I wrestled with reality for 36 years, and I'm happy to say I finally won out over it.
I've been fermenting cucumbers in small, one or two jar batches
They get eaten pretty fast.
I need them to last a while
I've had the fermented pickles go bad in the fridge.
What did people do in the old days, before canning?
I can remember, 50 years ago, going to the deli and seeing a big crock of pickles on the counter. It wasn't refrigerated. How did they do that?
sow…reap…compost…repeat
greg mosser wrote:i suspect higher salt concentration in your brine will help fermented pickles stay good longer. some recipes for real old-school ‘full sours’ go all the way up to 10%salt, and you need to soak them in water for a bit to make them tolerable. do you know the concentration you usually go for?
Amy Gardener wrote:Hi Lori,
I'd like to help you solve the pickle pickle. Here's what I understand and some questions for you:
(sounds like you're happy with your recipe and you are good at fermenting! Please explain how you currently ferment cucumbers and share your recipe)
(question: how long would you like them to last?)
(question: what made them bad, for example rubbery texture or mold on top, or something else?)
(sounds like you want to ferment but not heat-process the fermented pickles)
(sounds like you prefer not to refrigerate. Since we don't know how long these pickles were sitting on the counter unrefrigerated or how cold the establishment was, or if the pickles were lacto fermented in brine or if they were packed in vinegar, this will probably remain a mystery after 50 years)
I wrestled with reality for 36 years, and I'm happy to say I finally won out over it.
sow…reap…compost…repeat
sow…reap…compost…repeat
Amy Gardener wrote:To encourage more conversation to assist Lori and others, here are the things that I gleaned from pickle experts, particularly Sandor Katz in Wild Fermentation; Harold McGee in On Food And Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen, and Preserving Food without Freezing or Canning: Traditional Techniques Using Salt, … and Lactic Fermentation ...[by] The Gardeners & Farmers of Terre Vivante. These are inspiring reference books.
I wrestled with reality for 36 years, and I'm happy to say I finally won out over it.
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