Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs Matjes herring fillets, skinless
  • 1/2 cup coarse sea salt
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 cups spirit vinegar
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced into rings
  • 2 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced into rounds
  • 10 whole allspice berries
  • 5 whole black peppercorns
  • 3 dried bay leaves

Instructions:

  1. Mix 1/2 cup sea salt and 1/4 cup sugar in a glass dish. Note: This creates the curing bed.
  2. Lay Matjes herring fillets in a single layer over the salt, then cover with more salt and sugar. Repeat until all 2 lbs of fish are covered.
  3. Cover the dish and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours until the fillets feel firm to the touch.
  4. Remove the fish and rinse them thoroughly under cold running water. Pat them completely dry with paper towels and cut into 2 cm wide pieces.
  5. In your saucepan, combine 2 cups spirit vinegar, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup water, 10 allspice berries, 5 peppercorns, and 3 bay leaves.
  6. Simmer the mixture for 10 minutes until the sugar dissolves and the liquid bubbles.
  7. Stir in the sliced onions and carrots, then remove from heat. Let the brine cool for 15 minutes.
  8. Pack the cured fish into glass jars and pour the brine and vegetables over the Pickled Herring.
  9. Seal the jars and refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours until the flavors fully merge.