The Simple Solution For Preventing Flavorless Homemade Pickles

There are few things more rewarding than small DIY activities in the kitchen. From whipping up your own ice cream (maybe even in a plastic bag) to pickling cucumbers, being able to enjoy the fruits of your labor is a fulfilling and gratifying experience.

However, that pleasure may not come to be if you happen to get undesirable results after your endeavor is through. When it comes to pickling cucumbers, this is bound to be the case when the pickles you have made are not as flavorful as you'd originally hoped. A failed experiment is nothing more than a teachable lesson; when it comes to making homemade pickles as flavorful and delicious as possible, there is a crucial trick to get the desired results.

When preparing your cucumbers to be pickled, beyond filling the jar with water, vinegar, spices, and garlic, the most important thing you need to do is puncture the skin of each of your cucumbers before sending them to ferment. Ultimately, it is this often-forgotten step that makes all the difference when pickling cucumbers at home.

Pickling cucumbers is a task that takes quite some time, with the fermenting process taking anywhere from four to 11 days, depending on your preferred level of tanginess. However, before the cucumbers can be stored away, you must create the brine -– a liquid that eventually becomes known as pickle juice -– and prepare the cucumbers for fermentation. This is when puncturing the cucumbers comes into play.

The brine is not only used to ferment the cucumbers, but it is also what helps give the soon-to-be pickles their signature taste. But if the cucumbers are not punctured, the juice and flavor from the brine will struggle to seep into the fruit effectively, leaving you with a less flavorful pickle.

So, by using a knife, skewer, or even a toothpick to puncture small holes into the cucumbers, you will be allowing the brine to be absorbed by the fruit far more throughout the process of fermentation. In the end, remembering this crucial step should result in an irresistible pickle full of pronounced flavor that is otherwise unachievable.