BREAD AND BUTTER PICKLES
“Vroeg in die kombuis op koue oggend! Ek het hierdie piekels vir die eerste keer by ‘n kwekery se teetuin geëet en moes dit self probeer maak. Die basiese resep kom vanaf die It’s not complicated webwerf, maar ek het my eie aanpassings gemaak. Nou om vir paar dae te wag voordat ek kan proe! Daar was ekstra sous oor wat ek in botteltjie in yskas hou om hoender filette in te marineer. WAARSKUWING: Dis ‘n Australiaanse resep. Een eetlepel = 20 ml of vier teelepels.”
- 400 g baby/pickling cucumbers, see notes (I used small seedless cucumbers)
- 1 medium brown/yellow onion
- 1½ tablespoons coarse salt (see notes)
- 1 cup (250 ml) apple cider vinegar (see notes)
- 1 cup (225 g) sugar (I used castor sugar as it dissolves quicker)
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 2 teaspoons yellow mustard seeds (I only had black mustard seeds)
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon caraway seeds
Sterilise the jar or jars you will be using to store the pickles. Choose glass jars with an airtight, metal lid and ensure they have been washed by hand in hot soapy water and then rinsed well. Check that the metal lids do not have rubber inserts.
Preheat the oven to 130 °C (270 °F) and place the jars in the oven for 15 – 20 minutes. (I sterilised the jars in my convection microwave oven for eight minutes).
Wash and dry the cucumbers. Remove the top and end of each cucumber.
Thinly slice the cucumbers – approximately ½ cm thick.
Peel a brown onion, and remove the tip and root end. Cut the onion in half, and thinly slice it into half-moons.
In a large bowl, add the cucumbers, onion and salt. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and place in the fridge for four hours (I left it in the fridge overnight).
Tip the cucumbers and onions into a colander and drain the excess liquid.
In a non-reactive pan, place the vinegar, sugar, turmeric, coriander and mustard seeds. On a medium heat, stir to dissolve the sugar.
Once the sugar is dissolved, simmer the liquid for three minutes.
Remove the saucepan from the heat, and add the cucumbers and onions to the pickling liquid, and allow them to sit in the saucepan for five minutes.
Pour the pickles and liquid into the sterilised jars and seal. Cool the jars on your kitchen bench before refrigerating.
Once cool, the pickles are ready to consume. The flavours will develop further in 24 – 48 hours.
Notes:
These Bread and Butter Pickles are simple to prepare and a great addition to so many meals! Try it with burgers, meat sandwiches, and grilled meats.
I have used baby Lebanese Cucumbers in this recipe. Baby/pickling cucumbers are best to use for the size and crispness.
Ensure you use cooking salt or coarse sea salt, as regular table salt may contain caking agents and is much stronger.
The Australian tablespoon is 20 ml or four teaspoons. In most other countries the tablespoon is 15 ml or 3 teaspoons. Please adjust your measurements accordingly.
I have used apple cider vinegar in this recipe; however, you can also use distilled white vinegar.
Non-reactive saucepans are those which are ceramic, stainless steel, glass or enamelled cookware. Copper, iron and aluminium pans are reactive. Acidic foods, such as lemons, may take on a metallic taste and discolour if cooked in such pans.
Note:
The extra pickling liquid I bottle and use to marinade chicken in. It’s similar to brine, just sweeter, and makes chicken juicy and soft.
These pickles are perfect on hamburgers, sandwiches with chicken, roast or cold meats, and, of course, on a cheese platter.
Plasing en foto: Elsabie Templeton
