Pickled Herring
Total Time
Prep: 1 day, 1 hour Cooking: 5 minutes
Servings
3 pints
Cook Time
5 minutes
¼ cup salt
5 cups water, divided
1 pound (about ½ kg) herring fillets
2 cups distilled or white wine vinegar
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon mustard seed
2 teaspoons whole allspice
2 teaspoons black peppercorns
3 bay leaves
3 cloves
1 lemon (thinly sliced, with rind removed; only the flesh should be left)
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
Heat 4 cups of water enough to dissolve salt. Let cool to room temperature.
Submerge the herring fillets in the brine and refrigerate overnight, or up to 24 hours.
24 hours
Meanwhile, bring the sugar, vinegar, the remaining cup of water and all the spices to a boil. Simmer 5 minutes, then turn off the heat and let this steep until cool.
5 minutes
When the herring have brined, layer them in a glass jar with the sliced lemon and red onion. Divide the spices between your containers if you are using more than one.
Pour over the cooled pickling liquid and seal the jars. Wait at least a day before eating. Store in the fridge for up to 1 month.