Russian Brine Pickles

This recipe is from Finland. Natural fermentation cures the cucumbers much the same way sauerkraut is made.

Ingredients:

• 15 to 20 lbs of cucumbers.
• 12 medium cloves of garlic, chopped.
• 80 grams of horseradish, chopped. Make sure yours is zesty. Some can be pretty bland and you don't want that!
• 4 bunches of dill
• 2 chili peppers chopped. I used the yellow long ones and got good results. Jalapenos were too mild. Careful you don't make them too hot!
• 250 grams of sea salt
• 6 liters of water

Method:

1. Select only the freshest cucumbers. Avoid old and damaged cucumbers
2. Trim off the stems and scrub them under water.
3. Dissolve the salt in the water. It's easier if you heat the water. Let the brine cool to room temperature.
4. Place the ingredients in a clean painters-type plastic bucket in four layers. Add the brine to cover the ingredients. It is important that all the ingredients are totally submerged to avoid spoilage.
5. Place a heavy plate over the ingredients to weigh them down. A heavy stone is handy for adding a little extra weight. Cover the bucket with a loose lid.
6. Allow the pickles to cure for a few days in a warm room. You will notice bubbles forming. This is the normal fermentation process at work. If a scum or film forms on the surface, skim it away. It is normal. After a few days to a week and you are certain the fermentation is working, move the bucket to a cooler place such as a basement. In about 2 or 3 weeks, the process will be finished.
7. As always with preserving food, be careful of spoilage.
8. Slimy pickles or a bad odor a sign of spoilage. - Some shriveling is normal especially if your cucumbers were not very fresh. Don't eat them if you suspect they have gone bad.
9. The cooler the place you store the bucket, the longer they will last. I kept mine for about 5 months.
10. Every now and then skim off a mold from the surface! The pickles were not at all harmed by this.
11. The original recipe calls for a piece of sour hardtack bread to give the bacteria some extra food and that contributed to the mold and extra cloudiness in the brine.
12. The bread is entirely unnecessary in warmer climes but can be useful near the arctic.