POLISH STYLE PICKLES (with homemade brine)

[lorm76]

everyone knows Polish Ogórki are the best!
like many people, I enjoy pickles of all origins. but these are special, and for good reason! (Babcia knows best)
today I will teach you how to make delicious & authentic OGÓRKI KISZONE

• this recipe comes straight from my very own Babcia (my Grandmother)
• sweet & salty with a nice tangy but not too sour taste
• we all know dill is a fantastic herb with great flavor.
• the crunch my friends, the crunch!
• most importantly NO VINEGAR.these are fermented: great for gut microbiome!

DID YOU KNOW THAT . . .
the gut microbiome and the brain communicate in a bidirectional manner? the gut microbiome affects brain function, thereby having an impact on stress, anxiety, depression, and cognition.

don't listen to me. listen to clinical studies:

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6047317/

let's get started, shall we?
OGÓRKI KISZONE
INGREDIENTS
- mason jar (1 Quart / 1.13 Litres)
- 8 to 12 pickling cucumbers washed and dried
- 2 maybe 2.5 tablespoons of pickling salt, or sea salt, or just… salt
- 1 Quart / 1.13 Litres of water
- 2 teaspoons of mustard seeds
- 2 cloves peeled garlic
- 1 stem dill, preferably flowering
- fresh horseradish root, peel that bad boy
- 2 bay leaves

• Sterilize the jar by washing with dish soap, then rinse. Pour boiled water inside, shut the jar and shake that thing around. Spill it out, (careful, hot) and let jar dry
• Pack the cucumbers into the sterile jar, you want them tightly jammed together.
  submerged completely, then add the salt to fresh water in a pot. Bring to a boil, let cool
  completely back down to room temp. A little lukewarm is no big deal
• Add the mustard seeds, garlic, dill (shove it in there) horseradish root, bay leaves
• Fill the jar with the salt water. To the top, ALL of your ingredients should be covered
• Loosely cap the jar with a sterile lid. The lid must be loose to allow the gases produced
  during fermentation to escape, some brine may seep out - so store where this won’t be a
  problem

STORE AWAY FROM SUN. Just below room temp, but room temp is (usually) fine. Sometimes
pickles just get spoiled, and it is what it is. Keep in clean area. As it ferments, the brine will
become cloudy
Ready to eat in 1 to 3 weeks, if you want. But fermentation will end after 4 to 5 weeks. At this
point you are playing with fate, the lids should be tightened to prevent spoilage.
For long term storage, a cellar or cool spot. Alternatively, refrigerate. Refrigeration is a must
once you open the jar.
that is it my friends! enjoy. delicious taste, plus fantastic & satisfying crunch. and always remember, Babcia wants you to be healthy and strong. feed your gut microbiomewhat it wants, probiotic goodness! brine is best, vinegar kills all the good stuff! fermentation is the way to go
lots of love, keep it real!