Sure-fire way to make tasty pickled cucumbers

Hinterland Homesteading by Racheal Pascoe

Have you got cucumbers coming out of your ears? Maybe you could think about pickling some of them? This is a sure-fire way to pickle them quickly, so they are ready to be enjoyed in no time at all. Cucumbers make a great addition to salads, which we are all enjoying at this time of year. If you don’t have any cucumbers growing at present, maybe you could buy a couple of cucumbers from the fruit shop and give this tasty recipe a go!

INGREDIENTS
• 2 fresh cucumbers
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• 2 shallots, white part only 
• 1.5 teaspoons salt 
• 2/3 cup white wine vinegar

METHOD 
• Slice your cucumbers into 3mm slices.
• Layer them in a large jar, with a little dill and mustard seeds if you like the flavours.
• Add some sliced shallots and keep layering the ingredients, pressing down everything until your jar is full.
• Add the salt and vinegar.
• Top the jar up with cold water to cover the ingredients.
• Screw the lid on tightly.
• Refrigerate for at least 8 hours before enjoying. These will store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

NB: Increase or decrease the dill, mustard seeds and onion to suit your family’s tastes.

 HOW TO ENJOY
How to enjoy pickles … serve them as a side to almost any dish, pop them in a burger, top any salad. They make a sandwich really pop with flavour.

Canning pickles to have a long storage life requires a lot of time and equipment. This method above is a really wonderful way to quickly deal with a glut of your fresh produce, so your family and friends can be enjoying them in no time at all.