Inlagd Sill

Swedish pickled herring in a sweet-sour brine of vinegar, sugar, and whole allspice

Origin: Sweden

From the journey of Allspice.

The Baltic herring built medieval northern Europe, and the pickle jar is what made it keep. Herring was the great protein of the North and Baltic seas, salted in barrels and traded across the whole of northern Europe by the Hanseatic League; the wealth of Lübeck and of the Scanian markets was built on it. Inlagd sill is what became of that trade in the domestic kitchen: salt herring soaked to remove most of the cure, then laid in a brine of vinegar, sugar, and whole spices. The spice mixture is fixed and short. Allspice, white peppercorns, bay, and red onion, with dill in some versions and mustard seed in others. Allspice does the aromatic work, and it is the reason a Swedish pickled herring does not taste like a Dutch or a German one. The technique that matters is the two-stage brine, or rather the fact that the fish is never cooked. It is cured, soaked, and then pickled cold, and the acid does the rest. Getting the soak right is the whole skill: too short and the fish is inedibly salty, too long and it goes flabby and tastes of nothing. It anchors three Swedish tables. Midsommar in June, the julbord at Christmas, and any smörgåsbord worth the name, always served cold with boiled new potatoes, soured cream, chives, sharp cheese, crispbread, and a schnapps. In Sweden the first course of a festive meal is almost always herring, and the rest of the meal follows from it.

Ingredients

Fish

  • 5 whole salt-cured herring fillets, about 600 g

Soaking

  • 1 litre cold water, for soaking

Brine

  • 200 ml white vinegar (12 per cent, or 300 ml of 6 per cent)
  • 200 g caster sugar
  • 300 ml water
  • 2 tbsp allspice berries, whole
  • 1 tbsp white peppercorns
  • 3 whole bay leaves
  • 1 tbsp yellow mustard seeds, optional

Layering

  • 1 whole red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 whole carrot, thinly sliced, optional
  • 3 sprigs fresh dill

Method

  1. Soak the salt herring fillets in cold water in the refrigerator for 8 to 12 hours, changing the water twice.
  2. Drain the fillets, pat dry, and cut into 2 cm pieces on the diagonal.
  3. Bring the vinegar, sugar, and water to the boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves, then simmer for two minutes.
  4. Add the allspice, peppercorns, bay, and mustard seed to the hot brine, take it off the heat, and cool it completely.
  5. Layer the herring in a clean jar or dish with the sliced red onion, carrot if using, and dill.
  6. Pour the cold brine over so everything is submerged, cover, and refrigerate for at least 48 hours and preferably three days.
  7. Serve cold, straight from the jar, with the onion and a few berries.

Notes

Salt-cured herring is sold by Scandinavian, Polish, and Baltic grocers, usually in tubs. Matjes-cured herring is already mild and needs only an hour's soak, or none. Swedish 12 per cent ättika is stronger than ordinary vinegar. If using standard 6 per cent white vinegar, use half again as much and reduce the water. It keeps two to three weeks refrigerated and is best after four or five days. Senapssill is the mustard version and löksill the onion-heavy one; both start from this brine. Serve with boiled new potatoes, soured cream, chives, mature cheese, crispbread, and schnapps, as part of a midsummer or Christmas table.

The Gastrographer

The Gastrographer

Mapping Culinary History

To explore — select an ingredient below.

Journey Point Map Key

Ingredient originTrade or transit route
Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control
© 2026 The Gastrographer. All original research, narratives, and illustrations. All rights reserved.