How to Make Fermented (Sour) Pickles
Real sour pickles are fermented in brine, not vinegar. The salt ratio, the crunch trick, and the simple jar method.
Real sour pickles are fermented in a salt brine by the same bacteria that make sauerkraut, not quick-pickled in vinegar. They're tangy, crunchy and alive. Here's the method.
What you need
- Pickling cucumbers, small and firm (slicing cucumbers go mushy)
- A saltwater brine at about 3.5 to 5% salt, a bit stronger than sauerkraut
- Dill, garlic and spices (peppercorns, mustard seed, bay)
- Optional tannin source (a grape leaf, oak leaf, or black-tea leaf) for crunch
- A jar, a glass weight, and an airlock lid
The steps
- Mix the brine: dissolve the salt in water. See our salt guide for exact amounts per quart.
- Pack the jar with cucumbers, garlic, dill and spices, and a tannin leaf at the bottom if using.
- Pour the brine over to cover the cucumbers completely.
- Weigh them down so none float, then fit the airlock lid.
- Ferment at room temperature, out of direct sun, for 1 to 2 weeks. Taste from about day 5.
- Refrigerate once they're sour and you like the crunch.
Salt a little higher, and chase the crunch. Pickles use a stronger brine than kraut, and the tannins in a grape, oak or tea leaf help keep them firm. Cut the blossom end off each cucumber too, it carries an enzyme that softens pickles.
The verdict
Submerge firm pickling cucumbers in a 3.5 to 5% brine with dill and garlic, keep them under with a weight and an airlock, and ferment 1 to 2 weeks. Use a tannin leaf and trim the blossom end for crunch, and refrigerate when they taste right.
Sour pickles are fermented in a salt brine, not vinegar. Submerge firm pickling cucumbers in a 3.5 to 5% brine with dill and garlic, weight them under, fit an airlock, and ferment 1 to 2 weeks. Add a tannin leaf and trim the blossom end to keep them crunchy, then refrigerate.
Frequently asked questions
Why are my fermented pickles soft?
Usually enzymes or too warm a ferment. Use small, very firm pickling cucumbers, trim the blossom end that carries softening enzymes, add a tannin source like a grape or oak leaf, and ferment somewhere cool, keeping them under the brine.
How much salt do fermented pickles need?
A saltwater brine of about 3.5 to 5% salt, saltier than sauerkraut, because whole cucumbers rely on the brine rather than their own juices. Weigh the salt and water for consistency, and keep the cucumbers submerged.
Are fermented pickles different from vinegar pickles?
Yes. Fermented sour pickles cure in a salt brine and get their tang from fermentation, while quick pickles get their sourness from added vinegar and are not fermented. This guide covers the fermented kind.
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