Pickled Cucumbers
My husband makes me laugh, he loves pickles, he loves them a lot. Two of my kids are just like him, they absolutely adore pickles, so you will always find a jar of pickles in my fridge, and I mean always. So whilst on holidays recently my husband saw this recipe in the newspaper, took a photo of it and sent it to me, so I could try and make it. Now I am always happy to try something new, so I gave it a go.
They are really good, nice and crunchy and taste great. I am not the greatest fan of pickles, but these ones I do like, a lot. I absolutely love this in a sandwich, where my husband and kids can eat it straight out of the jar.
It is really important to rinse the cucumbers well after the salting step, if you don't they are too salty to eat, so make sure you follow the instructions properly.
I find the longer they sit once made, the better they are. So although you can eat them the next day, they are better after a week, they get better over time.
They are really good, nice and crunchy and taste great. I am not the greatest fan of pickles, but these ones I do like, a lot. I absolutely love this in a sandwich, where my husband and kids can eat it straight out of the jar.
It is really important to rinse the cucumbers well after the salting step, if you don't they are too salty to eat, so make sure you follow the instructions properly.
I find the longer they sit once made, the better they are. So although you can eat them the next day, they are better after a week, they get better over time.
Recipe
You will get 3 x 500ml jars of pickled cucumbers
1kg Lebanese cucumbers
1 brown onion, peeled, finely sliced
1 long red chilli, sliced
70g table salt
300ml cider vinegar
200g brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 whole clove
1kg Lebanese cucumbers
1 brown onion, peeled, finely sliced
1 long red chilli, sliced
70g table salt
300ml cider vinegar
200g brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 whole clove
Wash and slice the cucumbers in 1/2cm thick rounds. Place in a large glass bowl. Add the onion, chilli and salt and toss together. Cover the bowl with cling film and place in the refrigerator to marinade for 3 hours.
Now this is an important step: Remove the cucumbers from the fridge and wash the cucumber mixture under cold running water at least 3 times, or until they are no longer salty. Drain in a colander and set aside.
In a saucepan (big enough to fit all the cucumbers in) add the sugar, vinegar and all the spices. Place over a medium heat and bring the mixture to a simmer. Add the drained cucumber mixture. Stir the cucumbers into the vinegar and cook for 5-8 minutes or until the cucumber is cooked but still crunchy.
Sterilise your preserving jars and add the hot cucumbers (when preserving you should add hot ingredients to a hot jar). Seal and leave to cool. Once cooled store in the cupboard (I actually put it straight in the fridge). They can be eaten the next day, but I prefer them after 3-4 days, they get better over time. Once you open a jar, keep it in the refrigerator.
Enjoy!