Brine-Fermented Dill Cucumbers with Garlic and Horseradish

What you need

• 1.5 kg (3 lb 5 oz) small pickling cucumbers, firm, 8-10 cm (3-4 in) long
• 1.2 l (5 cups) cold water, filtered or boiled and cooled
• 60 g (3 tbsp) coarse salt, not iodized
• 4 sprigs dill, with seed heads if possible
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly crushed
• 1 piece horseradish root, about 40 g (1 1/2 oz), peeled and cut into sticks
• 8 leaves blackcurrant leaves, or sour cherry or oak leaves, optional
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 2 leaves bay leaves

Method

Restated from the original video

1. 1

   Cover the cucumbers with cold water and soak for 3-4 hours. Skip this if they were picked the same day.

2. 2

   Drain and rinse the cucumbers. Leave the ends on.

3. 3

   Stir the salt into the water until it dissolves completely.

4. 4

   Scatter half of the dill, garlic, horseradish, leaves, peppercorns and bay in the bottom of a clean 3 l jar or small crock.

5. 5

   Pack the cucumbers in upright and snug. Tuck the rest of the dill, garlic, horseradish, leaves, peppercorns and bay among and on top of them.

6. 6

   Pour in the brine so everything is covered by at least 2 cm (3/4 in).

7. 7

   Press a small plate or a zip bag filled with extra brine on top so the cucumbers stay submerged. Cover the jar loosely with a cloth.

8. 8

   Leave at room temperature, 2-3 days if the kitchen is warm and up to 5 days if it is cool. The brine will turn cloudy and bubble. A thin white film on top is normal and can be skimmed off.

9. 9

   Taste one cucumber on day 2. They are ready when they taste sour and the green has turned a dull khaki all the way through.

10. 10

    Move the jar to the fridge. The pickles keep for up to 2 months, covered in their brine. Throw the batch out if it smells rotten, feels slimy or grows fuzzy mold.

Imported from vegetarianrecept.ru. Recipe Grab pulled out what you need to cook it; the video stays where its author put it.