Make the brine by combining the salt and water in a pitcher or jar and stir well to dissolve the salt.
Divide the dill flowers, garlic, and spices into two 1-quart jars.
Trim the ends of the cucumbers and cut them into spears (or halves if they are on the small side). Place the cucumbers into the two 1-quart jars with the herbs and spices, filling them as much as you can.
Fill the jars with the saltwater brine, leaving an inch of headspace.
Place a fermentation weight over the vegetables to keep them under the brine. Cap the jars with fermentation lids.
Place the jars in a cool place out of direct sunlight. Check them every few days to see how they’re progressing.
The pickles will be finished when they're paler green in color and a bit softer, but not mushy - this usually takes about 3-6 days. Give them a taste to be sure they're to your preference. If not, ferment a bit longer.
Once the fermented cucumber pickles are done fermenting, take off the airlock cap, close with a regular lid, and store in the refrigerator. They will last many months or even up to a year in the refrigerator.
Notes
Pickling cucumbers work best in this recipe, as they are less seedy and watery than regular slicing cucumbers.
Unchlorinated water is important since chlorine will disrupt the fermentation process, so filtered or bottled water is best.
An alternative if you don’t have fermentation weights and lids is to use a super clean smaller jar filled with water as a weight, covered with a kitchen towel to keep dirt and bugs out.
If you’re using the smaller jar weight method, put them on a plate as there may be a bit of brine leakage as the cucumbers extract some of their liquid.
Botulism is really not a concern with fermented pickles, just like any other lacto-fermented food.