Polish dill pickles are famous all over the world. They are not sweet, as for example in the US, but sour and they have the characteristic strong taste.
Easting fermented food is also very healthy. Pickles are not only great taste – they are low in calories and contain a lot of fiber, therefore they are good for the digestive system. The good news is that it’s very easy to make homemade Polish pickled cucumbers. The process is fast and inexpensive too.
Before I give you my mom’s Polish pickle recipe, let me tell you a bit more about ogorki kiszone.
How To Eat Polish Style Pickles?
Solo
It’s my 2-year-old daughter’s favorite way of eating Polish dill pickles. When I open up the jar, she won’t stop until she gets at least 2 ogorki kiszone.
She just grabs them and walks around the flat, eating everything, bite by bite.
For me, the taste is a bit too strong to eat just like that. I like Polish-style pickles more when they are served with something more. But in general ogorki kiszone are one of the best foods, and they are never too much.
On Sandwich
Polish sandwiches are made of bread, butter, ham, or cheese. You should put some veggies on the top: either fresh or pickled. Ogorki kiszone cut into slices taste great on sandwiches.
If you have smalec- traditional Polish lard, ogorek kiszony is a must to add!
In Salad
If you haven’t heard of salatka jarzynowa, you should definitely check it out. This traditional Polish salad is made of boiled veggies and ogorki kiszone.
Polish dill pickles can be an ingredient in any other salad as well. It’s also quite popular to serve it with Polish beef tatar.
In Soup
Polish dill soup is one of the most popular in the country. It’s made of broth, pickles, potatoes, and (sometimes) rice.
With Dinner/ Lunch
Any dinner or lunch in Poland can be served with ogorek kiszony instead of salad. If you have meat, and mashed potatoes, Polish dill pickles will make the perfect add-on.
With Vodka
If you want to drink Polish vodka traditionally, you should have a shot of it, and then a bite of ogorek kiszony. For me, it’s a really weird combination but some people still party like that in Poland.
How To Make Polish Pickles?
First of all, you need to make sure that:
- the jars are clean and they are not damaged in any way (more about it here)
- the cucumbers are fresh and organic (contaminated veggies won’t pickle)
Depending on where you live, the best is to visit the local market and buy cucumbers directly from the local farmer. You will be sure the quality of the veggies is high enough to pickle.
I’ve been trying to pickle cucumbers from the supermarket once. I need to throw them all away after a few days as they started to cover with mold.
Remember, that if you notice even a small spot of mold on your pickles, the entire jar is rotten. Even if you don’t see it with your own eyes, the mold is already all around the jar!
Anyway, here’s my mom’s Polish dill pickle recipe:
Polish Dill Pickle Recipe
Easy recipe for ogórki kiszone.
Ingredients
- 6-10 medium cucumbers per jar
- 2 cloves of garlic per jar
- 1 stem dill with seeds per jar
- 1 fresh horseradish root per jar
- 1 quart of water per jar
- 2 tablespoons of canning salt per jar
Instructions
- Check whether the jar lids are not damaged in any way. They need to be in perfect condition.
- Sterilize jars and lids with boiling hot water.
- Carefully wash the cucumbers and dill.
- Peel the horseradish and garlic.
- Cut the horseradish into small pieces (about 1'' x 1'' each)
- Put the cucumbers, dill, garlic, and horseradish to the jars. Each jar should have 2 cloves of garlic, 3 pieces of horseradish, and small stem dill.
- Pour the water to the pot, add salt and stir until it dissolves. You can either bring it to a boil or use the boiled cold water. Tap water won't work.
- Fill the jars with water, leaving about 1/2'' of free space to the top.
- Cap the jars.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
10Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 32Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 1280mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 1gSugar: 3gProtein: 1g
These data are indicative and calculated by Nutritionix
When Will Polish Dill Pickles Be Ready To Eat?
If you keep them in a warm place, the fermentation process will be faster. Personally, I like them most, 3-7 days after pickling. When they are not fully fermented, they are called ogorki malosolne in Poland.
The taste is totally different than when the fermentation is over. Be sure to open up at least one jar to try them.
If you want to get the traditional taste, wait for about 1-2 weeks.
How Does The Fermentation Process Take Place?
First, you may notice that the brine is buzzing, making tiny bubbles at the surface and even sipping out through the lid .this is normal! It is important to leave the lids a bit loose for the first 2-3 days in order to allow the gasses to escape from the jar. After that, you may close the lids tightly, and store your jars away in a cooler place
How To Store Polish Dill Pickles?
Polish-style pickles can be stored at room temperature, but cold places such as basements are better. Pickles kept in a warm place are exposed to more aggressive processes of fermentation, which might result in pickles being swallowed and empty inside.
After the jar of pickles is opened, it is best if you keep it in a fridge. It would also be a good practice if you pick your pickles from the jar with a clean fork. This way you avoid introducing bacteria to the brine and by doing so, the brine will stay healthy longer.
How Can I Make My Pickles Stay Hard And Firm?
It is a horseradish root that is responsible for the firmness of your pickles. In some households, traditional housewives will also add a few leaves from an oak tree.
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6 Responses
Do you ship internationally for your book?
I live in New Zealand, and really miss my babcia cooking.
Yes, I do! We can send to NZ, the shipping will still be free
Once the pickles have fermented, can they be refrigerated to stop the process? Can they be canned or “bottled” to keep longer on a shelf?
You won’t stop the process but the pickles can be stored in the cold temperature (for example in the basement) for even a year.
Thanks for sharing. I got a new recipe for dills that uses grape leaves in the jars. They keep the pickles crisp. They were good. Also about the water. We all buy distilled water for all dill pickles whether crocked ones or jared ones because of unwanted minerals in our water that cause pickle failure. We have really hard water with lots of lime in it. Pickles don’t like it.
Is one horseradish root per jar correct? It seems like one root would be enough for at least a dozen jars.