Type what you have

Ingredients

• ✓ kirby cucumber
• water
• water
• kosher salt
• garlic
• dill
• chile de arbol pepper

Instructions

1. 1 Pour 1/2 gallon water into a large container or pot. Cover loosely and allow to sit for 24 hours to allow dissolved chlorine to escape.
2. 2 Crisp cucumbers by storing in the refrigerator or soaking in very cold water for 1 hour.
3. 3 Bring 1 cup water to a boil in a saucepan. Add salt and stir to combine. Set aside to cool.
4. 4 Wash cucumbers in cold water and remove any blossoms clinging to them. Quarter large cucumbers lengthwise; cut medium cucumbers in half lengthwise; leave gherkin-sized cucumbers whole.
5. 5 Peel and gently crush garlic cloves, but don't splinter them into fragments.
6. 6 Pour cooled salt water into a 1/2-gallon mason jar. Add cucumbers, garlic, dill, and dried chile peppers, arranged attractively. Pack cucumbers tightly; they will shrink as they pickle. Fill the jar with dechlorinated water until cucumbers are just covered to avoid overly diluting brine.
7. 7 Loosely cover the jar and set it aside at room temperature; set the jar on a dish if it is full to catch any dribbles. Let sit undisturbed until fermentation begins, 12 to 24 hours.
8. 8 Refrigerate pickles in brine and loosely covered as they approach the pickling stage you prefer: new, half-sour, or sour. Don't overshoot the mark, as refrigeration slows but does not stop fermentation.

By Doug in Manhattan

Ingredients

• ✓ kirby cucumber
• garlic
• dill seed
• black peppercorn
• apple cider vinegar
• water
• pickling salt

Instructions

1. 1 Divide garlic, dill, and peppercorns between 2 sterilized quart-size glass jars with lids. Wash cucumbers; trim and discard blossom ends. Cut each cucumber into 6 to 8 spears; pack vertically and snugly into jars.
2. 2 Combine vinegar, water, and salt in a medium saucepan over high heat; bring brine to a boil, stirring until salt dissolves.
3. 3 Divide brine between jars to cover spears, filling to within ½ inch from the top. Gently tap jars to remove any air bubbles. Add more brine if necessary until reaches ½ inch from the top. Wipe the rims with a moist paper towel to remove any residue.
4. 4 Cool completely, about 1 hour. Cover jars with lids. Refrigerate at least 48 hours (flavor improves with time). Store in refrigerator up to 1 month.

By foodinjars (Marisa McClellan)

Ingredients

• ✓ kirby cucumber
• water
• kosher salt
• garlic
• clove
• bay leaf
• coriander seed
• black peppercorn
• dill weed

Instructions

1. 1 Combine water, salt, and garlic in a large saucepan. Add cloves, bay leaves, coriander seeds, and peppercorns. Stir until salt is dissolved. Heat over low heat for just a few minutes to bring water to room temperature. The water should not be warm.
2. 2 Select a jar or crock large enough to hold the cucumbers, spices, and some brine. Place some dill flowers over the bottom and top with a few cucumbers. Alternate layers of dill and cucumbers, ending with a layer of dill. Pour pickling brine into the crock. Gently tap or shake the crock to eliminate any air bubbles. Place a small ramekin on the pickles to weigh them down and ensure they stay below the surface of the brining liquid. Top with more brine and cover the crock. Reserve any extra brine to use during the fermentation process.
3. 3 Place the crock where it can ferment at a temperature between 65 and 75 degrees F (18 to 24 degrees C). Let pickles ferment for a week, checking every day to ensure they remain submerged; add more brine if necessary. Small bubbles may appear; this is a normal product of the fermentation process.
4. 4 After about eight days, you can skim off the foam. Test a pickle for flavor and crunch. You can continue fermenting them for a couple more days or, if you like them at this point, transfer pickles to a large jar. Fill the jar with the brine from the fermentation process. Cover and store finished pickles in the refrigerator.

By John Mitzewich

Ingredients

• ✓ kirby cucumber
• water
• sea salt
• red pepper flake
• water
• fish sauce
• white sugar
• garlic
• ginger
• fermented shrimp
• garlic chive
• radish
• sesame seed

Instructions

1. 1 Place cucumbers onto one end, slice in half down the length to create and x-shape, leaving the last 1/4-inch uncut; place into a bowl. Combine 8 cups water and sea salt in a saucepan over medium heat; bring to a boil. Pour brine mixture onto the cucumbers; brine until flavors combine, about 1 hour.
2. 2 Combine red pepper flakes, 1/2 cup water, fish sauce, sugar, garlic, ginger, and fermented shrimp in a bowl; mix until sauce is thoroughly combined.
3. 3 Rinse cucumbers in cold water; place in a colander to drain. Sit until semi-dry, about 10 minutes.
4. 4 Lather cucumbers with sauce, inside and out, making sure to stuff the x-shaped cut as well. Place cucumbers, chives, radish, and sesame seeds in an air-tight container. Let sit at room temperature until flavors combine, 1 to 2 days; refrigerate until ready to serve.

By mykoreaneats