Fermented pickles (sour pickles) are the eternal summer favourites in Hungary. Sunshine and warm are necessary to prepare these delicious pickles.
Use pickling cucumbers! Small and short cucumbers with thin bumpy skin, crisp texture and small seeds.
Servings: 8 people
Equipment
- glass jar
Ingredients
- 500-600 grams cucumbers (gherkins)
- 2-3 stalks dill fresh, with heads
- 1 teaspoon (10 %) white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon salt (1 tablespoon per 1.5 liters water)
- 1 slice bread (yeast or sourdough bread)
Instructions
- Bring the boil the 1-1.5 liter water. Add 1 tablespoon of salt to the hot water, stir it and cool it.
- Thoroughly wash and scrub the cucumbers. Cut the ends off and slice into them lengthwise in both ends, but do not cut it so they stay in one piece.
- Put the cucumbers in the jar.
- Place the dill among the cucumbers.
- Place the bread on the top of cucumbers.
- Pour salted water to cover the cucumbers and the bread.
- Pour vinegar on the top of bread.
- Cover the jar with a small plate or bowl. Place the jar in a warm and half sunlight to let the lactic acid fermentation start.
- It will take 3-4 days to get the cucumbers fermented. The water will turn cloudy during fermentation.
- When the cucumbers are fermented, throw away the bread then keep the jar in the fridge.
Notes
You could seasoning the fermented pickles with pepper, coriander seed or garlic too.
The yeast in the bread helps preserve the cucumbers through the process of lactic acid fermentation.
The fermented cucumbers keep refrigerated for up to 2-4 weeks.