Dill-Pickle-Style Lacto-Fermented Potato Chips
Davis Whitehead·168 hr 25 min·Makes about 1 quart (1 L)Yes—it’s absolutely possible to lacto-ferment potatoes into a tangy, dilly, garlicky “pickle chip” vibe. These come out bright, lightly sour, and pleasantly crisp-tender (more like a fermented pickle than a cooked potato). A quick cold soak removes excess starch so the brine stays clean and the texture stays snappy. Keep everything fully submerged under a 2.5% salt brine and ferment at cool room temp until the aroma turns pleasantly sour and the slices taste zippy.
- fermentation
- gluten-free
- vegan
- snack
- pickles
Ingredients
- Potatoes & brine
- •900 g (about 2 lb) waxy potatoes (Yukon Gold or red), scrubbed (leave skins on or peel)
- •900 g non-chlorinated water (about 3 3/4 cups)
- •23 g fine sea salt (about 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt, or ~1 Tbsp Morton kosher) — this is 2.5% brine by total water weight
- Pickle-style seasonings (per 1-quart / 1 L jar)
- •20 g fresh dill (about 6–10 sprigs)
- •12 g garlic (about 3–4 cloves), lightly smashed
- •2 g whole black peppercorns (about 1 tsp)
- •1.5 g mustard seeds (about 1 tsp)
- •0.5–1 g red pepper flakes (pinch to 1/2 tsp), optional
- •1 bay leaf, optional
- Optional for extra crunch (highly recommended)
- •2 g calcium chloride ("Pickle Crisp"), about 1/2 tsp (do not substitute table salt)
Instructions
Prep (keep it clean)
Wash a 1-quart / 1 L wide-mouth jar, lid, and any weights in hot soapy water, then rinse well and air-dry. (You don’t need to sterilize, just be clean.)
Slice + de-starch
Slice the potatoes into “chips” 2–3 mm thick (about 1/8 in). Aim for even slices so they ferment evenly.
Put the slices in a bowl and cover with cold water. Swish hard with your hands for 20 seconds until the water clouds, then drain. Repeat 2 more times (3 rinses total). This step removes surface starch so the ferment stays cleaner and less slippery.
Make the 2.5% brine
In a large measuring jug or bowl, dissolve 23 g salt into 900 g water, stirring until it tastes like pleasantly salty seawater and no grains remain.
Pack the jar
Add the seasonings to the jar: dill (20 g), smashed garlic (12 g), peppercorns (2 g), mustard seeds (1.5 g), and optional red pepper flakes and bay leaf.
Pack in the rinsed potato slices (900 g). Leave 2.5–4 cm (1–1 1/2 in) headspace.
Pour in enough brine to fully cover the potatoes by at least 1–2 cm (1/2 in). If you have extra brine, keep it in the fridge to top up later.
(Optional crunch) Stir 2 g calcium chloride into the jar.
Weigh everything down so no potato is floating. Use a fermentation weight, a small jar, or a zip-top bag filled with a little of the same brine.
Ferment
Set the jar on a small plate (it may bubble over). Ferment at 18–22°C / 65–72°F out of direct sun.
For the first 3 days, check once daily: potatoes must remain submerged; top up with reserved brine if needed. You should see small bubbles and a light briny, dilly aroma.
Start tasting on day 4: pull a slice with clean tongs/fork. They’re ready when they taste tangy and pickle-forward, and the brine smells clean-sour (not rotten). Typical timing is 5–10 days, depending on temperature.
Finish + store
Once you love the tang, move the jar to the fridge. The flavor will keep developing slowly.
Tip: If you get a white film on the surface (kahm yeast), skim it off, keep everything submerged, and keep going—flavor may be a bit less bright but it’s usually fine.
Safety note: If you see fuzzy mold in colors (green/black/pink), or it smells putrid, discard the batch.
Notes
Potato choice: waxy varieties (Yukon Gold/red) hold texture best; avoid very starchy russets unless you really rinse well. Brine math: if you want to scale, use 2.5% salt by weight of water (25 g salt per 1000 g water). Texture: These won’t be “crispy” like fried chips; think pickle-chip bite—crisp-tender and tangy. Serving: Great on sandwiches, chopped into potato salad (use the brine as dressing base), or alongside burgers. Storage: Refrigerated, they’ll keep 1–2 months; keep slices submerged for best quality.