Wednesdays and pickles

 Wednesday, the halfway point. We made it to the middle right? 

This morning I walked out to my flower garden for a quick peek before I sped down the highway for my long drive to work. I felt torn today, my soul wanted to be there in the garden, but my mind knew it was time to do the things. 

It's summer here in Oklahoma, although we have had a tremendous amount of rain. We usually battle drought this time of year, the ground starts cracking, plants start struggling. But this year I think I have only had to water 5 times? It's been an adjustment, but I have noticed more time has been allotted for other things. Pulling weeds, building pathways, planning a little big ahead (even though I suck at sticking to plans), and just taking time to look and enjoy. Last night I got to pick some fruits of my labor, filling my shirt with pickling cucumbers and a few tomatoes that were ready to go in the house. Being able to bring these things inside to enjoy is a humbling process, you watch this plant grow from a tiny seed into a green beautiful leafy being that changes almost daily during this time of year. I know cucumbers are the worst about this, one day you go to pick some and they're not quite ready and the next day you look at they're past ripe! 

On the subject of cucumbers...Did you know there are differences in pickling cucumbers and regular cucumbers? Those intended for pickling grow many small cucumbers that are made to be picked when they are only a few inches in length. And a little insight, don't let them get too big, they get bitter quick. But these make really good pickles! If you've made pickles you know that they can be really good or really... mushy. Surprisingly there are several ways to combat this too. Pickle crisp is something many people talk about, I cannot vouch for it as I have not tried it. But, I've read a lot of reviews and it sounds like good stuff. I use the "add a pinch of Alum" trick when I made pickles, or I made quick refrigerator pickles because they don't last long in my house. Alum helps keep those that you will be canning and preserving crispy though, and it's a cheap option. Grape leaves also, if you put a grape leaf in your jar with your pickles the tannins in the leaf help the pickles stay crunchy and not mushy. Some people say Bay leaves have a similar effect but I have not tried that one yet. Pretty cool right?

If you are into fermented food, there is also another method to pickling with just salt, water, cucumbers, and some spices! They're technically called Lacto-fermented pickles, since this process gets all the good bacteria going. The process for these is relatively simple, first you need to choose the cucumbers you want to use. This method works best with something a little on the smaller side, not the big slicer ones from the store. Maybe get a bag of those smaller cucumbers instead, or best to use some you just picked from your garden. Wash these and then stick them in a big bowl of ice water while you make the brine. This helps them be crisper. So, once you are done with that, you make a brine which is usually about 2 tbsp. of salt per 4 cups of water. Now, don't use that salt that you buy at the store that has the word Iodized on it, that's no good. Use a good salt, either pickling salt or sea salt or pink Himalayan salt, Redmond Real Salt, something that is JUST salt. Stir the salt and water up and get the salt nice and dissolved in the water. Now before you did all this, you probably got a jar that will hold about 8 cucumbers. If you didn't do that, I'm not the best at giving directions! Make sure the jar is washed and dried, you're going to start building the jar. In the bottom, put a few grape leaves, if you don't have one try the Bay leaves instead. Next you are going to spice it up! This is where you can get creative based on what you like. An example of a good spice blend for a half-sour dill would be a couple teaspoons of peppercorns, a couple tablespoons or 2 big flower heads of dill, 5 or 6 garlic cloves (measure this with your heart), maybe some mustard seeds (a couple teaspoons). If you like spicy you could add some peppers or maybe even a piece of horseradish root! At this point, you want to add the star of the show, the cucumbers. Then over them, pour your brine, that's the water with the salt in it. 

Now, at this point you might have cucumbers that are floating up and sticking out of the brine. You don't want that, it is a sure bet that you're going to get mold. So we have to find a way to weigh them down so they are always staying under the brine. A great way to do this is to get a ziploc and fill it about halfway to 3/4 of the way with water and then set it on top of the cucumbers. This should weight them down and keep them under the liquid. You can use other methods but this one has always worked for me well. At this point we need to cover the jar with something right? So, the way fermentation works, it needs air. So if you use a lid you are going to have to "burp" the jar daily to release the pressure that will build up inside the jar. If you don't the jar could burst and you won't end up with a good end result. If you don't want to have to do this step daily, you can use a coffee filter or a couple pieces of cheesecloth to cover your jar, just make sure and use a rubber band to ensure it can breathe but nothing is going to get in your jar! At this point, you should have a jar full of goodness that's covered and ready to go do it's thing. Set your jar out of direct sunlight on a shelf or somewhere you can still keep an eye on it. If you notice anything going on that looks like mold starting, open it up and scoop it out. This doesn't count for bubbles, there will be some bubbles. Depending on the temperature in your space, your pickles should be ready in about 3-5 days. If you keep your house a bit on the cooler side, 70 or less, they might take about 7-10. But, after 3-5, the best way to check is taste them and see what you think. If they are not quite as sour as you like, let them go a few more days.After they have spent a week or so fermenting and they are to your liking, cover them with an actual lid and stick them in the refrigerator, this stops the fermenting process. 

Whether you spend your day today working, making pickles, or just enjoying the day, take some time for you, you're worth it! Until next time!