Every Day Fermented Pickle Spears
Spring is here! Bring out the grilled hamburgers, hot dogs, brats, and cold cut sandwiches! And to accompany them, try some fermented pickle spears! They are dilly and delicious and deliver immune-boosting bacteria into your gut with every crunch.
Unlike vinegar soaked pickles, these every day pickle spears are made the old-fashioned way: through good ol’ fermenting!
Basic Fermented Pickle Spears Recipe
The Ingredients (for 1 gallon – adjust as needed):
- Cucumbers (6-8 medium-sized)
- 15-20 Garlic Cloves
- 4 Tablespoons of Red Peppers
- 8 Bay Leaves
- Pickling Spices (a blend of mustard seed, dill seed or fresh herb, and coriander seeds)
- 1 Gallon of Pickling Brine (1/2 c salt to 1 Gallon of non-chlorinated water) – we prefer our high mineral powdered Himalayan salt
The Method:
Clean up your cucumbers and chop of the ends. Slice them into spears.
Slightly mash your garlic cloves with the side of a knife to release their flavors.
Pack the cucumber spears alternating garlic and spices as you go.
Cover the cucumbers with brine leaving 1 inch space on the top of the jar.
Assemble your Fermentools airlock system (check out our single pack, 4-pack, 6-pack, or 12-pack) using the glass weight to keep your veggies under the brine.
Leave your pickles to ferment for 3-6 days tasting them every few days until they are to your liking, then move them into the refrigerator for long-term storage.
Every sandwich plate deserves a fermented pickle spear! Never let a burger, hot dog, or sandwich go unaccompanied again, and turn this pickle recipe into your very own crowd pleaser.
Additional reading for the pickle enthusiast:
- 5 Tips for Lacto-Fermented Crunchy Pickles
- Old-Time Country Store Pickle Barrel Pickles
- Kosher Dill Pickles Recipe
Fermenting pickles requires salt. Fermentools’ Himalayan Powder salt dissolves easily in tepid tap water. To get your own, and our stainless steel fermenting lids, visit the Fermentools store.
I’m having a hard time figuring out what the process is using your system once a batch is ready to be moved to the fridge. My first batch looks lovely and smells pretty good but the top hats are filled with brining juices. Do I take the lids off, clean up the overflow and replace with normal bell jar kids?
Congratulations!
Yes I clean it up and place a regular jar lid on top.
Why are you using chlorinated water for these? Every pickle recipe I have ever seen before says not to. I don’t even like to drink the stuff let alone put it in my pickles.
Chlorinated water is never recommended for fermenting. I see there is a typo. I corrected. Thank you.