Welcome to one of the most cherished tastes of an Eastern European summer: Malosolnye Ogurtsy! These lightly salted, quick-pickled cucumbers are a true seasonal delight, traditionally made to celebrate the first cucumber harvest. Unlike their fully fermented cousins, these pickles are all about freshness, crunch, and a vibrant flavor profile of garlic and dill. The 'in-a-bag' method is a modern, no-fuss twist on a classic, making it incredibly easy to enjoy these delicious pickles in just a few hours. Get ready to capture the essence of summer in a jar... or in this case, a bag!
Quick pickled cucumbers with garlic and dill in a bag
Ingredients for Quick Pickled Cucumbers with Garlic and Dill in a Bag
- 600 g fresh cucumbers
- 2 cloves of garlic
- a small bunch of dill
- 2 teaspoons coarse sea salt
How to Make Quick Pickled Cucumbers with Garlic and Dill in a Bag
I don't specifically sort cucumbers by size for pickling, but it's better if they are roughly the same size.
First, we cut off the ends. Second, we take a fork and score the cucumbers lengthwise around the entire perimeter.
With a sharp knife, slice the garlic into thin, almost transparent slices.
I don’t specifically sort cucumbers by size for pickling, but it’s better if they are roughly the same size. Cucumbers of the same thickness will pickle evenly. It’s best to use a fresh harvest, so they are crunchy straight from the garden. If you bought them at a market, leave them in a bowl of cold, filtered water for a few hours.
Wash the cucumbers thoroughly. For quick pickling, you need to create certain conditions. First, cut off the ends. Second, take a fork and score the cucumbers lengthwise around the entire perimeter. The salt will penetrate better through the ends and the scored grooves than through the intact cucumber skin.
Peel the garlic cloves. With a sharp knife, slice the garlic into thin, almost transparent slices. This recipe uses young garlic; if you have older cloves, cut them in half, remove the sprout, and chop the garlic finely.
Chop the dill fronds finely, leave the stems whole, they will also be useful for aroma, then you can discard them.
Strip the fronds from the dill stems. Chop the fronds finely, but leave the stems whole—they are also great for aroma and can be discarded later.
Place the prepared cucumbers, sliced garlic, dill fronds, and stems into a sturdy plastic bag with a lock.
Pour coarse sea salt directly into the bag.
Close the bag, shake it well, and gently massage it.
Place the prepared cucumbers, sliced garlic, dill fronds, and stems into a sturdy plastic bag with a lock.
Pour coarse sea salt directly into the bag. The large, sharp salt crystals will act like an abrasive scrub.
Seal the bag, shake it well, and gently massage it. As you do this, juice will be released, and the salt will “bite” into the cucumbers, creating a flavorful brine without any added water. By the way, you can grate one less-than-perfect cucumber and add it to the bag to create more brine.
The pickling process varies depending on the desired result. If left for a day at room temperature, fermentation will begin, and they will be like fermented pickles.
Leave the bag with cucumbers at room temperature for a few hours, then move it to the refrigerator. The pickling process varies depending on the desired result. If you leave it for a day at room temperature, fermentation will begin, and they will taste like kvashenye ogurtsy (fermented pickles). If you put it in the refrigerator right away, the taste will be completely different, more like a fresh salad. In any case, they are ready in 24 hours!
The quick pickled cucumbers with garlic and dill in a bag turned out so delicious that we had to immediately fry some new potatoes and have our first summer lunch on the shaded veranda.
These malosolnye ogurtsy (lightly salted, quick-pickled cucumbers) with garlic and dill in a bag turned out so delicious that we had to immediately fry some new potatoes and have our first summer lunch on the shaded veranda. They are so tasty you might forget about meat! But if you’ve marinated some shashlyk (skewered and grilled meat, similar to kebabs), these quick pickles are the best side dish for it!
And there you have it—crisp, aromatic, and incredibly refreshing quick pickles, ready to elevate any meal! These Malosolnye Ogurtsy are fantastic served chilled alongside grilled meats, with creamy new potatoes, or simply as a standalone snack. Don't be afraid to experiment by adding a few black peppercorns, a bay leaf, or even a chili flake for a bit of heat. Enjoy this simple, traditional recipe that brings a burst of summer freshness to your table. We hope you love every crunchy bite!
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