How to pickle cucumber

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How to pickle cucumber

14 March 2016

How to pickle cucumber

Cucumber pickles make a great side dish to all sorts of cured fish, sandwiches and cold meats to name but a few. They are really easy to make and will keep for upwards of a month in the fridge. Great as part of a picnic or barbecue in the summer, homemade pickles are much tastier than the shop-bought variety, and as you get to control the sugar content they are better for the health conscious among us.

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

  • 1 cucumber
  • 200ml of white wine vinegar
  • 200ml of water
  • 50g of sugar
  • 1 tsp sea salt
1
Thinly slice the cucumber to a thickness of 2 mm
2
Combine the sliced cucumber and salt in a bowl, toss well then leave to stand for 30 minutes
3
Dissolve the sugar in the vinegar and water by warming slightly then leave to cool
4
Drain off the liquid and brush off any excess salt from the cucumbers, then transfer to a bowl or jar and cover with the sugar and vinegar solution
5
Cover and transfer to the fridge for at least three hours before serving, preferably overnight

Variations

Try adding other flavours to the pickling liquor, such as traditional herbs and spices. You could also try adding chilli or ginger for a warming kick – mustard, coriander and celery seeds also work well.

Serving suggestions

Robert Thompson adds juniper and bay leaves to his pickled cucumber, alongside a ceviche of Cornish mackerel with a light horseradish cream, while Georgina Fuggle slices her cucumber into ribbons to accompany her sesame salmon and sticky coconut rice. For something a little different, try Sean Rankin’s canapé, where he mixes pickled cucumber through homemade taramasalata.

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