Pickled Herring

Pickled Herring

It simply is not a holiday in Sweden without pickled herring! It’s a staple at every Easter, Midsummer, and Christmas celebration.

The hardest part of making pickled herring is actually finding herring fillets to pickle. Herring is so ubiquitous in the Nordics, I never realized how hard it was to find in other countries until I was trying to find some in Los Angeles. Already pickled herring can be found at Jewish delis and some large grocery stores, but to pickle myself? Very difficult.

That being said, if you are in the Nordics, it’s very easy to find! I use this one from Abba. Fun fact: Abba the fish company predates ABBA the band! And yes, there was a lawsuit about the band stealing the fish company’s name.

The recipe below comes straight from the back of the herring package, with no modifications. Why fix what is not broken? Make sure you buy “inläggningssill,” which is herring that needs to be pickled. “5 minuters sill” is already pickled and is for you to flavor.

The pickling liquid comes together really quickly, and you don’t have to be too fussy about how you cut the onion, carrot, and dill. Small pieces are recommended to extract the most flavor, but you do you. It’s best to use whole spices, and don’t skip any—they are all important for that classic pickled herring flavor! Once jarred, it can last for several weeks in the refrigerator.

Pickled Herring

Pickled Herring

Ingredients

  • 1 small carrot
  • 1 small red onion
  • ½ bunch fresh dill
  • 50 g ättika 12% distilled white vinegar
  • 150 g water
  • 100 g sugar
  • 5 whole white peppercorns
  • 5 whole black peppercorns
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 5 whole cloves
  • 5 whole allspice
  • 1 package of herring about 200g of skinless herring fillets

Instructions

  • Boil together the water, sugar, vinegar, and spices just until the sugar melts.
  • Cool the mixture in the fridge until cold.
  • Chop the carrot and red onion into small pieces.
  • Finely chop the dill.
  • Rinse the herring and cut it into bite-sized pieces.
  • Once the pickling liquid is cool, begin layering the fish, vegetables, and dill in clean jars.
  • Create thin layers, similar to making lasagna, alternating between fish, vegetables, and dill.
  • Once the jar is full, pour in the pickling liquid, including the whole spices.
  • Ensure the spices are sitting in the jar with the fish.
  • Place the jars in the fridge and let infuse for at least 48 hours before serving.