Nothing improves a pickle like garlic. But what really makes this one different, is that instead of dill, Teri uses ginger. These Garlic Ginger Pickles are sure to please the most delicate of palates. Try it and see if you don’t agree.
Pickling season has officially begun, and with that, my continuing quest to make the perfect pickle. Nothing says summer to me like a grilled burger with garden fresh potato salad, and a crispy, homemade pickle.
Throughout the summer, I always have a batch of lacto-fermented pickles on the counter, providing my family with a continuous supply. I’m always experimenting with a variety of flavors, and while most of the time I lean toward a classic dill pickle with dill seeds, garlic, and black pepper, a new favorite is garlic ginger pickles.
To make the best pickles, always start with the freshest, smallest pickling cucumbers you have available. I like to head out into the garden with a large bowl, harvest a batch of pickling cucumbers, and immediately bring them into the kitchen to preserve. I always have pre-made brine solution on hand, so making pickles is as simple as chopping, adding a few spices, and topping off with brine.
LACTO-FERMENTED GARLIC GINGER PICKLES
Ingredients:
• 5-6 pickling cucumbers, sliced into spears or rounds
• 3 cloves of garlic, smashed
• ½ -1 tsp of fresh, chopped ginger root
• ½ tsp coriander seed
• 1 whole clove
Enough brine solution to completely cover the cucumbers. A brine solution is made by dissolving 3 TBSP salt in 1 quart of water (or if you wish to make up a larger batch, dissolve ¾ cup salt in 1 gallon of water).
To Make:
1) Place sliced cucumbers into a clean quart-sized mason jar (I like to use a wide-mouth jar).
2) Arrange garlic, ginger, and spices around the cucumbers.
3) Pour in enough brine solution to completely cover the cucumbers and spices.
4) Particularly when fermenting vegetables in brine, it is helpful to use a weight to hold down the vegetables under the liquid. The Fermentools starter kit includes a glass weight, which I’ve found to be perfect for this job.
5) Place your mason jar lid loosely on the jar, or use the Fermentools air-lock, and place on your kitchen counter, or another place where you can easily keep an eye on your pickles.
6) Check on your pickles every day. If I use a mason jar lid, I’ll tighten the lid, shake the contents gently a few times, and re-loosen the lid. I keep an eye out for any white mold (just scrape it off if it develops), make sure that the cucumbers are still submerged under the brine, and do taste tests for flavor! A few more tips for successful fermentation can be found here.
After 3-4 days on the counter, I find my pickles have the perfect balance of flavor and crispness. At that point, I move them to the refrigerator… if they last that long!
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One of the key ingredients when making lacto-fermented pickles is the salt. Don’t risk your precious pickles on inferior salt. Try the Himalayan Powder Salt sold in the Fermentools store. You will be glad you did.
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