Sour Pickles Recipe - NYT Cooking

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Total Time20 minutes, plus 3 to 5 days briningRating4(332)CommentsRead comments

Featured in: Homemade Pickles Require Just Three Ingredients

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Ingredients

Yield:1 to 2 quarts

2pounds freshly picked firm, unwaxed, bumpy pickling cucumbers, often called Kirby
2cloves spring garlic, sliced thin (optional)
1dill flower, or 5 sprigs fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dill seed (optional)
½teaspoon coriander seed (optional)
½jalapeño, seeded and slivered (optional)
2tablespoons salt

Add ingredients to Grocery ListIngredient Substitution GuideNutritional Information

Nutritional analysis per serving (10 servings)

15 calories; 0 grams fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 3 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 1 gram protein; 214 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Preparation

Step 1
Soak cucumbers for 30 minutes in a bowl filled with ice water to loosen any dirt. Slice the blossom end off each cucumber, which is opposite the stem end. If you aren’t sure which end is which, slice a little off each. Cut cucumbers into spears or chunks, if desired.
Step 2
Pack cucumbers into one or two clean quart jars. Tuck in garlic, dill, coriander and jalapeño, if using.
Step 3
Add salt to two cups boiling water. Stir until dissolved. Add two cups of ice (made with filtered water if yours is chlorinated). Stir well until the ice has melted and the brine is cool. Pour brine into jars, covering cucumbers.
Step 4
Loosely cap jars and place in a bowl or pan because the jars may leak during fermentation.
Step 5
Leave pickles on the counter to ferment. The brine will bubble lazily and become cloudy. Taste after 3 days, leaving on the counter another day or two if you want your pickles more sour, or refrigerating if they’re ready. They keep a month in the refrigerator.

Private Notes

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Ratings

4 out of 5332 user ratingsYour rating1 star2 stars3 stars4 stars5 starsSubmit

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Comments

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All Comments
Private

Too fussy and misses important points: 2T/half, 3T/full sours non-iodized table salt/qt. Convert for Kosher-it matters Just let it dissolve, no heat/ice needed Add bay, grape or black tea leaves for crunchy pickles Keep cukes submerged-above brine will mold Kahm yeast (stringy) is not harmful-remove and proceed Colored mold (fuzzy) is bad-discard. Some folks are OK w/white mold. I'm not. Don't fuss with them for the first few days-don't introduce air/bacteria Cloudy brine and sediment is OK

Is this helpful? 58

I've made these several times. Sometimes they're ready after two days. I cut one pickle into half-inch chunks for each jar, packing those bits in last. Sometimes that's the best way to fit the last pickle in, anyway. They become the sacrificial test pickles. Try one after two days to see if you like the pickles half-sour. (Occasionally a jar will spoil before a month, and I don't know why. Best to eat them fast!)

Is this helpful? 19

Make sure you use non-iodized salt as well. Iodine will inhibit the growth of the good bacteria

Is this helpful? 15

Not enough salt, moldy pickles

Is this helpful?

Wish these notes about “scum” were included in the main text! Also I’d recommend submerging pickles totally, otherwise exposed tops do mold.

Is this helpful? 1

4th batch. 4 cups of water and 3 Tbsp of salt. Too much water. Try 3 cups next time Used 1 tsp of seasoning and 2 cloves of garlic per container. Letting sit for 4 days this time b

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Recipe Tags

Cucumber
Salt
Vegan
Vegetarian

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