Second Jar…Success!

Well, the first jar of fermented pickles was an epic fail, but this second batch was almost perfect.  Still a few softer spots on some so maybe the salt ratio was not perfect.  At first, after opening the special fermentation lids I purchased from Amazon and finding the top of the water covered with white stuff, I panicked.  I again spent time looking things up on-line and apparently this is not unusual.  You just use a spoon and paper towel to wipe the top off and then put the jar in the sink and fill it with more filtered water and the mold rises to the top and runs out.  And you wash the lid in hot soapy water and rinse before putting it back on the jar!

We bravely tried the pickles and they tasted great!  If you’ve ever had a deli pickle from those big crocks or at a restaurant like Ted’s Montana Grill where they put these pickle slices on the table, that’s what they taste like.  I swear I feel better after eating them, too.  They are supposed to be full of good bacteria or probiotics and will last in the fridge for quite a while, because the cold temperatures stop the fermentation process.  The magazine article I read that got me interested in this said that USDA microbiologists have not reported even one case of food poisoning from properly fermented food.  Now, how you know if yours is properly fermented, I’m not really sure, but if it smells okay and looks okay and tastes okay, I’m guessing that’s a good start!

Later this week I’ll be opening a jar of dilled green beans and another of corn relish so I’ll have some more pictures and let you know how those taste.  And I’ll show you the jars and lids I’m using if anyone is interested in doing this.  It’s pretty inexpensive and healthy and not terribly complicated, even for the kitchen challenged, like me!  So far, anyway…