What is the best type of cucumber for making brined (fermented) pickles?
The best fermented, or brined, pickles are made from pickling a variety of cucumber picked at the right stage of maturity (about 5 inches in length for dills), not under or overly mature. At the right stage of maturity, cucumbers have the proper level of native sugars and correct native microorganisms on their skin to ensure fermentation. To keep skin microorganisms intact, wash cucumbers, but do not scrub them with a vegetable brush.
