🥒 These Aren’t Your Average Pickles
Over 6 million views later, one thing’s clear: these fermented cucumber pickles hit differently. There’s no vinegar, no boiling, and no quick-pickle shortcuts. Just crisp cucumbers, garlic, spices, and a brine that gets to work the old-fashioned way.
This is my original viral recipe, viewed and remade by thousands of people from all over the world. And I can tell you firsthand — these pickles aren’t just about crunch. They’re about connection.
🧒🏼 The Story: Why These Matter to Me
I grew up watching my mom ferment cucumbers in massive glass jars, the kind you’d have to keep on a towel just in case the brine bubbled over. There were no vinegar shortcuts in our house — just filtered water, whole garlic bulbs, dill, and whatever spice mix she felt like tossing in that year. I never understood why she insisted on doing it this way… until I started doing it myself.
Fermentation isn’t just a recipe — it’s a ritual. It’s how our grandparents preserved flavor before refrigeration. It’s how you turn raw vegetables into living foods.
Now, I do it with my own twist. Same soul, updated flow.
💪🏼 Why Fermented Pickles > Vinegar Pickles
Fermentation uses lactic acid bacteria (LAB) to convert natural sugars into organic acids — giving you the sourness of a pickle, but with added probiotic power.
Health Benefits:
Loaded with live probiotics (good bacteria)
Supports gut microbiome balance
Boosts digestion and nutrient absorption
Helps reduce inflammation
Rich in electrolytes like sodium and potassium
Preserves vitamin C + introduces natural enzymes
And that leftover brine? It’s a gut-boosting, electrolyte-charged, natural sports drink.
I personally sip it while fasting — especially during long fasts (72–86+ hours). It helps:
Replenish minerals
Satisfy salt cravings
Keep the gut active while giving your body a break
🔥 The Crunch Factor: Why These Pickles Don’t Go Mushy
The #1 question I get is: “How do you keep them crunchy?”
Here’s what matters:
Blossom ends trimmed (they contain enzymes that soften the cucumber)
Cold fermentation after 7 days (preserves texture)
Tannins from celery and dill seed help lock in the snap
Fermented Cucumber Pickles – No Vinegar, Crunchy, 7-Day Recipe
Ingredients
- 200 gm Pickling Salt (Do NOT use iodized salt)
- Filtered water (Chlorine-free water is essential for fermentation.)
- pickling cucumbers (Fresh, firm, and unwaxed.)
- 1 head Garlic sliced in half
- fresh dill sprigs
- 4 celery stalks (optional for flavor)
- 2 tbsp black peppercorns
- 1 tbsp 1 tsp dill seed
- Filtered water (to fill the jar after discarding the initial salt brine.)
Method
- Wash cucumbers & trim blossom ends
- Pack cucumbers into 1-gallon jar
- Dissolve salt in filtered water
- Pour salt brine over cucumbers
- Cover loosely, ferment for 7 days
- Discard salt brine (do not rinse cucumbers)
- Add garlic, dill, celery, peppercorns, dill seed
- Fill jar with fresh filtered water
- Seal jar & refrigerate for 3 days
Private Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!🧠 Fermentation Safety & Tips
Always use filtered, non-chlorinated water
If you see white surface film, it’s likely kham yeast — safe, skim it
If you see fuzzy mold, discard the batch
Keep vegetables fully submerged under brine
Store in fridge after 7-day ferment to preserve texture and prevent spoilage
🥄 How I Use Them:
On egg sandwiches and burgers
Chopped into tuna or egg salad
Straight from the jar when I’m hungry but not ready to eat
With hummus, sour cream, or labneh
Brine added to dressings, soups, stews, or used as a shot during fasting
🎬 Want the Full Video?
Head to @DishByDavid on YouTube for the exact method + fermentation setup.
And if you want more recipes like this — plus exclusive brine tricks, flavor templates, and fermented hot sauce builds — grab my full fermentation guide on Gumroad.
These aren’t just pickles. They’re a movement.
Make a jar. Feel the crunch. Save the brine.
26 Responses
I love your content. lacto fermented foods are amongst my favorite.
Thank you so much!!
Thank you so much. I appreciate the support.
