Making pickles takes a few weeks of brining so the cucumbers can ferment.
Brining is a method of preserving food by extracting juice and sugar from the food to form lactic acid. It's a good way to keep perishable food from spoiling or completely altering its flavor profile. Part of the pickling process, brine converts low-acid foods to high-acid foods within 24 hours for a short brine and five days to six weeks for a long, fermenting brine. You can brine virtually any type of meat or vegetable.
Instructions
1. Pour enough water in the container to cover the food you want to brine. Pour the water in a large measuring cup and write down exactly how much water was needed to completely cover the food. For example, if you're brining a 1 lb. piece of fish, you likely need about 2 qts. of water to completely cover the fish.
2. Add 1/8 cup of table salt and 2 tbsp. of sugar to the water for every quart of water you used. In the above example, you would need to add 1/4 cup of table salt and 4 tbsp. of sugar to the water, because you need 2 qts. of water to cover the fish in the container.
3. Mix with the large spoon until all the ingredients are dissolved. Pour the brining solution over the food and place a heavy plate on top to keep it under the solution.
4. Cover the container and place it in the refrigerator.
5. Brine meats generally for less than a day. Brine chicken and fish for three to eight hours, pork chops for two to six hours and a whole turkey for six to 24 hours. Turn them once, using tongs.
6. Brine vegetables such as cucumbers for longer. Some pickle recipes call for weeks of brining, while others call for just a few days.
Tags: completely cover, cover fish, cover food, salt tbsp, salt tbsp sugar