Pickled Herring
A comforting dish built around herring fillets and whole allspice — roughly 65 minutes start to finish, and rated medium to make. Scroll down for the ingredient checklist, a serving scaler and unit converter, and the method broken into 7 steps.
You'll mainly reach for saucepan and pan. At medium difficulty across 7 steps, it's manageable with a little attention. As written, it's pescatarian — fish but no meat.
What you'll need
Shopping list (2)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
Diet: contains fish or shellfish, no meat, based on every ingredient listed below.
Contains: Fish Mustard
Allergen labels are informational and may not cover cross-contact; verify every package and consult a qualified professional for medical dietary needs. Diet labels are derived from the ingredient list on this page — how we verify diet and allergen labels.
Food-safety and allergen information is general, not medical advice. Follow current guidance from your local food-safety authority, verify product labels, and seek qualified advice for allergies or health conditions.
How to make it
- Rinse the herring fillets under cold water, then dissolve the salt in the 2 cups of water to make a brine, submerge the fillets, cover, and refrigerate for 12 hours to draw out blood and firm the flesh.
- Drain the herring, rinse well under cold running water, and cut into bite-sized pieces.
- In a saucepan, combine the white wine vinegar, sugar, mustard seed, allspice and peppercorns with 1/2 cup water, then bring to a gentle simmer, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
- Remove the pickling liquid from the heat and let it cool completely to room temperature so it does not cook the fish.
- Thinly slice the onion and layer it with the herring pieces in a clean glass jar or container.
- Pour the cooled pickling liquid over the fish and onion until fully submerged, then seal and refrigerate for at least 48 hours before eating so the flavors develop.
- Keep refrigerated and consume within 1 week, serving cold on rye bread or with boiled potatoes.
You'll use: Saucepan · Pan · Large pot
Ingredient substitutions
- White Wine
- chicken or vegetable stock + 1 tsp vinegar
Tips & common questions
How long does Pickled Herring take to make?
About 65 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 7 steps and 9 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of white wine?
Try chicken or vegetable stock + 1 tsp vinegar. See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
How should I store leftovers?
Cool leftovers quickly, refrigerate in an airtight container, and eat within 3 days. Reheat until piping hot throughout.
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Adapted recipe — rewritten in our own wording from an open-licensed community cookbook, not yet independently kitchen-tested by Consomee. How we source, test & correct recipes.
Pickled Herring is adapted by Consomee from the Wikibooks Cookbook, rewritten in our own wording and used under CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo: Pickled herring (Poznan).JPG by MOs810, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure — how we source recipes.