Many people prepare home-made marinades. Cucumbers in Brine is, probably, one of the simpler and tastier home-made marinades ever invented. Below you can find my version, heavily influenced by my mother, but, as always, modified and adjusted to my own taste.

Ingredients:

Cucumbers (the amount should be chosen accordingly to the jar you have for marinating)
1-2 garlic cloves
1-2 sprigs of dill
Small horseradish root
Salt

Preparation:

1. If your cucumbers are soft (as opposed to “hard and crunchy”) start with soaking them in cold (could be room temperature) water for 4 hours
2. Prepare the brine – in a cooking pan, add salt to water (1 tablespoon of salt per liter of water) and bring to boiling (until the salt dissolves completely)
3. In a jar prepared for the brine, put garlic cloves (cut into quarters) on the bottom, then add the cucumbers. The idea is to make the jar “crowded”, not allowing the cucumbers to “swim” freely in it. Add some more garlic cloves and horseradish root pieces (small ones, no more than a couple of centimeters in length and 1/4 of centimeter in diameter).
4. Add the dill on top
5. For those who like spicy food, you can add a small piece of chili pepper as well
6. Leave for 2-3 days outside (in a regular room) and taste if the saltiness is fitting your taste. Some people start eating them after just one day, others after 2-3 additional days
7. Keep in the refrigerator after 3 days for up to 2-3 weeks

The below picture shows the way they look after approximately 24 hours:

Read the original on: Dos Gatos Kitchen