Christmas Pickles

Pickles that taste like Christmas is what this recipe is all about. I add a few spices and a tea bag. The Mulling spices you can find at most grocery stores and the tea bag will add tannins to keep your pickles crispy. You can remove the tea bag when you are done fermenting. Sometimes I leave it in for a couple weeks for extra flavor. I use a Christmas flavored tea bag too! Make sure you don't use herbal tea as this doesn't contain tannins to make the pickles crispy.

Servings: quart

Ingredients

1/8 teaspoon Cutting Edge Cultures or you can use 1/8 cup kefir whey
1 cup filtered water to mix with culture
13 ounces pickling cucumbers
1/2 tablespoon Celtic Sea Salt
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon Mulling spices
1 whole star anise
filtered water
1 teabag - Christmas I like ones with Christmas flavors. The tannins in the tea leaves help to make the pickles crisp.

Materials

1 Quart jar

Instructions

If using the starter culture, stir together the culture and water. Let the mixture sit while you prepare the ingredients—around 10 minutes. If using kefir whey, add it when the recipe calls for culture.
Chop cucumbers into circles.
Place cucumbers in quart jar. Place other spices and tea bag in the jar with cucumbers. Some of the seeds may fall to the bottom.
Add the Cutting Edge Culture or kefir whey and cover with water, leaving an inch or two at the top.
Seal the container and let it sit on your kitchen counter, out of direct sunlight, for three days. After three days, place the container in the refrigerator. You can remove the tea bag or leave it in.
Check the vegetables every day to make sure they are fully submerged in the water. If they have risen above the water, simply push them down so they are fully covered by the water. If any white spots formed because the veggies rose above the water, do not worry. Remember, this isn’t harmful. Just scoop out the vegetables that have the white spots on them and push the rest back under the water.

Notes

Storage note: These pickles can be kept in a covered airtight jar in the refrigerator for up to nine months.