PICKLED CUCUMBERS

Pickling cucumbers adds a tangy, zesty flavor that enhances a variety of dishes. It’s a great way to reduce waste and enjoy fresh cucumbers long after their harvest season.

Makes 1 quart (0.946Litres or 1.66 pints)

• 1-2 large cucumbers or 4-5 pickling cucumbers or 15-20 gherkins
• 1 tablespoon mustard seeds
• 2 tablespoons fresh dill, snipped
• 1 tablespoon sea salt
• 4 tablespoons whey (if not available, use an additional 1 tablespoon salt)
• I cup filtered water

 
Wash cucumbers well and place them 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.
 
Variation: Pickled Cucumber Slices
Wash cucumbers well and slice at 1/4 inch intervals. Proceed with the recipe. Pickles will be ready for cold storage after about 2 days at room temperature.
 
Lacto-fermented cucumbers and cornichons [small cucumbers] are very refreshing and far less acid than pickles conserved in vinegar-one never grows tired of them. In classic cooking, these cornichons always go with meat courses and with sausages and preserved meats; a wise habit since this vegetable is able to dissolve precipitates of uric acid and thus prevents the formation of stones, often caused by meats and sausages, foods rich in uric acid. Claude AubertLes Aliments
Fermentés Traditionnels
 
Recipe thanks to the Nourishing Traditions 2nd Edition Cookbook by Sally Fallon p97