Old Fashioned Polish Crock Pickles

Fermentation

What is fermentation?

Process by which microorganisms converts sugar into another substance in the absence of oxygen

Fermentation comes from the Latin word fevere, meaning to boil. The ancient Romans, upon seeing vats of grapes spontaneously bubble and transform into wine, described the process using the closest analogue they could think of. The process was not actually boiling, the gas from the yeast produced enzymes transformed the sugars in the grapes into alcohol, thus it appeared to be boiling.

Lactic acid bacteria

Rod and sphere shaped bacteria that are present on the skins of fruits, vegetables and humans.

Used for their ability to convert sugar into lactic acid and used in producing pickles, kimchi, and other lacto-fermented products. Because of the lactic acid they are able to tolerate low-pH environments. They are salt-tolerant and thrive in anaerobic environments.

Pickling

A great pickle has a good amount of crunch with the right amount of sour! Pickles are a lacto ferment and one of the easiest fermented foods to prepare.  If you want to pickle something just remember a 2% solution of salt to the total weight of the product you are going to pickle. To figure that out just use a bakers percentage, the main product is your 100% or in this case cucumbers.

Crock Pickles

Approximately 1 pound of grape leaves

Fresh Dill leaves, stems or seeds

3 ounces pickling spice

12 pounds of freshly picked cucumbers (they should be fairly equaled in size and medium in size). The best cucumbers are all green, bumpy and have no yellow on them.

Pickling Solution

2 gallons of cold water (water should be from a well or free of chlorine and other additives you could use distilled water)

1 pint of distilled vinegar

5.12 ounces of canning salt 

Method:

1.       In a 4 gallon crock with a lid, place a layer of grape leaves, one of the fresh dill leaves, stems and or seeds. Scatter 1 ounce of pickling spices on grape leaves and dill. Fill with evenly sized cucumbers half way up the crock. Repeat with grape leaves, dill and pickling spices and add more cucumbers up to the last 2 to 3 inches from the top.  Repeat with grape leaves, dill, and spices.

2.       Combine water, vinegar and salt and mix together thoroughly. Pour over cucumbers and place a non-metallic weight on top to keep cucumbers from floating above the brine.  If you are using a stone do not use limestone.

3.       If the temperature is kept at 86 degrees Fahrenheit the fermentation will be complete within 2 weeks (if cooler, fermentation will take longer).

4.       Pickles should become dark green, but should not be slimy. At the end of the curing, the pickles may be canned in sterilized jars. Strain the pickling liquid and add fresh dill, and grape leaves to the liquid and pour into the jars with the pickles prior to canning. 

Cucumbers coming out of brine after 3 weeks

Ready for canning