Persian Pickles Recipe

Persian pickles (Khiar Shoor, dilled pickles, خیارشور) is Persian style pickled cucumber. The main difference between a Persian cucumber pickle and other pickles is that it doesn’t have a sweet taste. Most other cucumber pickles have a sweet taste, while Persian Khiar Shoor is salty. Khiar is the Persian word for cucumber, and Shoor means salty in Farsi. It is an excellent choice as a side dish with many foods. And sometimes it is the main ingredient like in Olovieh Salad.

Even in Iran, the unique salty taste of these pickles is only available in a home-made pickled cucumber. Industrial ones usually have more vinegar taste and taste more sour than salty.

Indians were the first people who invented pickles. However, dutches named it as Pekel and exported and introduced it to the world. In the past, mostly sailors used them because they could keep them longer on the ship while traveling. Later, American farmers used this method to keep their harvest for winter. The Jewish people transferred pickled cucumbers from eastern Europe to new york. Nowadays, all over the world in almost every country, people use pickled cucumbers. It is hard to find sandwiches without Khiar Shoor in Iran.

Different types of Persian Pickles:

There are many kinds of industrial pickles available. According to the ingredients they use while preparing cucumber pickles, you can have different flavors. For instance, a recipe can include sugar. Or some methods can consist of cilantro seeds of leek seeds. Moreover, the herbs we add to cucumber can vary. It is even possible to add some vegetables such as tomatoes or celeries.

Important nutrition facts:

Khiar Shoor is a very low-calorie dish that has only 11kcal per 100gr. Since the main ingredient here is cucumber and a lot of liquid water and vinegar, it has a notable amount of water and fiber. It has 94% of water. Khiar Shoor contains useful minerals and vitamins such as potassium, vitamin K, and vitamin C. It has excellent antioxidant features, and it is suitable for people who want to lose weight. However, because of the salt, it contains an extra amount of sodium. It can be harmful and threatening for people with high blood pressure.

Vegetarian tips.

Khiar Shoor is one of those scarce dishes of Persian cuisine that is originally vegetarian. You do not need to change or delete any ingredients to reach a Vegetarian Khiar Shoor. Moreover, if you are vegan, you can use this dish next to your meals with confidence.

Serving style of Persian Pickles:

Iranians serve Khiar Shoor as a side dish next to many foods such as Kotlet or Kookoo. It can be used as the main ingredient in salads like Olovieh Salad. Moreover, it plays a crucial role in making the Persian sandwich taste. Mostly a mix of tomato and cucumber taste and smell can symbolize a sandwich in Iranians’ minds. They serve Persian cucumber pickles with lunch, dinner, and even breakfast. For example, it can make a delightful taste along with omelet.

What are the ingredients?

The main ingredients are cucumbers. It is essential to choose the correct type of cucumber to reach a satisfying Khiar Shoor at the end. Usually, tiny and little cucumbers are the best choices for pickling. Do not cut your cucumbers if they are big. Just try to buy tiny ones in the first place. However, if you have big cucumbers, such as English ones, you can use them. Other ingredients are water, vinegar, which can weather apple vinegar or raisin vinegar, some herbs (mostly dills), and an adequate amount of salt. In Iran, some people use a particular type of salt called pickling salt(نمک ترشی). Some people use herbs’ seeds and peas, too.

Preparation process of Persian Pickles:

To prepare Khiar Shoor, you need to wash, clean, and chop the herbs. Then in the second step, you should boil the vinegar, water, salt, and other spices you are using. You should wait until the liquid cools down. You need proper jars with tight lids. We recommend you to use glass jars. You have to place the cucumbers in the jar and then add other ingredients and cover it with the liquid you had made. It is crucial where and how you keep your jars. For a greener color, it is recommended to keep your jars away from sunlight for a week. Apparently, after 30 days, you can eat your Khiar Shoor.

Recipe:

The preparation time is about 1 hour, and the accruing time is 7-30 days.