Hungarian Sun Pickles
Kovászos Uborka
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| first day outside! |
Mmmm pickles. I love pickles, be they in vinegar, brined, cucumber, okra, etc. My all time favorite, though, would have to be the Hungarian Sun Pickles. I have fond memories of eating them as a child, and they have quite a unique flavor. Every summer now I buy (or grow) pickling cucumbers, and make at least one batch of this delicious pickle. The funny thing is, when I last went to make them, I searched my blog to find the recipe, and realized that I haven't added it yet! So here it is.
Hungarian Sun Pickles
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| Yes, that is parsley, not dill. And a grape leaf. Please see notes. |
Ingredients
- 8 cups filtered or bottled water
- 1/2 cup of salt (kosher, sea, or canning is best)
- Dill (Fresh, dried, or just the seeds)
- 3 or more garlic cloves
- Rye Bread (really any bread will work, but Rye is traditional)
- Enough Pickle-sized cucumbers to fit your jars.
- optional- hot peppers
- Bring Water to a boil, remove from Heat and add salt.
- Prepare and Slice the cucumbers- chop off both ends, and then cut- traditional is quartered lengthwise without cutting all the way (so that they remain intact) but spears, chips, whatever works.
- Pack the jars- Dill, peppers (if using), garlic, and cucumbers.
- Pour the warm brine into the jar to cover the cucumbers.
- Tuck the bread into the jar and under the lid. The bread creates a barrier from the outside air, adds complex sugars for the ferment, and gives it a unique taste. Make sure to layer the bread to cover any opening.
- Use plastic wrap, a plastic baggie, or cheesecloth to cover the top, and secure with a rubber band. Pierce a few holes if using plastic wrap or plastic baggies. This is to let air escape, but keep the pests out.
- Set outside during the day for 1-4 days, depending on the heat, and let ferment.
- When fermentation is done, scoop out the bread, and store in the fridge. If you want to make sure and get all of the bread, dump the contents into a bowl, repack everything except the brine, and then pour the brine back into the jar through a sieve. The milky yeast is normal at the bottom of the jar.
- Enjoy!
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| The finished product! |
- This pickle turns soft quick. Although I made 4 jars in my pictures, I regretted doing so because I ended up having to use the last pickles for dips and soups. Just make one jar at a time, and enjoy within a week.
- Because I live in Italy, I cannot find Dill anywhere. I'll have to grow it myself for next year. So in this batch (in the pictures) I used parsley instead. Although not bad, it's no substitute for Dill.
- This last batch I also tried to use a grape leaf in the jar to help keep the pickles from going soft (I had read about the technique on the internets), but it didn't seem to help.
- I also used whatever bread I had in the pantry this time- which turned out to be a wheat and a hard white bread. Still turns out a great pickle. :-)
- For more information please visit: One of my Sources
Thank you Cristina. These are exactly like my Grandmothers! I thought the recipe was lost.
ReplyDeleteThank you this is the exact way my mother made them I use to eat a lot when I was younger now I can also make them.
ReplyDeleteThank you this is how my dad use to make it when I was a young child
ReplyDeleteThank you! I dated someone 30 years ago and his mother made these and I never asked her for the recipe. These are fabulous and just like hers! AWESOME!
ReplyDeleteMy gram made these and I do as well, if you add some grape leaves and cherry leaves they will stay green and not go soft not sure which does what but that's how I was taught to make them
ReplyDeleteHI Just a few questions how many pickles to how many jars?? Second do you readd the milky residue to the finished product. And lastly how many pickles fit one jar??
ReplyDeleteHi! I make them similarly. To keep them hard for longer you can put a horseradish in the jar.
ReplyDelete