History
Kruszewo has grown cucumbers for generations, and after the war it became a cucumber heartland. From 1965 to 1989 the pickling plant of the “Witamina” cooperative from Białystok operated here, and in the 1970s the cucumbers were exported to Western Europe. The barrels were soaked for several days in the river so that the wood would swell tight, and then sunk in ponds along the Narew. In 2000 the village received a coat of arms with a cucumber, hence the name. Since 1999 it has hosted Cucumber Day. The cucumber has been on the list since 2005.
Recipe
Pickled cucumbers in jars
Ingredients
- 2 kg small field cucumbers (5–12 cm)
- 2 l boiled and cooled water
- 60 g non-iodised rock salt (about 2 level tablespoons per 1 l)
- 4 dill umbels with stalks
- 8 garlic cloves
- 4 pieces of horseradish root
- cherry, oak or horseradish leaves (for crunch)
Method
- Scrub the cucumbers with a brush and soak them for 2 hours in cold water so they stay firm.
- Put the leaves, horseradish, garlic and dill in the bottom of scalded jars.
- Pack the cucumbers in upright, tightly. Lay a dill umbel on top.
- Dissolve the salt in the water and pour over the cucumbers so they are completely covered.
- Screw the lids on not too tightly and keep for 3–5 days at room temperature, on a tray, as they may leak.
- When the brine turns cloudy and the cucumbers change to an olive colour, move them to a cellar or the fridge. They are lightly salted (małosolne) after just 2–3 days.
Where to taste and buy
Best of all, come for Cucumber Day in Kruszewo, and in summer buy cucumbers straight from farmers in the area.
Description based on the entry in the Ministry of Agriculture's List of Traditional Products. The quantities in the recipe are our own suggestion for the home kitchen. Product sheet on gov.pl →
Stay in Klejniki
Most of these flavours are within an hour's drive of our house. A kitchen with a wood-fired range is waiting, in case you feel like baking something.
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