Question about making pickles

[Ravenlunatic]

So I have for the very first time made pickles out of the cucumbers in my garden. It is all very exciting.

I followed a recipe from the web site 'wild fermentation'. Essentially I have 12 or so cucumbers sitting in a crock on my counter soaking in brine and some herbs. It seems I need to take the next step though and don't know what to do.

The cucumbers have been soaking for 2 weeks now and smell and look like pickles, but they are very salty to taste. What do I do now?

I want them less salty and to be able to store them for a long time. I have no 'cold' storage other then the fridge. I have bought mason jars and am ready, but don't know if I am supposed to keep them in the original brine... or add vinegar or soak them in fresh water to dilute the taste or what.

Any advice is welcome.

[Breathless Wonder]

I don't know what you can do for your current pickles, but I just got this month's "Organic Gardening" magazine, and they had a recipe for refrigerator pickles. Good luck!

[Arduinna]

If they are too salty for you, just soak them in some plain water for awhile before eating.

[pixiepunk]

rinsing them will probably help, or as the pp said, you can soak them. storage is an issue with fermented pickles because if you do a hot water bath you kill all the good stuff (and usually make the pickles soggy too). but i have done it in the past anyway just to hold onto some. i jam what i can into the fridge, then can the rest.

my mom's family recipe calls for putting them in a fresh brine with a little ACV for storage - that stops the fermentation process. but she always did a hot water bath with whatever we didn't eat (with them in jars in the new brine) and then stored them in the cupboard. they were still tasty, just not as crisp and definitely not as good for you since the hot water bath kills the good stuff.

the blog the Nourished Kitchen also has a nice looking pickle recipe, if you're looking to experiment with different recipes.

HTH!

[Magelet]

I'd leave it in the brine, and store it in the fridge. If it's too salty, then rinse it before you eat it, but not now. the brine in the fridge will help it keep.