Bonus Post: Homemade Pickles!

Learn how to make them - and why they may be healthier than store bought

Hi everyone! We are so excited about this how-to video: Making Homemade Pickles! Previous how-to videos (How To Make Matcha, How to Sharpen Your Knives) have been so popular with our paid subscribers, we wanted everyone to have a chance to see what these how-tos are about.

Learn why pickling your own vegetables may be healthier than buying them in the store (especially when it comes to gut health), the tool both Dr. Weil and Diana use to make pickles, and how to make them. It’s a fun activity the whole family can participate in. Enjoy!

P.S. Want more how-to content? Become a paid subscriber! And don’t miss our new Weil Nutrition Corner™ Challenge starting soon - more info below!

How To Make Homemade Pickles!

We both love pickled foods, but we recommend ones that have been naturally fermented and contain live organisms. We also love making our own pickles, even if it takes a bit more time. And not just regular pickles made from cucumbers but also Kimchi, other pickled vegetables, and sauerkraut.

Many cultures worldwide, including those in Germany, Japan, and China, consider fermented foods to be essential components of their diets. Natural pickles, sauerkraut, kimchi, tempeh, and miso (made from soy), as well as high-quality yogurt and kefir, are all sources of friendly lactobacilli created in the fermentation process. The living bacterial cultures in these foods aid digestion, increase vitamin levels, produce a variety of beneficial enzymes, and promote the growth of healthy flora throughout the digestive tract.

Unfortunately, most of today’s commercially available pickled products are pasteurized and “dead” – that is, they lack beneficial bacterial cultures. Most “pickles” on supermarket shelves are simply cucumbers canned in a hot vinegar solution - not actually fermented. “Live” pickles need to be refrigerated.

If you enjoy pickled foods, try making your own! Watch as I show you how easy it can be to make your own healthy pickles! For this video, we use a product called the Perfect Pickler (which we highlighted in last Friday’s recommendations – we both use this and love it).

The brine solution is made by dissolving two tablespoons of salt into four cups of water, which yields a 2-quart batch of pickles. Because you're working with live bacteria, you want to be precise with your measurements and methods. The Perfect Pickler comes with a guidebook that includes recipes to ensure your pickles are fermented safely. You can absolutely make pickles at home without this product, but it's best to look up recipes that guide you through the process safely.

Making Homemade Pickles

Want more insight into how you can upgrade your diet with simple swaps such as “live” pickles? Join our upcoming Upgrade Your Summer Plate Challenge!