Finnish-Style Pickled Cucumbers for Winter
With rich flavor and long shelf life - perfect! Finnish-style pickled cucumbers for winter are a wonderful homemade preserve from sliced cucumbers. They are incredibly tasty, aromatic, and crunchy. Even overgrown cucumbers can be used for this recipe. Highly recommended!
Updated : 20 August, 2025
Easy
More than 1 hour.
Ingredients
1 kilograms
Cucumber
1 liter
Water
12 grams
Mustard
3
Laurel leaf
100 grams
Sugar
50 grams
Salt
100 milliliters
Vinegar
Table
Table of volume measurements:
- teaspoon - 5 ml
- dessert spoon - 10 ml
- tablespoon - 20 ml
- glass - 200 ml
Preparation
Step 1
Choose firm, medium-sized cucumbers.
Step 2
Soak cucumbers in cold water for 2-3 hours. This guarantees they will stay crunchy after pickling. After soaking, rinse them well under cold running water.
Step 3
Start preparing the jars 10-20 minutes before soaking ends. Sterilize them using any convenient method - in the oven (250°F / 120°C for 15 minutes), with steam, or in the microwave. I usually just pour boiling water into the jars, placing a spoon inside to prevent cracking.
Step 4
Trim the ends of the cucumbers and cut them into 1-1.2 inch (2-3 cm) pieces.
Step 5
For the marinade, combine in a pot: cold filtered water, mustard seeds, salt, bay leaves, and sugar. Bring to a boil, then add vinegar. Put the sliced cucumbers into the marinade.
Step 6
Bring to a boil again and cook the cucumbers in the marinade for 5-7 minutes on medium heat, stirring a couple of times.
Step 7
After this time, cucumbers will change color from green to olive. That means they are ready.
Step 8
Using a sterile spoon, place the cucumbers into sterilized jars and pour hot marinade to the brim. Add one bay leaf from the marinade into each jar.
Step 9
Seal jars tightly with sterilized lids. Turn upside down, cover with a warm blanket, and leave until completely cooled.
Step 10
Store Finnish-style pickled cucumbers for winter in a dark, cool place: pantry, cellar, or even a kitchen cabinet. This recipe makes about three 0.5-liter (pint-size) jars. Enjoy your preserves!