8 ways to deliciously pickle herring at home

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Secrets of making delicious homemade herring and time-tested salting recipes: in brine or without, with lemon or mustard, with vinegar or oil, in the Dutch way or by the express method.

What you need to know before salt herring

1. For home salting, chilled Atlantic or Pacific herring is best suited.
2. We have a separate infographic on how to choose fish. Study it carefully and in no case buy a herring without a head or fins. Often they are cut to hide product spoilage. It is better to take a whole fish and cut it yourself if necessary.
3. Frozen fish should not be defrosted in the microwave or placed in warm water. Defrosting should be natural: place the herring on a plate and refrigerate until thawed.
4. Do not use iodized or too fine salt for pickling herring. The first distorts the taste, and the second is easy to overdo.

How to pickle herring in a brine with spices

This is the classic way. Ideal for pickling whole herring.

Ingredients

• 2 herring;
• 1 liter of water;
• 2 tablespoons of salt;
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 3-4 bay leaves;
• black peppercorns, allspice and cloves - to taste.

Preparation

Remove gills from fish; they can make the marinade bitter. It is not necessary to gut and peel the herring. You can simply rinse and dry with paper towels.

Boil water. Add salt, sugar and spices. Let it simmer for 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

Get a plastic container or enamel pot with a lid. Put the herring there and cover with cooled brine. If the brine does not completely cover the fish, use oppression. Otherwise, you will have to turn the herring from time to time.

Let stand for 3 hours at room temperature, then refrigerate. After 48 hours, you can try.

How to dry salt herring

Another way to salt the herring whole, but without water.

Ingredients

• 1 herring;
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper.

Preparation

The fish must be rinsed. If desired, cut off the head and remove the entrails.

Combine salt, sugar and pepper. Rub the mixture over the fish and wrap it in plastic wrap or seal it in a plastic bag. Place on a plate and refrigerate for 2 days.

How to pickle herring with mustard

Another way of salting whole herring. Mustard gives fish not only a special taste, but also makes it firm and elastic.

Ingredients

• 2 herring;
• 1 liter of water;
• 3 tablespoons of salt;
• 2 tablespoons of sugar;
• 1 tablespoon dry mustard
• 5 bay leaves;
• 10 black peppercorns.

Preparation

Rinse the fish. Sometimes the herring is kept in cold water for 30-40 minutes to make it juicier. If you leave the fish's head, be sure to remove the gills.

Prepare the brine: put salt, sugar, bay leaf and black peppercorns into boiling water. After 3 minutes, remove from heat and cool.

Pour the herring with cooled brine. Sprinkle with mustard, put under pressure and hold for 2-3 hours at room temperature. Then put it in the refrigerator for another two days.

How to salt herring pieces in oil

For this method, the herring must be cut into pieces 2-3 centimeters thick.

Ingredients

• 1 herring;
• 1 large onion;
• 6 tablespoons of vegetable oil;
• 3 tablespoons of salt.

Preparation

Cut the peeled herring into pieces, and the onion into half rings. Layer fish and onions in a glass jar or clear plastic container. Sprinkle each layer with salt.

At the end, fill everything with odorless vegetable oil. Close the jar with a lid. Leave the herring in the refrigerator for 1, 5–2 days.

How to pickle herring with vinegar and onions

According to this recipe, herring is obtained as preserves. Therefore, it is better to immediately get rid of giblets and fins and cut the fish into thin pieces.

Ingredients

• 1 herring;
• 1 onion;
• 700 ml of water;
• 3 tablespoons of salt;
• 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil;
• 1 tablespoon 9 percent vinegar
• 2 bay leaves;
• 8 black peppercorns.

Preparation

Dissolve the salt in 500 ml of water. Put prepared fish in saline solution and leave for an hour and a half.

Drain and transfer the herring mixed with onions and spices to a bowl where the fish will marinate. Dissolve the vinegar in a glass of water and pour over the herring. Then add vegetable oil.

Close the container with a lid and put it in the refrigerator. After a day, you can take a sample.

How to pickle herring with lemon

In this way, it is better to salt fillets whole or cut into pieces. The herring is tender and very aromatic.

Ingredients

• 1 herring;
• 1 lemon;
• 2 tablespoons of salt;
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 5 bay leaves;
• 15 peas of allspice.

Preparation

Wash and cut the lemon into thin slices. Butcher and chop the herring.

Put fish and lemon in layers in a glass jar or plastic container, sprinkling everything with salt and spices. Cover with a smaller plate and place something heavy on top.

Refrigerate for 24 hours. Then stir and wait another day. Then serve.

Make for a holiday?

Lavash roll with fish and potatoes

How to salt herring in Dutch

This recipe makes a ready-made snack. Only a piece of Borodino bread can complement it.

Ingredients

• 2 herring;
• 2 medium onions;
• 1 small carrot;
• 1 lemon;
• 3 tablespoons of salt;
• 6 tablespoons of sugar;
• 10 bay leaves;
• 10 black peppercorns.

Preparation

Wash the lemon and cut into slices. Peel and grate the carrots. Peel the onion and cut into rings.

Put herring fillets, onions, carrots, bay leaves, peppercorns and lemon slices in layers in a glass jar. Sprinkle everything with salt and sugar. Alternate layers until you run out of ingredients. Close the jar with a lid and refrigerate for 48 hours.

When serving, you can pour vegetable oil over the herring.

Experiment?

Forshmak

How to pickle herring in 2 hours

This recipe will help out if the guests are already on the doorstep, and there is nothing to treat them with.

Ingredients

• 1 herring;
• 1 onion;
• 500 ml of water;
• 2 tablespoons of salt;
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 bay leaves;
• a bunch of dill;
• table vinegar and vegetable oil to taste.

Preparation

Fillet the herring. Dissolve salt and sugar in hot water. Cool it down. Place the fish in a glass dish and cover with brine. Add bay leaves and chopped dill.

After an hour and a half, drain the brine, add the onion chopped in half rings and fill the herring with vinegar and vegetable oil. After another half hour, the fish can be served at the table.

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