Fermented Dill Pickles
Ingredients:
3.5-4lbs firm pickling cucumbers (or whole Persian cucumbers, or thickly sliced regular cucumbers-avoid English cucumbers)
8 cloves garlic
3 bay leaves
2 tsp fennel seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds
2 tsp black peppercorns
2 tsp mustard seed
1 tsp red pepper flakes
2 stalks of dill
8-9 cups water
2-2.5% salt by weight of the above ingredients OR 6-7 Tbsp
clean cucumbers well under clean water. Slice the stem end if using whole cucumbers, otherwise slice into thick slices
Place all ingredients into a large gallon jar except the salt and water, using a scale if you are weighing out the salt
Pour in the water until everything is covered-leaving 2 inches of headspace if possible. Then taking that number on the scale (grams is easiest for this) multiply that by .025. That will give you 2.5% of salt that you need for your ferment.
Pour out some of the water into a separate jar or bowl, add your salt, stir to dissolve completely before adding the salt back into the rest of the ingredients, stirring to the best of your ability to combine.
Cover with cheese cloth with a weight if necessary (my favorite way to weigh down ingredients is to fit a ziplock back on top of the ferment and fill that with clean water until all of the solids are submerged. Smaller batches may not need weights
Leave to sit at room temperature for 7-10 days. (This could be closer to 5 days if you are fermenting large slices). You will know when the pickles are ready when their green color has dulled slightly and the pickles taste sour and salty.
Place in the fridge and eat within 6 months for the crunchiest texture. They will remain delicious and perfectly edible for up to two years.