzyme in the cukes. I think I would open them and cut off the ends.
This recipe looks amazing! Do the cinnamon sticks have a purpose other than flavor? I’m not sure my kids would go for anything other than a dill taste. If I left the cinnamon out would the recipe still work, and would it be a basic dill pickle then? Thanks for your advice. I love your site!
Yes you can leave the cinnamon sticks out. Makes great dill pickles without them.
Donna is their better/more good bacteria in veggies made with live whey or with a packet from Caldwells? I need to get the best in terms of nutrition to fight some conditions at the moment and need your guidance to make the best decision.
What is your advice?
I have found stronger effects with Caldwell culture packages. The bacteria stays at a higher level for longer with these cultures. Only thing I use anymore. My vegetables ferment and hiss in the fridge they are so strong.The science behind it is very interesting, I actually met the men who made these and was really impressed. http://www.culturesforhealth.com/caldwell-starter-culture-for-fresh-vegetables.html
Thank YOU Donna!
I appreciate your love and wisdom in many ways!!
I’ve been vinegar brining pickles, and those were very crisp, but of course not quite as loaded with probiotics as these. Now I’ve got another use for all the wild grape vines roaming along my fenceline. I’m still munching on lacto-fermented yard long beans form last fall, but they’re getting a bit chewy.
I want to make these pickles but haven’t a clue as to where to find these leaves so they are crunchy pickles!
You can often get them from trees in your yard. Oak trees are pretty easy to find.
Has anyone ever thought of using powdered tannin that you can get from winemaking stores? It may take a bit of trial and error to find the right amount to use, but it should work.
Horseradish leaves work and they grow wild in my area. Apparently you can ask your grocer to bring in the root with leaves still on them as well. I’ve used them and they work great! Thanks for all the great info on your site.
A handful of fresh, clean grape leaves, oak leaves, or cherry leaves, raspberry or blackberry leaves work too. ( It’s the tannins you want in the leaves that makes them crispy) I just read this. How about huckleberry leaves?
I bet they would work. I am not completely sure because I haven’t tried them.
which other leaves can you use? How about fig?
Can you use jarred grape leaves in brine?