Polish fermented pickles recipe with dill

This Polish fermented pickles recipe preserves small cucumbers in salt brine with dill, garlic and horseradish. Lactic acid fermentation makes them tangy without vinegar. Keep the vegetables submerged while they ferment, then refrigerate the finished pickles. This recipe is for refrigerated fermented pickles, not a shelf-stable canning process.

Choose ingredients and equipment

For a roughly 2-quart jar, gather:

• About 2 lb small, firm pickling cucumbers
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 dill heads or several sprigs of fresh dill
• A small piece of peeled horseradish root
• 3 tablespoons pickling or canning salt, about 45 g
• 2 quarts water, plus extra brine if needed

Choose cucumbers without soft spots or damage. Scrub them under running water, remove any blossoms and trim a thin slice from the blossom end, which can soften pickles. Keep the cucumbers whole. Use fresh dill if possible; its stems and heads add flavor as well as its leaves.

Wash the jar, lid and a food-safe fermentation weight in hot, soapy water and rinse well. Use a glass or food-grade vessel large enough for the cucumbers, brine and some headspace. Avoid metal containers that can react with the brine.

Make the brine and pack the jar

Dissolve the salt completely in the water. Use the stated amount of salt and water rather than reducing the salt to taste: the brine helps create conditions for fermentation. Pickling salt dissolves readily and avoids additives that can cloud the liquid. If using a different salt, weigh it because crystal sizes vary.

Place some dill, garlic and horseradish in the clean jar. Pack the cucumbers snugly, then tuck in the remaining seasonings. Pour in enough brine to cover the cucumbers completely. You may not need all the brine. If more is required, make another batch at the same proportion.

Add a clean fermentation weight to hold the cucumbers and herbs below the surface. Leave space above the brine for bubbling. Use a fermentation lid or a loosely fitted lid that allows gas to escape; do not seal an actively fermenting jar tightly.

Ferment and check daily

Set the jar on a tray out of direct sunlight at a moderate room temperature, around 68 to 72°F (20 to 22°C). Check daily that the cucumbers remain submerged. Bubbles and cloudy brine are normal signs of fermentation, and the brine gradually becomes pleasantly sour.

Taste with a clean utensil after several days. Fermentation speed depends on temperature and cucumber size; a full sour flavor often takes 1 to 2 weeks. For a milder, shorter ferment, explore lightly fermented cucumbers. Once the pickles taste pleasantly sour, fit a lid and refrigerate them. Cold slows fermentation, though it may continue slowly.

Recognize problems and store safely

Use clean utensils whenever removing pickles and keep those remaining under brine. Refrigerate the finished jar and use the pickles within a few months for best quality. If they develop mold, an unpleasant or rotten odor, or a slimy texture, discard the batch. Do not taste food you suspect has spoiled.

A thin white surface film can appear during fermentation, but keeping everything submerged reduces surface growth. If you cannot confidently identify growth or the batch seems questionable, discard it. Fermentation alone does not make a sealed jar safe for pantry storage. For shelf-stable canning, follow a current, tested recipe and its processing instructions exactly.

Serve the pickles alongside pork or chop them into salads. Their sour brine and flesh also flavor Polish pickle soup.

FAQ

Must I use vinegar?

No. Lactic acid develops as the cucumbers ferment in salted water. Vinegar pickles use a different preservation method and have a different flavor.

Why is the brine cloudy?

Cloudiness can occur naturally during fermentation. Assess the whole batch: a rotten smell, mold or sliminess is a reason to discard it, regardless of brine color.

Can I use large slicing cucumbers?

Small pickling cucumbers are preferable because they tend to stay firmer. Large slicing cucumbers may soften more readily and are harder to pack under the brine.