This summer, we are growing heirloom cucumbers known as lemon cucumbers. As you might expect, they look like lemons but taste similar to traditional cucumbers. We planted just one plant this year but now have dozens of these ready for picking.
As with other summer vegetables, they come in waves and do not last long in the fridge to eat with salads so I looked for ways to preserve them. I found a wonderful and healthy pickle recipe in Nourishing Traditions that converts this summer vegetable into a healthy probiotic. This recipe is also quick and easy to make.
Ingredients include:
- 3 lemon cucumbers sliced with a 1/4 inch thick
- 2 tablespoon of chopped fresh dill
- 4 tablespoons of whey
- 1 tablespoon of mustard seed
- 1 cup of filtered water
- 1 tablespoon of sea salt
A note on making whey: Leave raw milk at room temperature for 1 to 4 days until milk solids separate from the semi-clear liquid (aka. whey). Separate the whey from the milk solid by pouring the mixture through a cheese cloth.
In a bowl, add all ingredients. Fold the mixture. Then place in a clean wide mouth quart-sized jar. Make sure that the vegetables are covered with fluid. The fluid level should be one half of an inch from the top of the jar. Close the jar lid tightly and let this sit at room temperature for 3 to 5 days. Then move to the refrigerator for long term storage.
We have had the pickles by themselves and on top of grass-fed burgers. We like the taste. They have the taste of a dill pickle but are soft (not crisp like store-bought pickles). You can use the same recipe to make pickles from other types of cucumbers (sliced or whole).
Enjoy!
