I have a beautiful cooking and gardening book by Stephanie Alexander called kitchen garden companion.
This year I found myself with over 10 kilos of cucumber - yikes how on earth am I going to use all those cucumber?? Well in my trusty book Stephanie has a recipe for bread and butter pickles from her sister and I would like to share it with you!
I made this recipe times 5, so it is very easy to multiply if you have had as many cucumbers as i have.
500 mls freshly picked young cucumbers unpeeled and sliced very finely
1 large onion very thinly sliced
1 1/2 tbs salt
1/4 hot water
Pickling liquid:
1C white vinegar
1C white sugar
2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp chopped dill
1/4tsp ground turmeric
1 fresh long chili (her recipe calls for 1/4tsp dried chili flakes)
Mix cucumbers and onion in a bowl. Dissolve salt in hot water in a stainless-steal sauce pan over medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon until completely dissolved, then pour this mixture over cucumber and onion mixture. Mix thoroughly and leave for 3 hours, rinse saucepan.
Tip cucumber and onion into a colander resting over a plate or bowl. Press with back of spoon to extract as much liquid as possible.
To make pickling liquid, mix all ingredients together in rinsed out saucepan. bring to simmer over medium heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Tip the cucumber and onion into pickling liquid and simmer for 2-3 minutes, stirring once or twice. Remove from heat and leave to cool in the saucepan, then spoon into sterilized jars, ensuring the cucumber mixture is covered with pickling liquid. Seal, label and date the pickle.
source: http://homesweetkitchengarden.blogspot.com/2012/04/cucumber-glut-homemade-pickles.html
