Solionye Ogurtsy- Brined Cucumbers
Submitted by dolly6206
Traditional Russian brined cucumbers (solionye ogurtsy) naturally fermented with fresh dill, horseradish, garlic, tarragon, and hot pepper. Crunchy, tangy, and deeply savory.
YIELD
8 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
20 minREADY
10 hrsThese are not your grocery store pickles. Solionye ogurtsy are the real deal: Russian brined cucumbers fermented the old-fashioned way with nothing but salt, water, and aromatics.
Small cucumbers get packed tightly into a jar with layers of mature dill (seeds and all), sliced horseradish root, halved garlic, hot pepper, and fresh tarragon branches. A strong salt brine goes over the top, and then nature takes over.
Over two to three weeks of slow fermentation, the cucumbers transform into something crunchy, deeply tangy, and layered with flavor that vinegar pickles simply cannot match.
Every Russian grandmother has her own version, but the fundamentals are always the same: good cucumbers, fresh herbs, patience, and cold storage.
Kitchen Tips
- Use small, firm pickling cucumbers no more than 4 inches long. Larger cucumbers turn hollow and mushy during fermentation.
- Trim both ends of each cucumber. This lets the brine penetrate the flesh evenly and speeds up the process.
- Non-iodized salt is essential. Iodine interferes with the fermentation bacteria and can ruin the entire batch.
- Check for scum daily during the first few days and skim it off promptly. A little cloudiness in the brine is normal and expected.
Ingredients
Directions
Preparing Cucumbers: wash the cucumbers under running water and place in a bowl.
Cover with ice water and enough ice to keep them cold for 10 hours.
Drain the cucumbers and trim both ends so that the brine will more easily penetrate the flesh.
Assembling: Rinse the dill and divide in half.
Scrub and rinse the horseradish and slice thinly.
Peel and halve the garlic.
Fold half the dill into a ring to fit the bottom of the pickling jar.
Strew horseradish, garlic, red pepper, and ⅓ of the tarragon on top.
Arrange half the cucumbers upright in the jar, packing them tightly.
Place the second third of the tarragon on top, then pack in the rest of the cucumbers in the same manner.
Over them layer the remaining dill, horseradish, garlic, pepper and tarragon.
Combine the salt and water, stirring until the salt dissolves.
Percentage of salt in this brine is 5½ to 6. 5 percent.
Pour the brine into the jar.
The cucumbers and herbs should be fully submerged.
Cover with a saucer and weight down with a jar or can filled with water.
Cover the mouth of the jar with 2 layers of cheesecloth and tie in place with string.
Fermentation and storage: For the first 2 to 3 days, keep the cucumbers on a well aired shaded patio or similar spot with a temperature of 64 to 68 degrees.
Remove the scum as it appears and wash the mouth of the jar daily.
After 3 to 4 days, when the most active fermentation has subsided a bit, remove the weight and lid.
Check to see that the brine still covers the cucumbers.
If not, add brine in the same proportions (1¼ 1 ¾ tablespoons salt to 1 pint water).
Cover the jar with its own lid and refrigerate at 32 to 38 degrees.
During the next 10 to 14 days, see that the brine does not become too cloudy (there is always some degree of cloudiness due to fermentation process) and that there is no mold.
If either does happen, replace the brine, rinse the upper layer of dill, wipe the mouth of the jar and close again.
Store the pickles on the lowest shelf of the refrigerator.
They will keep for up to 1 week.
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