1 Pickle Potion

32oz (or 1L) glass jar with cap*

1- 1.5 lbs of fresh cucumbers*

Water (hot)

1. Potion into Jar: Empty an entire Pickle Potion into a clean 32oz glass jar.

2. Trim & Pack: Pack the jar with clean Kirby cucumbers. Leave room on top.

3. Fill with water then cap: Pour boiling hot water into the jar until it reaches just below the top. Cap it then give it a shake.

4. Age it: Let the jar sit at room temperature for 12-24 hours, then mature in the fridge for at least 6 days.

1. Use a wide-mouth 32oz or 1 Liter Jar. We recommend using a wide mouth 32oz jar from your pantry (these are common; Uncle Edik’s Pickles large jars are perfect for this). If you don’t have one, we recommend purchasing a 32oz wide-mouth Ball or Kerr Mason Jar (amazon link: tinyurl.com/picklepotion )

2. Use “Kirby” cucumbers. The cucumbers you use should be firm, not too thick, and of the “Kirby” variety (ask your local grocers if they sell them), other great varieties include gherkins, Russian-style, Suyo long, etc. Avoid using Persian / Israeli cucumbers, they do not pickle well with our brine.

3. Clean cucumbers in cold water. Wash cucumbers with cold water before placing them in the jar. Some say this helps make the pickles crunchier.

4. Clean your jar. You can clean your empty glass jar with soap and warm water. You can also semi-sterilize the jar by pouring some boiling hot water into it (make sure the glass jar is not cold before you do this, it might crack), twist on the lid and shake it well (caution, it will be hot).

5. Slice the tips. If using whole cucumbers, Uncle Edik recommends slicing the ends off to allow for the brine to enter into the cucumbers quicker.

6. Pack your jar well. Cucumbers come in a lot of different shapes and sizes, so we recommend filling your jar with a combination of whole cucumbers, spears, and even little slices to fill in the gaps. The pickle potion should work even with differences in weight from one batch to the next. If you want to be more exact, we recommend adding a little over a pound of cucumbers per 32oz jar, but not more than 1lb 4oz (560 grams).

7. Leave some empty space at the top of the jar. Avoid having any cucumbers peak out above the jar, pour hot water until there is just a little bit of space left below the top. For 32oz that space should be about 3/8 inch (1cm) from the top. If you are using a 1L jar, that space should be double, namely 3/4 inch (2cm).

8. Cap & shake. Twist a cap on the jar (not too tight) and gently shake the jar to ensure no leaks, and also to make sure the pickle potion is properly mixed in. When the jar cools, the cap should suck itself in and seal thanks to the drop in air pressure creating a vacuum.

9. Aging more = deeper flavor. If you want your pickles more fermented/ complex in flavor, wait closer to 24 hours before putting them in a fridge.

10. Don’t age too long. If you leave them out of the fridge past 24 hours, your pickles may over-ferment, making them less crunchy and too sour.

11. The wait is worth it. A pickle is just a cucumber with experience. Your jar needs to mature at least 6 days in the fridge in order for the cucumbers to absorb all the salt and spices from the brine to become legendarily delicious.