Making Lactic Acid Fermented Pickles in the Picklemeister

[eascot]

For your smaller jars, go ahead and crack them open every couple of days to let the building gasses out. The voice of experience says you _can_ have exploding fermentation vessels. :-)

[dalecalder2003]

@eascot If I use the smaller jars again I will do that it's a wonder they didn't explode this time.

[bjorinn]

Forgive me for my ignorance, but why is it called "lactic acid..." when no milk products are involved?

[dalecalder2003]

@bjorinn Good question and I wish i had a good answer. This is from Wikipedia : When both salt concentration and temperature are low, Leuconostoc mesenteroides dominates, producing a mix of acids, alcohol, and aroma compounds. At higher temperatures Lactobacillus plantarum dominates, which produces primarily lactic acid. Many pickles start with Leuconostoc, and change to Lactobacillus with higher acidity.[3]

[bjorinn]

@dalecalder2003 I think you answered my question well. So lactic acid is produced by the fermenting process and dominates the process at a certain temperature. And that is called lactic acid fermentation..

[eascot]

@bjorinn It's called lactic acid because it is found, in significant quantities, in milk. In spite of that, it is still just a chemical compound and can be found other places. Many of the bacteria involved in the fermentation process produce lactic acid as a byproduct.

Similarly, "Lactobacillus" are so named because they are found in raw milk, but they are not _only_ found in milk.

I suspect that when lactic acid and lactobacillus were first found, milk is where they found them. :-)

[baconsoda]

Thanks for highlighting this video for me. I know where I went wrong... I used ordinary pickling vinegar and the cucumbers went all soft and awful. I need to see where I can get dill because I'll give this method a go.

Best Wishes, Brendan.

[dalecalder2003]

@baconsoda Most markets or farmers markets over here have dill this time of year, might be different in Ireland. I liked the dill seed heads better than the weed. The only thing you need to be careful with is making sure the cumbers and other vegetables stay below the surface of the brine, no air contact. Good luck with your pickles.

[fleursdegigi]

Very very instructive !! Love that vidéo ! Thans a lot for sharing!

[dalecalder2003]

@fleursdegigi Thank you. It seems to be one of my most popular videos.

[leeln1]

Thanks alot for answering my question. They look really good so I think I'm going to try to make some. I've made kimchi and tonight I made my first batch of sourkraut but I just can't imagine what fermented pickles will tast like. Anyway, thanks for your answer and thanks for this video.

[dalecalder2003]

@leeln1 You're welcome. I've never made Kimchi but I like it so maybe in the future. I made Sourkraut in the picklemiester and it was great too. Good luck with your pickles they taste like the very best kosher dills.

[leeln1]

which did you like better, the crock pickles or the fermenting jar pickles? Which made a better pickle?

[dalecalder2003]

@leeln1 Both methods made a good quality crisp pickle I like the jar ones better but only because there was way too much garlic in the recipe that I used for the crock. I think there is a misprint on the website that I took the recipe it calls for heads of garlic and I think they meant to say cloves of garlic. I ate them too but I would have preferred less garlic.

[jihadacadien]

Hum so that's how you makes those....nice ;)

[dalecalder2003]

@jihadacadien I'm growing lots of cukes and dill to make more they were so good and it was so easy to do.

[knyquol]

I want to give this a try I wonder how well they would hold up in the crock in a root cellar rather than jars in the fridge? Do they keep very long?

[dalecalder2003]

@knyquol I'm sure that these were made for centuries before refrigeration and everybody lived LOL. I kept mine in the fridge and they kept well for months, stayed nice and crisp too.

[AzulOne3069]

Did you open the smaller jars during the fermenting process to let them vent or did you wait until the ten days were up?

[dalecalder2003]

@AzulOne3069 I waited and I think I had the lids on too tight if they had been a bit looser they would have vented the gas build up as the process went along.

[AzulOne3069]

Does it matter if you get your cucumbers from a farm or from the store?

[dalecalder2003]

@AzulOne3069 I don't see any reason why it would make a difference. They should be washed no matter where they come from and of course organic would be best.

[rheard3894k]

I saw on the previous video where you used the Crock how you added Grape Leaves to help keep the pickles firm. Think Fig Leaves would work?

[dalecalder2003]

@rheard3894k This is a quote from wild fermentation website: "Fresh tannin-rich grape leaves placed in the crock are effective at keeping pickles crunchy. I recommend using them if you have access to grape vines. I’ve also seen references in various brine pickle recipes to using sour cherry leaves, oak leaves, and horseradish leaves to keep pickles crunchy." I would stick to these you never know when you might use something toxic by mistake.

[rheard3894k]

Have you tried saving some of the Liquid from the jars right after fermentation and adding it to your brine when you make a new batch? I have not tried doing that yet but I assume it can make the fermentation process quicker.

[dalecalder2003]

@rheard3894k No I've never tried that this was the first year I made them. I'm not sure that would work or not fermentation is caused by live yeast on the surface of the fresh vegetables once fermentation has finished and the pickles have been refrigerated for months I don't know if there is any live yeast left or not. I can't see where it would hurt anything to give it a try though. Can't wait until I have vegetables in the garden to start another batch.

[dalecalder2003]

@rheard3894k Sorry I though I replied to your comment already, thank you. Google "picklemeister" not too expensive and works really well I made both pickles and sauerkraut in mine and both came out really nice. I plan to buy a couple more of them this summer. 

[thehittmann1981]

very nice! I love pickles. Unfortunately I don't have anything to pickle cucumbers in but I'll keep an eye out for something because I'd like to give it a try.

[billaverbach]

Here's a hint about cloudy water... Avoid using salt that has anti-caking additives such as yellow pressurate. It will make the water cloudy and, in some cases yellowish. This kind of pickle is very good for you (except for the salt). I know people with crone's disease who eat them to help with their digestion. In any case there's nothing like a pickle with a sandwich.

[dalecalder2003]

@billaverbach I love them great taste and amazing crunch. I used sea salt and the packaging doesn't say that it has any pressurate in it. My Nephew has just been diagnosed with Crones I will pass that information on.

[Watsamadoing]

wow that was seriously informative. Thanks. These are my favourite food EVER and I have been contemplating making my own. Now I see how easy it is, I may well venture down that path. Where did you get the Picklemeister?

[dalecalder2003]

@Watsamadoing Thank you. I bought it on line from wisementrading(dot)com , they are in Athens, Alabama. I've eaten all the pickles that were in he litre jars but I haven't touched the ones in the picklemeister yet. I have to move them to jars because I want to make Sauerkraut soon.

[garygardens]

I just love pickles, especially dill. That Picklemeister looks great. I may get one myself. An old family recipe I have calls for a pinch of alum to help keep the pickles crisp. I haven't made them in many years but it seemed to work as I recall. Wow, bubbly pickles! Who needs champagne? Thanks for the update.

[dalecalder2003]

@garygardens These pickles are great and so easy to make. I don't think I would tighten the lids on the one litre jars so tight the next time though lol.