Bubbles!

Hey Guys!
I have great news! Fermentation has begun. Today I checked on my pickles and found TADAA BUBBLES! Here is proof :) I'm so excited that so far things are working out.

Method

Here is how I started the process:
1) I washed the mason jars to make sure there was nothing lurking around that would mess with my fermentation
2) I washed the cucumbers to make sure nothing was lurking around on them either
3) I sliced the cucumbers and packed them into the jar about half way
4) I then added 1 TBS of pickling spices and 2 cloves of garlic (peeled, with ends cut off and mashed to release the flavor)
5) I covered this with fresh dill and filled the rest of the jar with more sliced cucumbers
6) I put the pot on the stove and poured in the distilled water to heat up
7) Then I added 6 TBS of salt and waited for it to dissolve
8) When the salt dissolved, I added 1 1/3 cups of the brine into the jars and topped them off with more distilled water until everything was submerged
9) I closed the jar and shook it, to make sure that everything moved and mixed
10) I put the jar in a dark cool place and will burp in a week

Here are pictures of the jar full of ingredients before and after the brine

Getting started....

I finally made my way to City Market to purchase all of my ingredients, after all of the snow storms and my crazy work schedule last week. This long wait also gave me much needed time to find the best recipe to use for my pickles.

Here is a list of my materials as well as what they look like:
-3 large European cucumbers (I guess there are no pickling cucumbers this time of year)
-6 cloves garlic cut up and smooshed
-6 bay leaves
-3 tbls pickling spices
-fresh Dill
-6 salt
-3 quart sized Mason jars
-3 bottles of sterile distilled water (courtesy of work)
-1 small pot to dissole the salt in with water to create the brine

Let's Get it Started

Hey Guys and welcome to my blog!

I've always wanted to have a blog about something and I guess fermenting pickles is just as good of a topic as any to start with so here we go! I was born and lived in Russia until I was 11 so fermented food was always part of my diet. Kefir, sauerkraut, pickles, pickled Herring, really anything you can think of, I'm sure I've had it pickled once or twice. In Russia pickling started forever ago in order to help preserve the crops gathered at the end of the summer since we didn't have industrial sized fridges and freezers and fruits and veggies were not available all year around. It's a simple and delicious way to prepare these fruits and veggies and I'm very excited to try it out on my own.

I chose pickles because I can never find my favorite kind in the stores. I love half sour pickles because they are not too sour yet not quite fresh. I want to test out the different gradients of pickling these delicious treats and hopefully find the perfect recipe and time frame to do the job.

Here is what I will need:
-pickling cucumbers
-salt
-vinegar
-water
-pickling spices
-dill seeds
-a pot to make the brine in

Going to the store on Sunday to pick up my items and I'm so excited to start! I'll let you guys know how it goes!