Pickled Cucumbers vs. Fermented Pickles
We all love pickles, or at least I do, and you do too if you click and are reading this article. But did you know that the term “pickles,” refers to fermented cucumbers?
I’ve already covered the basics of fermentation in the blog post “What is Fermentation?”, so I won’t delve deeply into the theory here of “Are pickles fermented cucumbers”; instead, I’ll focus more on practical matters on how to pickle cucumbers.
How are Pickles Made?
I’ve tested three different pickling cucumber processes so that I can provide detailed instructions and expected results for each.
How to Make Cucumber Pickles?
1. Classic Pickled Cucumbers: Vinegar + Pasteurization
The pickled cucumbers we’re accustomed to are made by placing cucumbers in jars, adding a brine of vinegar, water, salt, sugar, and spices, sealing the jars, and then pasteurizing them in a water bath or even sterilizing them for larger-scale industrial production.
This method kills most bacteria present in the pickled cucumbers and their contents (or all, if sterilization is used).
The shelf life of these pickled cucumbers is quite long (up to several years) due to their low pH value and the inability of bacteria to grow.
I wouldn’t want to provide a specific recipe for this pickled cucumbers prep because it depends on the flavor you prefer.
However, general guidelines include using one-third to one-fourth vinegar in the brine, depending on how tart you like your pickled cucumbers and the rest is water.
You can also add salt and sugar to taste, while spices offer the most room for experimentation. Almost anything goes in terms of spices – from essential dill, mustard seeds, and rosemary to various types of pepper, garlic, chili peppers, basil, and even cilantro and fennel seeds. Let your imagination run wild, play with spices and additions until you achieve the pickled cucumber flavor that suits you.
Of course, it’s always good to write down the pickled cucumbers recipe because if you get something phenomenal and don’t know how to replicate it, you’ll be banging your head every year when your cucumbers aren’t as good as they were back in 2024.
When filling the jars with pickled cucumbers, it’s important that all the contents are covered with brine and that the lid is tightly sealed, i.e., it doesn’t let air in. The process of pasteurization can be done in a pot with hot water or in the oven. But be sure not to overdo the temperature, or the pickles will become soft. Aim to maintain the water temperature at around 80 degrees Celsius.
The result of this process is excellent pickles that capture the flavors of the additives and spices, and they have a long shelf life before opening (you can store them in the pantry for over a year, and if you’ve done everything right, even longer than that).
I recently found a few jars of pickled cucumbers made four years ago, and they were excellent – it’s a shame I didn’t write down the recipe.
2. Fermented Pickles
The preparation of fermented pickles dates back to ancient times, just like the process of food preservation through fermentation.
Unlike pickles in vinegar, here vinegar is not used, and the main difference is that the presence of lactic acid bacteria is actually what preserves them from spoiling.
What are Lacto Fermented Pickles?
The preparation process is similar to pickling in vinegar with one significant difference, and that is instead of a vinegar and water solution, you use a solution of water and salt (brine).
The percentage of salt you use should not be lower than 3% by weight of water because that percentage is generally considered safe for fermentation. Salt prevents the growth of harmful bacteria or spoilage because we want to obtain something that will be edible. Of course, you can experiment with a lower or higher percentage of salt, but don’t blame me if your pickles spoil because you used too little salt. 🙂
You can use absolutely any spices, just like in regular pickling. Place the spices, additives, and cucumbers in the jars and pour in the brine so that all the ingredients are covered. During fermentation, gases are generated, so it’s good to have an airlock to avoid having to open the jar lid constantly, but it’s not mandatory.
In case you don’t have one, be sure to remember to open the jar from time to time because it could lead to an explosion if the pressure builds up. It’s important to note that the presence of oxygen in the jar promotes mold growth on the surface, so an airlock is definitely a better option.
Leave the jar at room temperature for about 7 days and check what’s happening. It’s normal for the brine to become cloudy due to the presence of lactic bacteria, and it’s also normal for a white sediment to form at the bottom from residual bacteria.
Don’t blindly follow the 7-day timeframe; instead, assess for yourself when the main part of the fermentation is done, i.e., when there’s no longer a lot of gas being produced, and then transfer the jar to the refrigerator. The pickles are now ready for consumption.
Unlike pickles in vinegar, the taste of fermented pickles is much more sophisticated, and they are not as sour, which I personally really like. Pickles prepared this way can last quite a long time in the refrigerator, even several months, although they never seem to last that long.
My advice is to definitely try preparing pickles this way because the difference in taste might be such a pleasant surprise that you’ll give up on making them the traditional way, in vinegar.
The main problem with this method of preparation is that after fermentation, the pickles must be kept in the refrigerator, or else mold will form on the surface, which is unappealing, and there will also be additional acidification due to continued fermentation.
Because of this, at some point, the pickles will become inedibly sour (if such a thing exists; there are stories that some people can’t get enough sourness). But is there perhaps a hybrid method where we can get the best of both worlds – a long shelf life + the taste of fermented pickles?
3. Fermentation + Pasteurization
Right off the bat, I need to come clean that in fermentation circles, this method is considered blasphemy. Essentially, it involves fermenting the pickled cucumbers and then pasteurizing them so they can be stored in the pantry like vinegar pickles.
It combines the best of both worlds – the fermented taste and easier storage/longer shelf life.
However, it doesn’t actually capture the best of the fermentation world because the process kills all the bacteria, and live bacteria are actually what’s healthy in fermented foods and why everyone talks about the benefits of eating fermented food. But let’s be real, I’m a hedonist, and I love the taste of fermented pickles, so of course I tried this method of pickled cucumbers.
After fermenting the pickles, I pasteurized them in a water bath at 80 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes and let them cool. A vacuum formed in the jar, and the pickles have been sitting in the pantry for 3 weeks now without any change.
I opened another jar and tried them to see if there was any difference in taste from freshly fermented pickles, and there is a slight difference, but it’s pretty subtle. The taste of lacto-fermented pickles is present, as well as the complex flavors of fermented additives.
Using a Starter For Pickled Cucumbers
A practical method for always having fresh fermented pickles is to use a bit of brine from the previous batch when making the next batch to kickstart the fermentation process. According to my tests, fermentation is about 40% faster when I used a teaspoon of old brine.
Do you have any secrets or perhaps any questions about pickled cucumbers? Feel free to ask in the comments; I’ll be happy to answer.
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