New Green Cucumber.
Do you remember going to Waterloo Street back in the late 1950’s where there were always barrels of smaltz herring, and Pickled cucumbers. My father used to make New Green cucumbers in enamel buckets, stored in the garage before they were decanted into Kilner jars to be served with nearly every meal.
Although we can buy pickled cucumbers so easily nowadays there is nothing quite like pickling our own new green cucumbers.
Ingredients makes 4 Jars.
1 kilo cucumbers, either large cut or baby cucumbers
90 grams sea salt crystals
For pickling solution
750 ml white distilled vinegar
100 grams sugar
1.5 tablespoons pickling spices.
½ teaspoon mustard seeds
4 bay leaves
1 tablespoon peppercorns (black)
½ teaspoon chilli flakes
Plus
1 bunch fresh dill
1 head of garlic peeled.
Method
Cut cucumbers into chunks or spears whatever your preference, layer with the coarse crystal sea salt in a large bowl, cover and leave overnight.
In the morning drain away the brine, then rinse.
To make the pickling vinegar, pour in all the vinegar and sugar, adding pickling spices, chilli flake, peppercorns bay leaves and let it dissolve, and bring to a simmer.
Place the cucumber in the jars with fresh garlic cloves in between the chunks or spears, along with the fresh dill, pour over the vinegar solution making sure you distribute the spices between all jars, seal the jars.
After two weeks they are ready to eat. They can be kept in a fridge once opened for another month.