Pickled Herring Recipe: How to Make Pickled Herring

Pickled herring is a salty preserved fish dish made by soaking herring fillets in a pickling liquid consisting of vinegar, sugar, and a variety of whole spices. Herring, which is an aquatic animal in the Clupeidae family of fish, are native to bodies of temperate water around the world but are particularly prominent in the cuisine of northern European and Scandinavian countries like Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. Herring is rich with Omega-3 fatty acids and has an oily, sardine-like flavor. Given the quick-spoiling nature of fresh herring, it is most commonly smoked, salt-packed, or pickled to extend its shelf life.

This pickled herring recipe pairs the bold flavors of black peppercorns, allspice, and mustard seed with a white vinegar and sugar brine to offset the pungent flavor of this rich, fatty fish. Pickled herring is most traditionally served with rye bread or rye crackers on platters consisting of ingredients like butter, hard-boiled eggs, potatoes, horseradish, sour cream, and a variety of sliced vegetables.

You may be a little reticent about pickling a fish for the first time, but the process is fairly simple. However, there are a few tips you can follow to make sure that your pickled herring turns out the best that it possibly can.

1. 1. Use salted fish, or make your own brine. While pre-salted herring is most commonly used to make pickled herring, you can also use fresh herring soaked in a brine of your own making. If your fish doesn’t come pre-salted, add ¼ cup of Kosher salt to your overnight water bath to infuse your fish with a pleasant savory flavor.
2. 2. Experiment with your brine ratio. The ratio of sugar, vinegar, and water in this brine can be altered depending on your personal preferences. Increase the amount of vinegar for a more tangy, acidic pickled fish, or up the sugar quantity to mellow out the acidity.
3. 3. Sterilize your jars. To make sure your pickled fish is safe to eat, make sure your canning jars or Mason jars are washed thoroughly and sterilized prior before you use them to pickle your fish. Glass jars can be sterilized by soaking them in boiling water for 10 minutes before transferring to a clean cloth to dry completely.
4. 4. Change up your ingredients. Different kinds of vinegars and spices, like allspice, coriander, and dill, are traditional spice choices for pickled herring. Feel free to play around with different vinegars, whole spices, and herbs to create new flavor profiles for your fish.