Ogórki Kiszone (Polish Fermented Dill Pickles)
Local name: Ogórki kiszone
In short: Crisp cucumbers fermented in a salt brine with garlic, dill and horseradish until pleasantly sour, the classic Polish pickles with no vinegar. It takes about 20 min in total and makes 10 servings.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 0 min
- Resting
- 72 h
- Total
- 20 min
- Servings
- 10
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 15 kcal
Ogórki kiszone are cucumbers fermented in salted water with garlic, dill and horseradish, with no vinegar anywhere. Over a few days, natural bacteria turn the brine cloudy and tangy, and the cucumbers go from bright green and half-sour to olive and fully sour. They are eaten alongside almost any Polish meal, chopped into soups and salads, and the brine itself is prized. All you need is a jar and a little patience.
Instructions
- Wash the cucumbers well and trim a thin slice off the blossom end of each, which contains enzymes that soften pickles. Soak them in cold water for 1 hour to firm them up.
- Dissolve the salt in the water, stirring until the liquid is clear. This is your brine, at about 5 percent salt.
- Put half of the garlic, dill, horseradish, bay leaves, peppercorns, allspice, mustard seeds and optional leaves in the bottom of a clean 2-liter (2-quart) jar. Pack in the cucumbers upright and snugly, then tuck the remaining flavorings between and over them.
- Pour in the brine until the cucumbers are fully covered, leaving about 2 cm (3/4 in) of space at the top. Weigh them down with a small clean plate or a glass weight so nothing floats above the brine.
- Cover loosely with a cloth, or rest the lid on top without screwing it down. Keep the jar at 18 to 22°C (64 to 72°F), out of direct sun, for 3 to 7 days. Check daily and skim off any foam. Half-sour pickles are ready in 2 to 3 days, fully sour ones in 5 to 7.
- When the pickles taste right and the brine is cloudy, close the lid and move the jar to the refrigerator. They keep for 2 to 3 months.
Tips
- Use fresh pickling cucumbers, not large slicing ones, because soft cucumbers turn mushy. Trimming the blossom end and adding oak or blackcurrant leaves helps keep the pickles crisp.
- Always keep the cucumbers under the brine. A thin white film can be skimmed off and is harmless, but fuzzy or colored mold, or a rotten smell, means the batch should be thrown away.
Questions and answers
How do I know when they are ready?
Taste one. After 2 to 3 days they are half-sour and still bright green, and after 5 to 7 days fully sour, olive-colored and cloudy. Refrigerate to slow the fermentation once they taste right.
Why is my brine cloudy?
Cloudiness is normal. It comes from lactic acid bacteria multiplying during fermentation. The brine should smell pleasantly sour and garlicky, never rotten.
Can I use iodized salt?
Avoid iodized salt and salts with anti-caking agents, which can cloud the brine and may slow fermentation. Use plain coarse sea salt or pickling salt.
How long does it take to make Ogórki Kiszone (Polish Fermented Dill Pickles)?
About 20 min in total: 20 min of preparation and 0 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Ogórki Kiszone (Polish Fermented Dill Pickles)?
About 15 kcal per serving, with 1 g of protein, 3 g of carbohydrates and 0 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 15 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 1 g |
| Carbohydrates | 3 g |
| Fat | 0 g |
| Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 1 g |
| Sodium | 800 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
