Ingredients

• 1-2 lbs. cucumbers, either sliced into 1/4" rounds, or use small, whole gherkin type (I like to use huge, sliced Armenian cucumbers for this one)

• 2 cups purified water

• 1 Tbsp. mustard seeds

• 2 Tbsp. Herbes de Provence (Get the recipe here, or buy them here.)

• 1 tsp. black peppercorns

• 1 tsp. bay leaves, shredded

• 1 Tbsp. coriander seeds

• 1/2 tsp. dried, crushed red pepper

• 1/2 tsp. whole cloves

• 2 Tbsp. sea salt

• 1 head fresh flowering dill or 2 Tbsp. dried dill

• 1 head (full bulb) of garlic, peeled

• 2 fresh grape, cherry, oak or horseradish leaves (if available)

• 1 cup raw cider vinegar (Optional for speed pickles. Do not use if fermenting)

 

Cooking Directions

• Rinse cucumbers, and if large, slice them into 1/4" thick slices. If small, leave them whole.

• Dissolve sea salt in water to create a brine solution. Stir until salt is dissolved. Add vinegar, only if making speed pickles.

• In a clean, sterile 1 quart jar, place all spices, dill and garlic.

• Add cucumber slices or whole, small cucumbers.

• Pour brine over the cucumbers until jar is almost full. Add more water if necessary. Leave about an inch of room at the top.

• Lay grape (or oak, cherry, etc.) leaves over the top of the mixture to keep the cucumbers submerged under the liquid. The tannins in the leaves help keep the cucumbers crisp.

• Close the jar and leave on your counter for 3-7 days (or longer if you prefer) until naturally pickled by fermentation. Unless you are using an airlock lid, loosen the jar lid a little every two days to let built-up carbon dioxide out.

• Or, if using vinegar for speed pickles, refrigerate for about an hour until chilled.