Fermented cucumbers belong in the fridge. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a mess

Summer treats from the garden are definitely worth it. Making pickled gherkins, for example, is a summer must. The very simple method for making pickled gherkins is a clear reason why you should have some at home too. We made our pickled gherkins about three weeks ago. That’s why we should focus on what needs to be done to ensure they stay edible for as long as possible. There are several important points to bear in mind.

Make sure the gherkins are submerged

The first piece of advice you need to follow. The gherkins in the jar must definitely be weighted down. If they rise above the surface of the brine, it’s highly likely they’ll start to go off. Mould may also develop on them, forcing you to eventually pour out the entire contents of the jar, which would be a huge waste. A jar filled with water, a well-cleaned stone, or anything sterile and sufficiently heavy can serve as a weight.

Tip: How did we prepare the fermented cucumbers? Very simply.

Cleanliness is very important

Undoubtedly. For this reason, you must handle the jar of fermented delicacies with clean hands, or use cutlery or other clean utensils to remove the gherkins. Any impurities will gradually spoil the brine, causing it to ferment in a way you wouldn’t want.

Photo: Radek Stepan

After three weeks, pop them straight into the fridge

When cucumbers are kept at room temperature, they continue to ferment. Naturally, they also soften considerably. So if you reach for a cucumber after, say, two months, it will literally fall apart between your fingers. You don’t want that. That’s another reason why, after three weeks, we store the cucumbers in the fridge at a temperature of around 4 degrees Celsius. The fermentation process stops and the cucumbers will keep in the fridge for several more weeks. This means that cucumber season won’t end just yet, and we can continue to enjoy our pickled cucumbers.

Sources: Author

Photo and gallery: Radek Stepan