Recipes / Vegetables

Fermented dill pickles

Cucumbers fermented with dill, garlic and horseradish, from Anna’s recipe at AniaGotuje.pl.

Recipe author: Anna (AniaGotuje.pl) · AniaGotuje.pl

30 minutes prep + about 14 days fermenting (up to 20 days)Makes: 4 × 1-litre jars
Jump to the stepsIngredients and their stories ↓Download printable PDF
Fermented dill pickles · Serving suggestion
Serving suggestion

Instructions

Download printable PDF

Recipe card to download and print

0 / 4 steps completed

  1. Choose the ingredients

    Choose fresh, small, firm cucumbers without blemishes. Gather the garlic, dill, horseradish and any optional leaves.

  2. Pack the jars

    Wash the cucumbers and flavourings. Cut the horseradish into strips. Separate the garlic cloves, leaving the skins on. Scald the jars and lids. Divide the flavourings between the 4 jars and pack the cucumbers tightly, standing them upright.

  3. Add the brine

    Bring 2 litres water to the boil and dissolve the 4 level tbsp salt in it. Pour over the cucumbers to cover them. Gently move the jars to release trapped air. The author usually uses 500 ml brine per jar. Close the lids tightly and leave for 3 days at about 20°C.

  4. Move to a cool place

    After 3 days, move to a cool pantry or cellar. Ferment for about 14 days, with a maximum of 20 days. The author allows cooled brine as an alternative and treats turning the jars upside down while cooling as optional.

Tips

NCHFP/USDA advises discarding pickles that become soft or slimy or develop a foul smell; do not taste them. As a separate editorial precaution, Fermentarnia recommends discarding the entire batch if mould appears.

Storage

After 3 days at about 20°C, move to a cool pantry or cellar. The author recommends the fridge if the house is warm and there is no cool cellar.

How to serve

Serve with sandwiches or a meal, or use in Polish cucumber soup and vegetable salad.

Ingredients / history / science

Discover the ingredients and their stories

What goes into the jar? Where does the flavour come from? Open a topic and explore its sources.

About the ingredientsCucumber, dill and time

Choose firm cucumbers of a similar size for fermenting. Dill flower heads, garlic and horseradish flavour the brine. The sour taste develops through fermentation in brine, without added vinegar.

History on a plateCucumber barrels in the Narew River

Around Kruszewo in Poland’s Podlasie region, cucumbers were fermented in wooden barrels submerged in the Narew River, where they could remain until spring. Culture.pl describes this regional tradition. Dill, garlic and horseradish also appear in older Polish cucumber recipes, including those of cookbook author Maria Ochorowicz-Monatowa.

A closer lookSourness made in the brine

These cucumbers are fermented in salt brine rather than a vinegar marinade. Salt affects which microorganisms can grow, while fermentation gradually increases the acidity. The dill, garlic and horseradish give flavour; they are not the source of the sourness.

Recipe sources

This recipe is based on the sources listed above.

Recipes

What will you make next?

Ania’s sauerkraut · Serving suggestion01
Vegetables

Ania’s sauerkraut

Homemade sauerkraut fermented in jars, following Anna’s recipe from AniaGotuje.pl.

30 minutes prep + 7–14 days fermenting
Sue Pressey’s napa cabbage kimchi · Serving suggestion02
Vegetables

Sue Pressey’s napa cabbage kimchi

Traditional cabbage kimchi (pogi-kimchi) made with napa cabbage quarters, radish, Korean chilli flakes, fish sauce and salted fermented shrimp. From Sue Pressey’s recipe at My Korean Kitchen.

2 hours 30 minutes prep + 6 hours salting (8 hours 30 minutes total), then 24 hours fermenting + 3–4 days chilling for fuller flavour
Labneh — creamy strained yoghurt · Serving suggestion04
Dairy

Labneh — creamy strained yoghurt

Thick, creamy strained yoghurt, from Victoria Prever’s recipe for Good Food. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of za’atar.

10 minutes preparation + 12–24 hours straining
RecipesArticles