Pickled Cucumbers

As regular readers will be aware, I am a big fan of pickled cucumbers.  And I make them often, especially in summer.  My recipe here is just a guide really, as you can spice 'em up however you like.  Add more or less sugar or spices ...

You can also just make a cold brine - i.e. - don't bother to heat it up, just pour it over the cukes in the jar and give it a good shake.  And let sit for a few days before eating.  But I do find the hot brine gives a tiny heads-up, in the taste department.

For some reason, this recipe reminds me of a day in Budapest, where Mr P. and I were wandering around the city looking for a café.  A young fellow came up to us in the street, offering pale green bullhorn chillies.  I'm not sure if we were meant to pay for them.  So we took one!  In fact, there was usually one on every plate of food we had in Budapest.  Pale and mild, and very light green in colour.  But kinda weird, just hanging out on the plate, or with your sandwich ...

ready!

Makes 1 big (I used a 680g./24 oz) jar:

ingredients:

2 Lebanese cucumbers     see Notes 

Hot Brine:

200 mL/7 oz apple cider vinegar (or vinegar of your choice)

100 mL/3.5 oz water

1/4 tsp coriander seeds

3 bay leaves

1/4 tsp mountain pepperberries

1/4 tsp chilli flakes

1/4 tsp peppercorns

1/4 tsp cummin seeds

1.5 tsp yellow mustard seeds

1/2 tsp brown mustard seeds

1/8 tsp caraway seeds

2 Tbs dark brown sugar  (add more if you like it sweeter)

1-2 tsp sea salt flakes

2-3 garlic cloves, unpeeled, and lightly smashed

1/4 tsp allspice berries

1/4 tsp red chilli flakes  (optional)

For the jar:

add 3-4 dried red chillies to the jar before sealing (optional) and 

2 tsp lemon juice 

Method:

Peel your cukes (or not, as you please), and slice into thin discs

Put aside while you make the hot brine

Put the brine ingredients into a medium saucepan, give it all a good stir, let it come to a boil, then simmer it for a few minutes

Place the cukes into a sterilised glass jar, pour over the hot brine, add the extra chillies if using, and the lemon juice to spritz it up  see Notes

Seal the jar and put away into the fridge once cooled

Will last for a couple of weeks in the fridge

Notes:

My cukes were about 16 cm/6.3 inches long; their combined weight ranged from 340g./12 oz to 440g./15.5 oz (I made them several times, and the weight was a bit different each time)

If your jar isn't quite full with brine, just add a bit more water and/or vinegar to cover all the cukes!  Or on the other hand, if not enough cuke slices, add a few more :=)

gather your ingredients

peel and slice the cukes

fill up your jar

stir the brine, and let it simmer

pour the hot brine over the cucumber slices

ready to sit for a few days before eating

done!

you can add some sliced radishes if you fancy too, as I sometimes do

c. Sherry M.