Summer Pickled Cucumbers: A Romanian Traditional Recipe

This old recipe for pickling cucumbers during summer was passed down from generation to generation, from mothers to daughters.
Summer Pickled Cucumbers: A Romanian Traditional Recipe
Summer pickled cucumbers. (Maria Matyiku/Epoch Times)
8/9/2013
Updated:
8/9/2013

This old recipe for pickling cucumbers during summer was passed down from generation to generation, from mothers to daughters. The pickles will be naturally fermented by the heat of the sun and ready for consumption within five days.

2 kg fresh cucumbers
3-4 cloves garlic
1 fresh head and 1 frond of dill
2 sprigs of thyme
Water, salt
One 3-litre glass jar or two 1.5-litre glass jars

Select very young and fresh cucumbers. Gently wash them in cold water and remove the blossom ends.

Using a knife, slit the thicker cucumbers through lengthwise, making sure that the end is still attached and not completely cut through.

To prepare the brine, pour salt into boiling water in a ratio of 50 ml (1/4 cup) of pickling salt for 1 litre (4 cups) of water. After the water has started to boil, set it aside to clarify.

Pack cucumbers tightly into jar, put garlic cloves in the empty spaces in between the cucumbers and cover the top with dill and thyme sprigs. Wrap the jar with a wet cloth and pour the hot brine over the cucumbers until they are covered. Bind with parchment paper.

Place the jar in the sun and leave it for two to three days. Meanwhile shake the brine daily two or three times. After two to three days, tiny bubbles will start rising indicating that the cucumbers are fermenting. When the fermentation process has stopped (the tiny bubbles stop rising), the cucumbers are well pickled. Place them in the refrigerator and consume as needed.

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