Fermented Cucumber – recipe

kovászos uborka
Sausage with potatoes and kovászos uborka

Kovászos uborka, or koviubi (slang) is the favorite fermented vegetable in the summer in Hungary. It is best with grilled meats, sausages, but also nice with fried chicken or fish. No need to buy pickled vegetables in the supermarket, when the weather is hot, sun is shining, it is the perfect time to prepare your cucumber! This refreshing vegetable does not need vinegar for the preparation, it uses the yeast from the slices of bread on top for the fermentation process. So let’s see!

Kovászos uborka in a mason jar
Kovászos uborka in a mason jar

Fermented Cucumber (Kovászos Uborka)


2 kgs small cucumber (10-15 cm long ones)

2 packs of fresh dill

2,5 l water

2 tablespoons of salt

5-6 garlic cloves

2 slices of white bread (made with yeast)

  1. Boil the water with the salt, and let it cool down. Wash the cucumbers (I ususally scrub them with a brush a little), and cut both edges. Cut the cucumbers inwards, but not to the end, so it does not fall apart. You can do this from both sides, so the salty water completely pervades the cucumbers .
  2. Place one bucket of dill on the bottom of a 5-liter mason jar, and add 2-3 garlic cloves as well.
  3. Put the cucumber standing on top of the dill, one by one. It is easier if you smash the bottle a little, so they stand tight next to each other. Place the next level of cucumbers on the first row, and cover the whole with the dill and more garlic.
  4. Pour the cooled water over the cucumber, and place the slices of bread on top. The bread should reach the edges of the mason jar, cover the cucumbers totally, and soaked in the salty water. Cover with a plate.
  5. Place the mason jar at a hot place outside, but not right under the sun. The liquid may run out of the jar while boiling, make sure that the bread is always soaked, so add some water if needed. Fermentation process lasts for 2-4 days, it is up to the weather, the hotter the sooner your cucumber is ready.

The perfect fermented cucumber is sour, yet crunchy. You can keep it fresh in a clean jar, covered with the fermentation liquid for 2-3 weeks in the fridge.

Bon appetite!