I Smell Sour Pickles Fermenting...

Right now my utility/pantry/laundry room smells like sour pickles. How do I know this? Because two days ago I made Sandor Katz's "Sour Pickles" and having all that time to marinate they've begun emitting a distinct briny aroma:  a little tart, a lot salty, but definitely pleasing.  Here you see the dill, garlic, pepper corns and wild grape leaves involved. I did a fair amount of research on what to use to crisp the pickles that even included a phone conversation with someone at the Escambia County Extension Agency but in any case I passed on wild cherry leaves in favor of the wild grape leaves. The cherry leaves can be toxic if used incorrectly so I'll just appreciate them right where they are, on the tree in my backyard. I know the birds do.

This is a small but much needed triumph for me as I've struggled with the concept of fermenting foods and as a result not a few batches of sauerkraut, sauerruben, and varying breads have all fallen by the wayside into the compost pile. I think I've finally let go of my involuntary but deeply ingrained prejudices against letting Mother Nature teach me how best to process foods. My biggest, most consistent success to date has been Katz's oatmeal porridge from his book,  "Wild Fermentation". If you like oatmeal for breakfast get yourself a roller mill (I already had mine and was eating cold rolled oats with milk and raisins for breakfast) and sign up for allowing the rolled oats to gently "ferment" in filtered water (chlorine kills good as well as harmful bacteria) for several hours, then cook and refrigerate. I like to double the recipe and then scoop out a portion every morning which I then reheat and eat with stevia and milk or soy milk, depending on what I have on hand. OMB (oh my bunny) but this is so much better than anything from the store. And get ready to feel eerily connected to your great great and great great great grandparents because up until recently, and still currently, in countries all over the planet, people routinely fermented -  and still ferment - grains to release the maximum nutrition therein.

I'm supposed to sample the cucmbers in brine in a week or so, I hope they're tickled to be a pickle by then, my lips are already puckered.