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This recipe is from Sally Fallon Morell’s Nourishing Traditions p. 97. This recipe is being published during the fifth month of the year, when we are focused on the fifth of our 11 Wise Traditions Dietary Principles, which is to include fermented food and beverages in your diet. This recipe is made by lacto-fermentation.
The following recipe makes 1 quart:
Ingredients
- 4-5 pickling cucumbers or 15-20 gherkins
- 1 tablespoon mustard seeds
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill, snipped
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- 4 tablespoons [homemade] whey. If not available, use an additional 1 tablespoon salt.
- 1 cup filtered water
Instructions
- Wash cucumbers well and place in a quart-sized, wide-mouth mason jar.
- Combine remaining ingredients and pour over cucumbers, adding more water if necessary to cover the cucumbers.
- The top of the liquid should be at least 1 inch below the top of the jar.
- Cover tightly and keep at room temperature for about 3 days before transferring to cold storage.
Is powered whey acceptable?
I made the pickles and used 2 tbsp sea salt (Redmonds) because I didn’t have any whey. I also shook the jar (not in the instructions haha). It’s the 3rd day and they pretty salty. Are they supposed to be this salty or should I have not shook them? I also put more than 1 cup of water to completely cover the cucumbers. Not sure if it can be remedied, but what should I do differently?
UPDATE – The pickles turned out just fine! I should have been more patient. I should clarify in the last post I sliced the cucumbers per the variation recipe in the book, I couldn’t leave them whole because they were too tall for the jar.
I’m making this recipe again, but I quartered the cucumber into spears and added 2 cloves garlic & used dried dill since that’s what I have on hand! Also I haven’t used the mustard seed since I don’t have any.