Ogórki Kiszone
Traditional Polish naturally fermented sour dill pickles cured in salt brine with flowering dill crowns, pungent garlic cloves, and horseradish root until delightfully tangy, sour, and crunchy.
Ingredients
- • 1.5kg firm small pickling cucumbers (gruntowe)
- • 1.5 litres boiled water, cooled to lukewarm
- • 1.5 tbsp non-iodised rock salt (kamienna)
- • 1 bunch flowering dill stems and seed heads
- • 1 head garlic, cloves separated and lightly crushed
- • 1 piece fresh horseradish root (8cm), peeled and cut into batons
- • 4 oak or blackcurrant leaves (for tannins and firmness)
Preparation Steps
Soak the cucumbers in ice-cold water for 2 hours to firm their cell structure, ensuring a firm, crunchy snap upon biting.
In sterilised 1-litre preserving jars or stoneware crocks, place a layer of dill umbrellas, garlic cloves, horseradish batons, and oak leaves. Pack the cucumbers tightly upright into the jar, packing them as snugly as possible.
Dissolve the rock salt completely in the lukewarm water. Pour the salty brine into the jars until the cucumbers are completely submerged by at least 2cm.
Seal the jars loosely to allow fermentation gases to escape. Keep at room temperature for 5 to 7 days until the brine turns pleasantly cloudy and the cucumbers turn fully sour and olive green. Tighten lids and store in a cool pantry or cellar.