Spreewald gherkins

Ingredients

Cucumbers

• 2 kgsmall pickling cucumbers, firm and unwaxed

Brine

• 2 litreswater
• 100 gcoarse non-iodised salt — 5% of the water’s weight

Aromatics

• 1large bunch dill with flower crowns
• 1 piecehorseradish root, peeled and sliced
• 8blackcurrant or cherry leaves
• 6oak or grape leaves
• 1 headgarlic, cloves peeled
• 2 tbspmustard seed
• 1 tbspblack peppercorns
• 2onions, sliced

Directions

1. Soak the cucumbers in ice-cold water for four hours. This firms them and is the first of the three things that keep them crisp.
2. Trim a sliver off the blossom end of each. That end carries an enzyme that softens the whole jar, and it is the second.
3. Dissolve the salt completely in the water. Weigh it: 5% is what protects the jar in the days before the acidity builds.
4. Line the jar with half the dill, horseradish and leaves, pack the cucumbers upright, and tuck the garlic, onion, mustard seed, peppercorns and the remaining aromatics among them.
5. The leaves are the third crispness measure — their tannins inhibit the enzymes that soften a pickle, and horseradish does the same job. Together with the cold soak and the trimmed ends they are why Spreewald gherkins are known for their snap.
6. Pour over the brine so everything sits 3 cm below the surface and weight it down.
7. Cover loosely and ferment at cool room temperature for one to two weeks, skimming any white film off the surface.
8. They are ready when sour all the way through and olive rather than bright green inside. Move somewhere cold, where they keep for months.

Technique

• Cold soak, trimmed ends, tannin leaves. All three, every time.
• Everything below the brine. Anything that floats will mould.
• The PGI belongs to cucumbers actually grown and pickled in the Spreewald; this is the method, not the protected product.

Substitutions

• Grape, oak or horseradish leaves interchangeably — any of them supply the tannins.
• A splash of brine from a working jar to start it faster.

Variations

• A vinegar version, Gewürzgurken, is sweeter and keeps longer but lacks the sour depth.
• Senfgurken use the same brine tradition on peeled, deseeded overgrown cucumbers.

History

Grown and pickled in the Spreewald wetlands south of Berlin; Spreewälder Gurken won PGI protection in 1999 and became an eastern German icon.

Frequently asked questions

What is Spreewald gherkins?

Spreewald gherkins is a fermented & pickled from Germany: crisp brined cucumbers with dill and horseradish, eaten straight from the jar. Grown and pickled in the Spreewald wetlands south of Berlin; Spreewälder Gurken won PGI protection in 1999 and became an eastern German icon.

How long does Spreewald gherkins take to make?

Spreewald gherkins takes 40 min plus 1 to 2 weeks fermenting of preparation and no cooking at all. The recipe makes fills a 3-litre jar. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Spreewald gherkins?

Yes, within limits. Grape, oak or horseradish leaves interchangeably — any of them supply the tannins. A splash of brine from a working jar to start it faster.

What is the most important thing to get right in Spreewald gherkins?

Trim a sliver off the blossom end of each. That end carries an enzyme that softens the whole jar, and it is the second.