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Close-up view of pickled herring with onion and spices in open jar.
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Polish Pickled Herring Recipe

This pickled herring is lightly spiced and not too vinegary, perfect as an appetizer whatever the occasion. It’s incredibly simple to put together and made using a handful of ingredients.
Course Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine European, Polish
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 3 days
Total Time 3 days 30 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Calories 122kcal
Author Monika Dabrowski

Ingredients

  • 14.11 ounces salt herring approx. 4 fillets
  • 1 large onion finely sliced
  • 1¼ cups water plus more for soaking the herring
  • 6 tablespoons malt vinegar
  • 12 black peppercorns
  • 4 allspice berries
  • 4 cloves
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Remove the herring fillets from the brine, rinse then place in a bowl, cover completely with fresh water and soak for 20 minutes to remove excess salt.
  • In the meantime prepare the pickling mixture. Place the onion, spices, sugar and 300 ml of water in a saucepan.
  • Cover and bring to the boil then simmer gently for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool completely. Once cooled pour in the vinegar and stir.
  • Remove the herring from the water, rinse again then pat dry with a paper towel. Cut each fillet into 3 or 4 pieces.
  • To assemble the recipe place a few pieces of the herring (3-5) at the bottom of your jar and cover with a spoonful of the onion mixture (without the liquid for now). Add another layer of the herring followed by the onion and continue until all the ingredients have been added (I had 4 layers of each).
  • Pour in the pickling liquid then gently poke around the jar with a fork to remove any air bubbles. Close the jar and refrigerate for 3 days before serving.

Notes

  • I do not recommend soaking the herring in water for too long as this might remove a lot of its flavour along with the salt as well as make it too soft. The herring should still be a little salty and firm before adding the pickling mixture.
  • Cool the pickling mixture completely before combining with the herring.
  • Pickle the herring for 3 days before serving.
  • Keep refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.
  • Herring in vinegar is not suitable for freezing.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 122kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 64mg | Potassium: 250mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 65IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 1mg