Malosolnye ogurtsy

Ingredients

Cucumbers

• 1.5 kgsmall pickling cucumbers, firm and unwaxed

Brine

• 1.5 litreswater
• 60 gcoarse non-iodised salt — 4% of the water’s weight

Aromatics

• 1large bunch dill with flower crowns
• 1 headgarlic, cloves peeled and lightly crushed
• 1horseradish leaf, or a piece of the root
• 8blackcurrant leaves
• 1 tbspblack peppercorns

Directions

1. Soak the cucumbers in ice-cold water for three hours, then trim a sliver off the blossom end of each.
2. Cut a slit lengthwise down each cucumber, stopping short of both ends so it stays whole. This is what makes malosolnye quick: the brine reaches the middle in days rather than weeks.
3. Dissolve the salt in the water. Four percent is deliberately lower than a keeping pickle — these are eaten within a fortnight, and the lower salt is what keeps them tasting fresh and green.
4. Line the jar with half the dill, horseradish and blackcurrant leaves, pack the cucumbers in, and tuck the garlic, peppercorns and the rest of the leaves among them.
5. Pour over the brine — warm, not hot, if you want them ready faster — so everything is submerged, and weight anything that floats.
6. Cover loosely and leave at room temperature for two to three days.
7. They are ready when they taste lightly salted and are still bright green and crunchy inside. That is the whole point of malosolnye: caught before they turn into full sour pickles.
8. Move them to the fridge, where they hold for about two weeks before going properly sour.

Technique

• Four percent salt and two days. This is a fresh pickle, not a preserve, and it will not keep at this salt level.
• Slit them lengthwise. It is what makes them quick.
• Move them to the fridge as soon as they taste right, or they carry on into ogurtsy solyonye.

Substitutions

• Cherry or oak leaves in place of blackcurrant.
• Warm brine at about 60°C (140°F) for a faster batch, ready overnight.

Variations

• Left two weeks at room temperature they become fully sour solyonye ogurtsy.
• A bag version: seal the cucumbers, salt and dill in a plastic bag, shake, and refrigerate — ready in a day.

History

Brined for days rather than months so they stay crisp; a summer dacha staple made with dill, garlic and horseradish leaf.

Frequently asked questions

What is Malosolnye ogurtsy?

Malosolnye ogurtsy is a fermented & pickled from Russia: lightly salted cucumbers, crisp and green after days in brine. Brined for days rather than months so they stay crisp; a summer dacha staple made with dill, garlic and horseradish leaf.

How long does Malosolnye ogurtsy take to make?

Malosolnye ogurtsy takes 20 min plus 2 to 3 days of preparation and 10 min of cooking. The recipe makes fills a 2-litre jar. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Malosolnye ogurtsy?

Yes, within limits. Cherry or oak leaves in place of blackcurrant. Warm brine at about 60°C (140°F) for a faster batch, ready overnight.

What is the most important thing to get right in Malosolnye ogurtsy?

Cut a slit lengthwise down each cucumber, stopping short of both ends so it stays whole. This is what makes malosolnye quick: the brine reaches the middle in days rather than weeks.