Making your own pickles is sooooo much better for you then buying ones from the store and it’s easy. Store bought usually have distilled vinegar and are loaded with salt and other additives that are not good for you. If you do buy store bought pickles, I recommend the Bubbies brand or check the list of ingredients. They should only have pickles, water, salt and pickling spices, and the brine should be cloudy. If the brine is clear and if there is anything else in the ingredient list, put it down and check another.
One ingredient I wasn’t familiar with at the time was the addition of a grape leaf. Apparently the grape leaf adds tannins to the brine which makes the pickles crunchy. I searched and couldn’t find grape leaves anywhere in San Diego or the interwebs. So, I gave up on the grape leaves and went looking for an alternative. Well I found one and it worked! I know the anticipation must be killing you…. It’s tea leaves! Yes, tea leaves. If you add tea leaves to the brine it will make the pickles crunchy. Crazy huh? The great thing is that tea is easy to find (like in my pantry always) and bonus…they don’t change the flavor of the brine.
How to make crunchy pickles using my secret ingredient. This recipe is super easy, very healthy, crunchy and delicious.
Click here for more and the recipe: http://www.fermentedfoodlab.com/how-to-make-crunchy-pickles/
