Khiar shoor
Khiar shoor (خیارشور): small Persian cucumbers in garlic and dill brine
Khiar shoor, salty cucumber, is the pickle that turns up in every Iranian sandwich shop: sliced into olivieh and kalbas rolls in Tehran, eaten whole beside a plate of polo, or offered from a jar with bread and cheese. Small, firm Persian cucumbers are packed upright with garlic, dill, tarragon and chilli, then covered with a vinegar-sharpened brine. They are ready in about ten days and stay snappy for months. Chef's tip: pickle the cucumbers within a day of buying them; even a few days in the fridge makes them hollow inside.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 16
Ingredients
For the jar
For the brine
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Soak the 2 ¼ lb small Persian or pickling cucumbers in iced water for 30 minutes so they are crisp, then scrub and trim a thin slice off the blossom end (the end opposite the stalk), which holds enzymes that soften pickles.
30 minStep 2: Bring the 3 ¼ cups water, ¾ cup white vinegar (at least 5% acidity) and 1 ⅜ oz non-iodised salt to the boil in a pan, stirring until the salt dissolves. Take off the heat and let it cool to lukewarm.
10 minStep 3: Put half the 0.5 bunch fresh dill, 4 cloves garlic, 2 sprigs fresh tarragon and the 3 small dried red chillies, 1 tsp black peppercorns, 1 tsp coriander seeds and 2 bay leaves into a clean 1.5-litre jar. Stand the cucumbers upright, packing them in tightly, then tuck the remaining 0.5 bunch fresh dill, 4 cloves garlic and 2 sprigs fresh tarragon over the top.
10 minStep 4: Pour in the brine to cover everything by 1 cm and weigh the cucumbers down. Common mistake: using iodised or table salt with anti-caking agents, which clouds the brine and gives a bitter edge.
3 minStep 5: Close and leave at cool room temperature for 7–10 days. They are ready when the cucumbers have turned olive-green all the way through when cut and taste sour-salty to the centre. Refrigerate afterwards; they keep 3 months.
0 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 10 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 2 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does khiar shoor take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 5 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 16 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of small persian or pickling cucumbers?
- Courgette, same weight (in salads, use young ones).
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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