Malosolnye Cucumbers

Malosolnye Cucumbers (Russian Lightly Salted Cucumbers)

A classic Russian summer preserve: small fresh cucumbers packed with dill, garlic and aromatic leaves, then briefly brined for a day or two. The result is crisp, bright green and gently salty - quicker and milder than fully fermented pickles.

Prep

30 min

Cook

10 min

Total

40 min

Serves

1 litre jar (about 500 g cucumbers)

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •500 g (1 lb 1½ oz) small pickling cucumbers, 3–5 cm (1–2 in) long, firm and fresh
• •1000 ml (4 cups) water, filtered or previously boiled and cooled
• •30 g (1 oz) fine sea salt, non-iodised; about 3% brine
• •1 head fresh dill, one generous bunch, stalks and fronds
• •4 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
• •2 leaves horseradish leaves, or 4–5 blackcurrant leaves; substitute grape leaves if unavailable
• •6 peppercorns black peppercorns, whole
• •1 small hot chilli or red pepper, optional, for a gentle warmth

Steps

1. 1 Wash the cucumbers and trim a thin slice from the blossom end (the end opposite the stem) - this removes enzymes that can soften them. If the cucumbers are more than a day old, soak them in cold water for 2–3 hours first to re-crisp.
2. 2 Make the brine: dissolve the salt in the water (use cool water, not hot, to keep the cucumbers crisp). Stir until fully dissolved.
3. 3 Rinse the dill and shake dry. Peel and lightly crush the garlic cloves. Rinse the horseradish or currant leaves.
4. 4 Pack the cucumbers upright into a clean 1-litre jar or crock, layering them with the dill stalks and fronds, garlic, leaves, peppercorns and optional chilli as you go. Pack snugly but don't crush them.
5. 5 Pour the brine over the cucumbers until completely submerged - they must stay under the liquid. Weight them down with a small plate or a water-filled zip-lock bag so none poke above the surface.
6. 6 Cover loosely (not airtight) and leave at cool room temperature, 18–22°C (64–72°F), out of direct sun.
7. 7 After 12 hours, check: the cucumbers should be a slightly duller green and the brine faintly cloudy. Taste one - it should be lightly salted, still crisp and garlicky.
8. 8 For a classic malosol flavour, they are usually ready at 24–48 hours. Once they taste right to you, transfer the jar to the refrigerator.
9. 9 Safety cue: the brine should smell fresh and pleasantly sour, never foul, slimy or putrid. If anything smells off, discard the batch. Properly made, the cucumbers stay crisp and bright.
10. 10 Keep refrigerated and eat within 5–7 days; malosol cucumbers are a quick pickle, not a long-term preserve, so enjoy them soon.