Raw Fermented Garlic Dill Refrigerator Pickles
These raw fermented garlic dill pickles are the real deal - crunchy, tangy, salty, and packed with old-school probiotic goodness. Instead of vinegar or canning, these cucumbers are fermented naturally in a simple salt brine with garlic, dill, spices, and a family-size black tea bag to help keep them crisp. Once they reach that perfect deli-style flavor, they go straight into the fridge. No heat, no canning, and no shortcuts - just real fermented pickles the way they were meant to be made.
Raw Fermented Garlic Dill Refrigerator Pickles
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 to 2 pounds small pickling cucumbers
- 1 quart filtered water
- 35 grams fine sea salt or pickling salt
- 4 garlic cloves, smashed
- 1 - tbsp dill weed, or 2 teaspoons dill seed, to taste
- 1 teaspoon mustard seed
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander seed, optional
- Pinch of red pepper flakes, optional
- 1 family-size plain black tea bag
Instructions
- Gently wash the cucumbers under cool water. Trim a thin slice off the blossom end of each cucumber to help prevent mushiness.
- Dissolve the salt into the filtered water to make your brine.
- Add the garlic, dill, mustard seed, peppercorns, coriander, red pepper flakes if using, and 1 family-size plain black tea bag to a clean half-gallon jar.
- Pack the cucumbers tightly into the jar.
- Pour the salt brine over the cucumbers until they are fully covered.
- Use a fermentation weight, small glass weight, or zip-top bag filled with extra brine to keep everything completely submerged.
- Cover with a fermentation lid, or use a regular lid and burp it once daily.
- Ferment at room temperature for 3 to 7 days.
3 to 4 days — mild half-sour
- 5 to 7 days — tangy deli-style
- 7 to 10 days — stronger sour pickle
- Once they taste right, remove the tea bag, strain the brine if desired, return the pickles to a clean jar, cover with the brine, and refrigerate or chop and refrigerate.