Fermented Cucumber Pickles

Gluten, Dairy, Egg Sugar and Nut Free

Fermented foods are so important for your health and the health of your gut, to be included into diet.

My family loves this version of fermented cucumber pickles and it is a staple in our fridge. It is so easy to make and full of so many health benefits.

I prefer to add some cultures in to speed up the fermenting process.

If you love pickles to, be careful when buying them ‘off the shelf’ at the supermarket, they are full of unhealthy preservatives, flavours and colours!!

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 x cucumbers (cut into either sticks or bite-sized pieces)
• 1 clove garlic (sliced)
• 3 x fresh dill fronds OR 1 x tspn dried dill
• 3/4 tblspn peppercorns
• 1/2 tspn fennel seeds
• 1 tblspn Himalayan salt
• 4 tblspn apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup coconut kefir
• filtered water
  
  
  
  
  

METHOD:

1. Place about half of the cut cucumbers into an airtight jar
2. Place garlic, dill peppercorns, fennel seeds, salt, apple cider vinegar and coconut kefir into the jar
3. Top with remaining cucumber, making sure to pack the cucumbers into the jar tightly so that they don’t ‘float’ out of the liquid, you may find you will need to add a weight to hold them down (such as a fermenting disc or small ramekin)
4. Fill jar with filtered water, leaving a few centimeters free from the top to allow for some expansion, but making sure all of the cucumber has been covered.
5. Sit on the bench for 24 hours and then pop into the fridge until ready to eat.
   
   
   
   

NOTES:
I like to add them into a salad or as an addition to a meal or just eaten as a snack.
To stop the cucumbers from going soggy I make sure that they are really cold before placing into the jar.