BREAD & BUTTER PICKLED CUCUMBERS

This is a recipe from the cookbook Lantern Cookery Classics by Stephanie Alexander, and I have to say that they are delicious! They are a little sweet, sour and slightly spicy.

Ingredients

500g freshly picked young cucumbers, unpeeled

1 onion (about 200g) very thinly sliced

1 1/2 tablespoons kitchen salt

1/4 cup (60ml) hot water

Pickling liquid

1 cup (250ml) apple cider vinegar

1 cup (220g) white sugar

2 teaspoons mustard seeds

1 teaspoon chopped dill or tarragon

1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/4 teaspoon chilli flakes

Method

Slice the cucumbers very thinly in a food processor using the slicing attachment or with a mandoline. Mix the cucumber and onion in a mixing bowl. Dissolve salt in hot water in a stainless-steel saucepan over medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon until completely dissolved, then pour over cucumber mixture. Mix through and leave for 3 hours. Rinse the saucepan.

Tip the cucumber and onion into a colander resting over a bowl. Press with the back of a large metal spoon to extract as much liquid as possible.

To make the pickling liquid, mix all ingredients in the rinsed-out saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved.

Tip the cucumber and onion into the pickling liquid.

Simmer for 2-3 minutes, stirring once or twice.

Remove from the heat and leave to cool in the saucepan

Spoon or ladle into sterilized jars, ensuring the cucumber mixture is covered with pickling liquid.

Seal, label and date the jars. (Store unopened jars in a cool, dark place for up to a year. Once opened, store in the refrigerator.

Makes 2 jars of 250ml each.

Note:

To sterilize the jars, follow the tips below:

SAFETY TIPS

Make sure you follow these important safety tips when sterilizing your glass jars in the microwave:

Always make sure your jars are cleaned before you sterilize them.
Never put metal in the microwave! It’s very dangerous and could burn the appliance. So, be sure to remove all lids from your jars before placing them in the microwave. Lids can be sterilized in boiling water for 3 minutes.
Clip top kilner jars aren’t suitable for microwave sterilizing, as they have a rubber seal.
Take care when removing your jars from the microwave. Always use oven gloves.

HOW TO STERILIZE JARS IN THE MICROWAVE

Prepare a clean area to store your jars when they come out of the oven. Putting hot glass jars on a cold surface could shatter them, while other surfaces could be scorched by the hot jars. Use a wooden chopping board or clean tea towels.
Remove the lids and wash your jars and lids thoroughly using hot soapy soapy water. It’s important that all germs are removed before the sterilizing process. Be sure to rinse both your jars and lids thoroughly, to remove any soap suds. Sterilize your lids in boiling water for 3 minutes – not in the microwave.
Place the wet jars in the microwave. The amount of jars you can sterilize at one time depends on the size of your microwave – normally around 2 to 4 jars at a time.
Heat the jars on full power for 45 to 60 seconds.
Carefully remove the sterilized jars from the microwave using your oven gloves. Set them down, upside down, on your pre-prepared surface and allow them to cool slightly.
You can leave them for up to an hour before filling with your chosen preserve.

Comments

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