I’m not sure whether Pickled Gherkins with Mustard Seeds are something special from Germany and our neighboring countries or not. Probably not quite… but I also don’t think you can find them everywhere in the world. Many people will probably never have heard of them ;P We love these pickled gherkins a lot here – the perfect snack or side for a classic »German Abendbrot«. I guess that makes me very German ;P
Pickled gherkins with mustard seeds aren’t really a trendy or viral snack that generates millions of clicks on TikTok. No pickled gherkins challenges, no hybrid snacks like Chocolate Chip Cookie Croissants made with pickled gherkins. They are just not everyone’s cup of tea, I guess ;)
Well… a few people will probably drool at the sight of pickled gherkins – most people won’t. I really like them. I am particularly proud of my homemade pickled gherkins with mustard seeds here! I tried making them for the first time last year and did everything myself… and they turned out so good! Not just in my opinion – everyone who tried the gherkins thought so too. I have to admit I did not give them to many people because I have a problem sharing stuff like that… but those few people were happy with the results ;)
Last year I also made regular pickled gherkins for the first time. For that recipe, I could actually use some homegrown gherkins we grew on our terrace. Unfortunately, that was not the case here – nothing homegrown in these glass jars here. For the pickled gherkins with mustard seeds, you need big gherkins. Not sure what they are called in English, tbh. We call those big ones »Schmorgurken« which translates to »braising cucumbers«? I don’t know. Those are just too big for our little pots on the terrace.
These »Schmorgurken« are actually a lot bigger than the small gherkins you use for pickled gherkins. The small ones normally have a nice green color – the big ones you should use for this recipe here are mostly greenish-yellowish. The skin of the big ones is quite thick and is removed before you start the pickling process. You could eat the skin, I guess, but who wants to chew on something that feels like leather, right?! ;P For this recipe you only want the firm flesh of the »Schmorgurken« – also no seeds and all that gunk ;)
In Germany, we also have a few recipes where you fry those »Schmorgurken« – I guess that’s where the name comes from. You can find them as a side dish swimming in a creamy sauce or prepared like a stew with minced meat or fish. Unfortunately, hardly anyone is serving them anymore. Haven’t seen a single restaurant in Berlin serving something like that in the past few years.
Anyway. You came here for the pickled gherkins, I assume, so let’s get to the recipe. It’s a quite simple recipe. No fancy ingredients, it’s all stuff you should be able to find in pretty much every German supermarket. The spices are also not fancy nor expensive – you should be able to save (or even make) some coins if you got extra cucumbers in your garden. Pickle them and sell them to your friends and family! ;P
One more tip I think is important: clean everything you work with very well! It’s a general rule when you do homemade stuff you want to store it for a longer period of time. Clean and sterile glass jars are very important! Boil them in water for about 10 minutes and all bacteria and other gunk should be gone. Nobody wants to go to the trouble of growing and pickling veggies just to discover that mold has formed when you open the glass jars after a few weeks.
As mentioned above, I have also successfully pickled delicious gherkins – those are perfect for sandwiches or just as a snack. You can actually make a lot of other canned goods at home instead of buying them from the supermarket. Delicious Arugula Pesto, for example, or a Homemade Tomato Sauce for pizza or pasta.
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
(3 glass jars with screw caps)
35 oz. (1kg) Schmorgurken (cucumbers for braising)
2 tsp. salt
1 red onion, in rings or wedges
1-2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
2-3 tbsp. dill, chopped
6.8 fl. oz. (200ml) white wine vinegar
13.5 fl. oz. (400ml) water
2 tbsp. sugar
2-3 tbsp. mustard seeds
1 tsp. peppercorns
some dried thyme
some allspice (optional)
1 tbsp. honey
(3 Gläser mit Schraubdeckel)
1 kg Schmorgurken
2 TL Salz
1 rote Zwiebel, in Ringen oder Spalten
1-2 Knoblauchzehen, in feinen Scheiben
2-3 EL Dill, gehackt
200ml Weißweinessig
400ml Wasser
2 EL Zucker
2-3 EL Senfkörner
1 TL Pfefferkörner
etwas getrockneter Thymian
etwas Piment (optional)
1 EL Honig
DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
1. Peel the cucumber(s) and cut them into small pieces. It’s up to you how big you want them and what shape they should have. I recommend removing the soft parts of the cucumbers with the seeds. Place the cucumber pieces in a large pot, sprinkle with the salt, mix everything well, cover, and let them sit for about 2 hours.
2. While the cucumbers are losing some of their moisture due to the salt, sterilize the glass jars* (with screw caps). Cook them in boiling water for some time is probably easiest here.
3. Peel the onion and cut it into rings or wedges. Peel the garlic as well and cut into fine slices. Distribute evenly between the glass jars, as well as the chopped dill.
