How to make crunchy half-sour pickles with one easy shortcut

For those familiar with deli delights, the half-sour pickle stands out: a vibrant, crunchy green treat offering a distinct snap and a far gentler flavour profile than its more intensely brined counterparts.

A recipe from the “Cold Canning” cookbook introduces a clever refrigerator ferment, bypassing vinegar for a shortcut method. This process isn’t traditional fermentation but gives the jar an initial boost at room temperature before it’s stored in the fridge for up to three weeks, ensuring optimal results without overextending the cold canning technique. Freezing is not recommended.

To achieve the best outcome, sterilise your jar thoroughly and resist the urge to make substitutions. However, for a non-traditional twist, thyme sprigs can be swapped for other leafy herbs such as tarragon, rosemary, dill, cilantro, or parsley. Crucially, use only distilled water, as chlorine in tap water or chemicals in well water can impede the fermentation process.

Half-Sour Pickles

Makes: 7-9 pickles

Ingredients 1 medium garlic clove, peeled and thinly sliced

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

2 dried bay leaves

1¾ pounds (800 g, or 7 to 9) medium Kirby or pickling cucumbers, each fairly thin and about 5 inches (13 cm) long

Distilled water for rinsing the cucumbers

2 fresh thyme sprigs

4 cups (960 ml) distilled water

¼ cup (48 g) kosher salt

Directions Put the garlic, coriander, mustard seeds, black peppercorns and bay leaves in one clean 2-quart (1.9-liter) jar or other container. Rinse the cucumbers with distilled water, gently scrubbing them with a new sponge or a wad of paper towels (without nicking the skins). Stuff the cucumbers and thyme sprigs into the jar.

Whisk the 4 cups (960 ml) distilled water and salt in a bowl until the salt dissolves. Pour this brine over the cucumbers and aromatics, leaving about ½ inch (1 cm) head space. If the brine does not cover everything, make more in that same ratio by volume to fill the container. (Make sure no cucumber sticks out of the brine.) Cover or seal; set aside at room temperature for 12–16 hours.

Refrigerate to steep until the cucumbers are crisp and starting to get sour, 5–6 days, before enjoying. (The longer the pickles sit in the brine, the saltier and more sour they’ll get.)