Pickled cucumbers

With the fabulous growing weather we are having here in Victoria – lots of rain and sunshine, there is an abundance of cucumbers. A few years ago I pickled some and they were very tasty so I decided to make some again. I couldn’t find the recipe I used last time so I used this recipe from the internet and made some changes:

INGREDIENTS

  • 2kg cucumber
  • ¼ cup salt
  • 500ml white wine vinegar
  • 500ml water
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
  • 2 Tablespoons peppercorns + chilli flakes

METHOD

  1. Thinly slice the cucumbers
  2. In a saucepan combine the salt, vinegar, water, sugar, cayenne pepper, and mustard seeds. Bring to the boil and stir to allow the sugar and salt to dissolve.
  3. Pack the cucumber into sterilised jars. Layer peppercorns and chilis throughout the cucumber. Make sure you pack the cucumber in quite firmly.
  4. Pour the hot vinegar mixture slowly into the jar, allowing the mixture to seep in between the layers. Tap the jars to help any air bubble escape.
  5. Place the lid on the jar while the mixture is still hot, and allow to cool. Sealing the mixture while hot is very important to preserve the pickles.
  6. Sit the pickles on a shelf for at least a week before opening to allow the flavours to infuse.