Znojemské okurky

Ingredients

Cucumbers

• 1.5 kgsmall pickling cucumbers, firm and unwaxed
• 2onions, sliced into rings
• 1small carrot, sliced thin

Pickle

• 750 mlwater
• 350 mlwhite vinegar
• 120 gsugar
• 40 gsalt
• 2 tbspmustard seed
• 1 tspblack peppercorns
• 1 tspallspice berries
• 6bay leaves
• 1 tspdill seed
• 2dried chillies

Directions

1. Scrub the cucumbers and trim a sliver off the blossom end of each — that end carries an enzyme that softens the whole jar, and it is the usual reason home gherkins go limp.
2. Soak the cucumbers in ice-cold water for two hours. Cold, firm cucumbers stay crisp; room-temperature ones do not.
3. Sterilise the jars and lids in a hot oven or boiling water.
4. Pack the drained cucumbers upright into the jars with the onion rings, carrot slices and a share of the mustard seed, peppercorns, allspice, bay, dill seed and chilli.
5. Bring the water, vinegar, sugar and salt to a boil, stir until dissolved, and pour it boiling over the cucumbers so they are covered, leaving 1 cm of headspace.
6. Seal at once, then stand the jars upside down under a thick towel for a few hours as they cool. The retained heat pasteurises the contents and pulls a vacuum as they cool, which is what makes them shelf-stable.
7. Leave three weeks before opening. They keep a year unopened; refrigerate once opened.

Technique

• Trim the blossom end. It is a small thing and it is the difference between crisp gherkins and soft ones.
• Pour the pickle boiling and seal immediately. A jar filled with cooled liquid will not hold.
• Use small, firm, unwaxed cucumbers. Supermarket salad cucumbers are the wrong variety and go hollow.

Substitutions

• A grape leaf or a piece of horseradish root in each jar, whose tannins keep them firmer.
• Cider vinegar for white, which is rounder and slightly sweeter.

Variations

• The Znojmo version is characteristically sweeter than a German or Polish gherkin.
• Sliced into a Czech potato salad or laid inside a smažený sýr roll.

History

Named for Znojmo in South Moravia, a cucumber growing and pickling centre since the nineteenth century.

Frequently asked questions

What is Znojemské okurky?

Znojemské okurky is a fermented & pickled from Czechia: small gherkins pickled with onion and mustard seed in Moravia. Named for Znojmo in South Moravia, a cucumber growing and pickling centre since the nineteenth century.

How long does Znojemské okurky take to make?

Znojemské okurky takes 40 min plus 3 weeks of preparation and 15 min of cooking. The recipe makes fills 3 × 500 ml jars. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Znojemské okurky?

Yes, within limits. A grape leaf or a piece of horseradish root in each jar, whose tannins keep them firmer. Cider vinegar for white, which is rounder and slightly sweeter.

What is the most important thing to get right in Znojemské okurky?

Scrub the cucumbers and trim a sliver off the blossom end of each — that end carries an enzyme that softens the whole jar, and it is the usual reason home gherkins go limp.