Sweet Cucumber Pickle
This recipe is excellent for the long-term storing of cucumbers. It’s sweet and tangy, with a good crunch, and is delicious eaten with potato salad, cold meat and pates and in Cheddar cheese sandwiches. I am addicted to this and make loads. It stores for up to a year.
For 5 small jars:
3 large cucumbers
- 2 onions
- 50g salt
- 600ml white wine vinegar or distilled white vinegar
- 450g granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon celery seeds
- 5 cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
Peel the cucumbers and cut lengthways into thinnish sticks about 6-7cm long and about 0.5cm deep and 1.5cm wide.
Thinly slice the onions into half moons. Put the cucumber and onions into a large mixing bowl and sprinkle with salt. Cover this with a weighted plate and leave for 2-3 hours.
Rinse the cucumber and onion in cold water, and then let stand to drain. While they are draining, put all the remaining ingredients into a saucepan and stir over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Add the cucumber and onion, bring to the boil and simmer for 1 minute.
Remove from the heat and lift the cucumber and onion out of the liquid. Put into warm sterilised jars.
Return the liquid to the heat and boil rapidly for at least 10 minutes to reduce it. Pour the liquid over cucumber in the jars and cover. Keep in the fridge once open.
This recipe appears on p.197 of Sarah Raven’s Garden Cookbook
