Rosemary Sage Lemon Pickles
These have a wonderful flavor and I have found you can also make this recipe using zucchini instead of cucumbers.
By: Donna Schwenk
Recipe type: Cultured Vegetables
Ingredients
- ½ cup chives, chopped
- 2 cups cucumber, sliced
- 2 to 3 sprigs rosemary
- 4 to 8 sage leaves
- ½ Veggie pck or ¼ cup kefir whey
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- Zest of one lemon
- Cold water to fill the jar
- 2 to 3 clean grape leaves, oak leaves, or cherry leaves, raspberry or blackberry leaves. (There are tannins in the leaves that make the pickles crunchy. You can leave them out but it makes a big difference in how crisp the pickles are.)
Instructions
- Slice cucumber into ¼-inch rounds
- Tightly pack sliced cucumber and herbs in a 16-ounce clean glass jar until about ¾ full.
- Add cultures and extra water.
- Leave an inch or two of room at the top of the jar.
- The pickles will ferment bubbly and expand
- Let sit on counter tightly capped for 3 days and then place in refrigerator to further culture.
- They are ready to eat after about a week but keep fermenting and age much like a fine wine. I like them at about 2 to 3 weeks.
Notes
This is the image caption
Can you use fresh grape leaves, we have a grapevine in our yard?
Yes, they work great!
What is veggie pck ? or where do I get Kiefer?
If you click on the words veggie pck and the words kefir it will take you to the links to find them.
Is it okay to skip the lemon part? I only eat organic, and organic lemons are very, very pricey here.
Thanks
You can leave the lemon out but they won’t taste the same. I have another pickles recipes too if you don’t want to add lemon. http://www.culturedfoodlife.com/need-crunchy-pickles/
hI, CAN YOU DO THIS JUST USING SALT WITHOUT THE KEFIR WHEY? i MAKE FERMENTED VEGGIES THIS WAY BUT WANTED TO CHECK IT WOULD ALSO WORK FOR THIS.
i CAN GET KEFIR SO ITS NOT A PROBLEM JUST CURIOUS!
tHANKS AND LOVE THE RECEIPE. hAVE WANTED ONE LIKE THIS FOR A WHILE AS MY KIDS ARE NOT TOO KEEN ON SOUR KROUT BUT MIGHT GO FOR THESE.
tANSY X
You can but it works better with kefir whey.
I have always shyed away from making pickles because of never being able to find grape leaves – and i really like crucnhy pickles – so i’ve always just gotten bubbies so I can have the benefits – I really want to make my own though! Does the oak leaf thing really work?! I have a zillion oak trees around our house! How do I do that? Just wash one up and stick it it?!
They do really work and just wash them and stick them in. Works great!
oh my goodness! thanks! yay!
question about the grape leaves – are these dried or jarred? i bought some the other day that are jarred in a vinegar brine – is this ok? thanks!
These are just straight from the tree.