blackcurrant leaves

In summer, at least once a year, I would like to feel the taste of fresh pickles that is very familiar from childhood. Not these, salted serious pickles which Estonians are preparing for winter of which even aspirin was sometimes added at some point to get a more intensive taste and better preservation. I mean light, slightly salty crunchy cucumber, which was naturally acidified for 24 to 48 hours. It’s very easy to make it. You need fresh, summer cucumbers, dill twigs, blackcurrant leaves, garlic and, if desired, black pepper, mustard seeds, even turmeric. But this time I made cucumbers in the old, classic way.

Preparation time: Preparation 30 min, acidification 24-48 hours
Level: easy
Quantity: about 15 pickles

Ingredients:
About 15 small or medium cucumbers from the garden
2 cloves of garlic
1.5 L of cold water, it is not necessary to boil it, there is usually nothing in the water that would disrupt the fermentation process
1 tablespoon sea salt
0.5 tablespoons sugar
A pair of dill branches
5-10 blackcurrant leaves

Preparation:
1. Mix water with salt and pepper and pour into a thoroughly washed glass jar
2. Place dill twigs and blackcurrant leaves in the water. If blackcurrant leaves are not available, you can make cucumbers without them. Add the halved garlic cloves. If desired, add mustard seeds, horse-radish root, turmeric, black pepper. I made my cucumbers only seasoned with salt, pepper, dill, blackcurrant, and garlic
3. Fill the jar tightly with cucumbers. Make sure that the cucumbers are all over covered with water
4. Cover the jar with a cloth or simply place a plate on the jar and leave it to warm at room temperature. Already after 8 hours, you can see the fermentation process, within 24 hours to 48 hours the cucumbers will be fermented and ready to taste, remaining nicely crunchy
5. Pick the cucumbers out of the water. For that time, the fermentation water has turned gray and there is foam on the surface. Place the cucumbers in a tightly closed refrigerator. Cucumbers kept cold are especially tasty
6. The remaining water from the fermentation is suitable for several days as a starter for the new fermentation process. For that, mix the water and all the components, add a couple of milliliters of fermentation water from the previous batch. This speeds up the fermentation process, and the cucumbers will be are ready within 24 hours.
Suitable for appetizers or snacks, making salads, or just eating.
Ready !!