Lactofermentation; Making Dill Pickles The Old Fashion Way

Back in the old days before you could buy gallons of cheap cider vinegar, homesteads made their pickle the old fashion way by gently rinsing freshly picked cucumbers, placing them in a brine solution in a crock with copious amounts of spices (fresh dill, garlic, and pepper), and allowing them to ferment for a couple of weeks. Some additional tannin either from oak or grape leaves (or black tea) in the brine assured that the crunchy texture of the pickle was maintained; so characteristic of the modern-day Kosher dills from the deli. And without having to go to the trouble of canning and heating a boiling water bath caner in the middle of the summer; what's not to like?

I gave this very easy process a test try a few weeks back and let me tell you there really is no other way to make a Kosher dill pickle especially if you have access to young fresh right-out-of-the-garden cucumbers and just so happen to have a good stand of fresh dill flower heads in the herb bed. The only limiting factor is the availability of refrigerator space in which to store the finished product (they had cool root cellars in the old days that would keep their pickle stash edible all year long). The only aesthetic thing you need to overcome is the thought of eating what is essentially a "rotten or spoiled" food product! Actually if you make homemade yogurt you are cultivating and eating the very same lactococci and lactobacilli bacteria that are producing the "rotten milk product" known as yoguart. Its just that in this case they are the natural version of the starter culture coming along for the ride. Collectively these are know as the "lactic acid" bacteria. They are everywhere as part of the normal surface flora of all plant material. This is the white haze you often see on vegetables like cucumbers and together with normal wild yeasts, that white haze you see on fresh grapes. Obviously if you care about the quality of this flora you will use produce that has not been overly treated with fungicides or antibiotic sprays (or coated with that nasty food-grade grease used to preserve cucumbers during transit).

As a microbiologist I can think of no more satisfying a method to produce delectable pickles (or yogurt, wine. beer, ginger ale, etc.). Take advantage of these simple processes of our ancestors. You get the benefits of a tasty food product as well as the probiotic organisms that essentially make the product for us. The key is to properly store, utilize and appreciate these gifts from nature. Skol!