4. Add vinegar, water, sugar, mustard seeds, pepper, thyme, and allspice (optional) to the pot with the cucumber pieces. Bring everything to a boil, then reduce the heat slightly and let the cucumbers simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the honey.
5. Divide the cucumber pieces evenly among the glass jars. Fill the glasses to the brim with the hot liquid from the pot. Close the glass jars with the lids, turn them upside down, and let them cool down completely.
6. Store the glass jars with the pickled cucumbers in a cool, dark place for at least 2-4 weeks so the cucumbers can marinate properly. If you worked cleanly, the unopened cucumbers will stay good for at least 6 months. Once opened, store in the fridge and use within 4-6 weeks.
1. Die Gurken schälen und in kleine Stücke schneiden. Wie groß oder welche Form die Stücke haben, bleibt jedem selbst überlassen. Ich empfehle, das weiche Innere mit den Samen zu entfernen. Die Gurkenstücke in einen großen Topf geben, mit dem Salz bestreuen, alles gut vermengen, abdecken und für etwa 2 Stunden ziehen lassen.
2. Während die Gurken ziehen, die Einmachgläser* (mit Schraubverschluss) desinfizieren – kurz in kochendes Wasser legen, ist hier wohl am einfachsten.
3. Die Zwiebel schälen und in Ringe oder Spalten schneiden. Den Knoblauch ebenfalls schälen und in feine Scheiben schneiden. Zusammen mit dem Dill auf den Gläser verteilen.
4. Essig, Wasser, Zucker, Senfkörner, Pfeffer, Thymian und Piment (optional) zu den Gurkenstücken im Topf dazugeben und erhitzen. Alles einmal aufkochen lassen, dann Hitzezufuhr etwas reduzieren und für etwa 5 Minuten köcheln lassen. Dann den Topf vom Herd ziehen und den Honig unterrühren.
5. Die Gurkenstücke auf die Gläser verteilen und dann mit dem heißen Sud aus dem Topf auffüllen. Achtet darauf, dass die Gewürze gleichmäßig verteilt werden und die Gläser möglichst randvoll sind. Die Gläser mit den Deckeln verschließen, umdrehen und auf dem Kopf stehend abkühlen lassen.
6. Die abgekühlten Gurkengläser für mindestens 2-4 Wochen an einem kühlen und dunklen Ort stehen lassen, damit die Gurken gut durchziehen können. Wenn sauber gearbeitet wurde, halten die ungeöffneten Gurken mindestens 6 Monate – nach dem Öffnen im Kühlschrank aufbewahren und innerhalb von 4-6 Wochen aufbrauchen.
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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
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Pickled Gherkins with Mustard Seeds
- Prep Time: 00:10
- Cook Time: 00:05
- Total Time: 02:15
- Yield: 3 1x
- Category: Homemade
- Cuisine: Germany
- Diet: Vegan
Description
One of my favorite snacks for an easy dinner with sandwiches: Pickled Gherkins with Mustard Seeds. Easy to make at home if you got the right cucumbers at hand.
Ingredients
35 oz. (1kg) Schmorgurken (cucumbers for braising)
2 tsp. salt
1 red onion, in rings or wedges
1–2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
2–3 tbsp. dill, chopped
6.8 fl. oz. (200ml) white wine vinegar
13.5 fl. oz. (400ml) water
2 tbsp. sugar
2–3 tbsp. mustard seeds
1 tsp. peppercorns
some dried thyme
some allspice (optional)
1 tbsp. honey
Instructions
1. Peel the cucumber(s) and cut them into small pieces. It’s up to you how big you want them and what shape they should have. I recommend removing the soft parts of the cucumbers with the seeds. Place the cucumber pieces in a large pot, sprinkle with the salt, mix everything well, cover, and let them sit for about 2 hours.
2. While the cucumbers are losing some of their moisture due to the salt, sterilize the glass jars* (with screw caps). Cook them in boiling water for some time is probably easiest here.
3. Peel the onion and cut it into rings or wedges. Peel the garlic as well and cut into fine slices. Distribute evenly between the glass jars, as well as the chopped dill.
4. Add vinegar, water, sugar, mustard seeds, pepper, thyme, and allspice (optional) to the pot with the cucumber pieces. Bring everything to a boil, then reduce the heat slightly and let the cucumbers simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the honey.
5. Divide the cucumber pieces evenly among the glass jars. Fill the glasses to the brim with the hot liquid from the pot. Close the glass jars with the lids, turn them upside down, and let them cool down completely.
6. Store the glass jars with the pickled cucumbers in a cool, dark place for at least 2-4 weeks so the cucumbers can marinate properly. If you worked cleanly, the unopened cucumbers will stay good for at least 6 months. Once opened, store in the fridge and use within 4-6 weeks.
Notes
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I love my job, but in between I love to bake and try new things in the kitchen. A lot of my friends and colleagues encourage me to bake - for a very simple reason: they get the leftovers - and it seems they like it most of the time ;) 
