Danish Asier Pickles Recipe: Classic Pickled Cucumbers

Danish Asier pickles made with ripe cucumbers, brown sugar, and warm spices. A sweet, spiced canning recipe perfect for large, overripe garden cucumbers.

If you’ve ever pulled a few oversized cucumbers from the garden—yellowing, seedy, and too mature for fresh slices—you’re in luck. Those large, ripe cucumbers are ideal for Danish Asier Pickles. This traditional Scandinavian recipe turns hefty garden cukes into tender, sweet, and warmly spiced pickles that make excellent accompaniments to roast meats, cheeses, and rye open-faced sandwiches.

Asier pickles are chunky cucumber preserves in a tangy, sweet brine flavored with spices like turmeric, mustard seed, and ginger. The method is straightforward: a salt pre-soak to draw out excess moisture and firm the texture, followed by a brief simmer in a brown-sugar-sweetened vinegar syrup. The result is a classic, aromatic pickle with balanced sweetness and warmth.

Ingredients for Danish Asier Pickles

This recipe is similar to American “Sunshine Pickles” but uses brown sugar for a richer flavor. Adapted from traditional canning sources, it’s ideal for fully mature cucumbers that have begun to yellow and developed large seeds.

Pre-Soak:

• 3 1/4 lbs ripe cucumbers, peeled and seeded (about 3 large)
• 1/4 cup pickling salt

Pickling Brine:

• 3 cups cider vinegar (5% acidity)
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp celery seeds
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger

Peel and seed fully mature cucumbers before cutting them into chunky 3/4- to 1-inch cubes. The pickling salt used for the overnight soak helps draw off excess moisture and preserves a firm texture so the cucumber pieces absorb the brine without turning soggy.

Cider vinegar gives a mild, slightly fruity tang; white vinegar can be used if you prefer a sharper vinegar flavor. Brown sugar deepens the syrup’s flavor while white sugar keeps the sweetness bright. The combination of spices creates the characteristic warm, aromatic profile of Asier pickles.

How to Make Danish Asier Pickles

This is a two-day recipe: an overnight salt soak followed by a quick cook and canning on day two.

Day 1 – Prep and Salt Soak

Peel the cucumbers, cut them in half lengthwise, scoop out the large seeds, then slice into strips and chop into 3/4- to 1-inch chunks. Toss the pieces with 1/4 cup pickling salt in a non-reactive bowl. Cover and let sit overnight at room temperature. The salt will draw out excess water and help firm the cucumbers.

Day 2 – Rinse and Pickle

Drain and rinse the salted cucumbers thoroughly to remove excess salt, then allow them to drain while you prepare the brine.

In a large saucepan, combine the cider vinegar, both sugars, and all spices. Bring to a rolling boil, stirring until the sugars dissolve. Add the drained cucumber chunks and bring the pot back to a boil for 1 minute, then remove from heat.

Pack the hot cucumbers into sterilized canning jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Pour the hot brine over the pieces so they are fully covered, keeping the 1/2 inch headspace. Remove any air bubbles, wipe rims clean, and seal with lids and rings. Process in a boiling water bath canner: 10 minutes for pint jars, 15 minutes for quart jars. Allow jars to cool undisturbed for 12–24 hours before checking seals.

These pickles are tasty right away but develop their best flavor after a couple of weeks. Store sealed jars in a cool, dark place; once opened, refrigerate and use within a reasonable time.

Canning Altitude Adjustments

Because water boils at lower temperatures at higher elevations, increase processing times as follows:

• 0 to 1,000 feet – Process pints 10 minutes, quarts 15 minutes.
• 1,001 to 6,000 feet – Process pints 15 minutes, quarts 20 minutes.
• Above 6,001 feet – Process pints 20 minutes, quarts 25 minutes.

Danish Asier Pickles

Traditional Danish Asier pickles made from overripe cucumbers, sweetened with brown sugar and spiced with turmeric and ginger. A classic way to use large garden cukes.

Servings: 30 (Makes 4 to 5 pints)

Prep: 8 hrs | Cook: 10 mins | Canning Time: 10 mins | Total: 8 hrs 20 mins

Ripe Cucumber Recipes

If you want more ways to use oversized cucumbers, try other traditional pickling recipes that work well with mature garden cukes, such as Russian Bear Claw Pickles, Vermont Cucumber “Tongue” Pickles, Dutch Pickles, Ruth’s Pickles from the American South, German Senfgurken (mustard pickles), and Sunshine Pickles.