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Honey Garlic Pickles

Fermented honey garlic pickles are a sweet and sour pickle, perfect for sandwiches and barbecues

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5 from 1 review

These probiotic bread and butter pickles use raw honey to provide the culture for a quick ferment. The result is a deliciously sweet and flavorful pickle that is ideal for picnics and barbecues.

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 lb pickling cucumbers (about 6 to 8)
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 1 tsp pickling spice
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1 tsp of non-iodized salt
  • 2 Tbsp unpasteurized honey
  • 1 1/2 cups of water (chlorine-free, enough to cover)
  • 1/2 cup of cider vinegar (optional)

Instructions

  1. Wash the cucumbers and trim off the blossom ends. Cut them into circles or sticks, depending on your preference. Pack the cucumber slices into a clean 1-quart jar. Add garlic and spices to the jar.
  2. Combine the water, honey, and salt to make a brine. Pour the brine over the cucumbers. Use a weight to keep the cucumbers submerged. If needed, top with a little more water to make sure the cucumbers are under the brine.
  3. Allow to ferment somewhere cool and dark for 2 -5 days. A closet or kitchen cupboard is perfect. The ferment will bubble vigorously, so be sure to use a lid that will release the excess carbon dioxide.
  4. After fermenting, taste a pickle slice and adjust the flavors to suit your taste. To make them more sour, drain away 1/2 cup of brine and replace it with 1/2 cup of cider vinegar. To make them sweeter, stir in 2 Tbsp of white sugar.
  5. Store in the refrigerator and enjoy within 1 month.

Notes

  • The brine can be reused to make subsequent batches of pickles. After finishing the pickles, stir in another 1 Tbsp of honey, then fill the jar with cucumber slices and ferment again. Usually, I make 2-4 batches of pickles with my brine.
  • I do not recommend this recipe for storage pickles. It is meant to be eaten fresh.