Thank you so much I really appreciate it if you can please send me the ingredients and all the information so I can make them. I’m not so young but I will love to make this wonderful pickles 🥒🥒🥒 so yummy
Full recipe and safety instruction are currently in my free guide just join the mailing list and I will email it to you immediately
How does the brine still give gut health benefits if you replaced it with water after the initial ferment? It that point isn’t it basically water?
Great question, Austin!
Here’s how it works:
Step 1 uses a high-salt brine to kickstart deep, controlled fermentation. That initial phase fully ferments the cucumbers — creating a strong probiotic, enzyme-rich environment that transforms the veg.
Then in Step 2, we replace the brine with cold water or flavor infusions. But that water doesn’t stay “just water” — because the fermented cucumbers continue releasing beneficial bacteria into it. Over time, it becomes a lighter, more refreshing probiotic liquid — similar to kvass or pickle juice, but less salty.
So even though the brine is removed, you’re not losing gut benefits. You’re getting the best of both worlds:
✔️ Full fermentation from the salt brine
✔️ Ongoing probiotic development
✔️ Cleaner, crisper flavor and less sodium per serving
Want to try it yourself? The full method is here:
👉 https://dishbydavid.gumroad.com/l/flavor
– David
Would this work if my home is in Florida and our ambient room temp stays around 75?
Yes. But the fermentation process will be quicker!
Hi David,
My family and I prefer salty, zesty pickles-so my question is: can I mix the brine with filtered water at the pour out stage? In other words- pour out half or 3/4 of the brine (for example) and then fill the rest with H2O in an effort to keep/make the pickles saltier?
Thank you!
Absolutely! I do that all the time as well.
I want to try this however I don’t see the ratio of the water and salt. How much pickling salt to how much water?
It’s 100g of pickling salt per 1 liter of water, so the 200g in the recipe goes with about 2 liters. That’s the high-salt Step 1 brine. Step 2 is just fresh water with the garlic, dill and spices.
Two things. So discard the initial brine, don’t save it to inoculate the next batch?
The “new” brine, is created from the salt contained in the cucumbers and even though it’s going in the fridge, there should be enough probiotics in to be useful correct? Can we use this brine to activate the next batch or just not deal with trying to inoculate anything thing just start each batch brand new?
Right, discard the Step 1 brine. It’s very salty and it’s done its job. The Step 2 water picks up salt and flavor from the cucumbers, and it’s good to drink or use in cooking. For the next batch, just start fresh. This method doesn’t need a starter, the salt cure and fresh cucumbers do the work.
Hello David,
Quick question, are you using baking soda in the wash?
Thank you,
Keith
Yes that is exactly right.
Why is it that other pickle fermentation recipes take one month?
Different method. Most one-month recipes use a lower-salt brine in a single step, often at cooler temperatures, and just let it go longer. This one is my 2-Step method. A strong salt cure for about 7 days, then you drain it and move the cucumbers into fresh water in the fridge, where the salt pulls back out. Both work, they just get there differently.
Are we washing just in baking soda and water or is it baking soda and vinegar? and is it the same pre-wash for everything?
Baking soda and water. Skip vinegar in that same wash, they cancel each other out. And no, it’s not always the same pre-wash. What are you washing, cucumbers, lemons, or something else?
I’m new to fermenting and eager to try this out but there’s no reference to how much water to use for first brine. Is there a formula for scaling up or down? Thanks!
The ratio is what you scale by. For Step 1 it’s 100g of salt per 1 liter of water (a 10% brine), so the 200g in the recipe goes with about 2 liters. A smaller jar might only need 1 liter and 100g. Weigh the salt rather than using spoons, and make sure the cucumbers are fully covered.
Hey David,
You call for 200g of pickling salt but you don’t say how much water. Please clarify.
Thanks,
Good catch, Doug. The 200g of salt goes into about 2 liters of water. That’s roughly a 10% brine for Step 1, which is what this 2-Step method runs on. Pack the cucumbers and pour in brine until they’re fully covered. If you need more, mix it at the same ratio, 100g salt per liter. If they end up saltier than you like, you can drop to about 90g per liter next time.
No mention of water quantity , I assume it is the amount it takes to fill the jar after adding the cucumbers ?