Pickled Cucumbers

Since this is my first real How-To please go easy on me and I will try my best to explain it well. So today I decided to pickle my cucumbers. I thought that since I am not going to have a mountain of cucumbers I will pickle what I have now while the cucumbers are still in season and pretty cheap so that during winter I have cucumbers. Now the recipe is one my family has always used, but its not really a family recipe, many many years ago my father found it in a book, but don't ask me which book.

Pickled Cucumbers:

• 3L water
• 1L white vinegar
• 3/4 cups course salt
• pickling spice 
• cucumbers
• onions (Optional)
• 4-6 (500-750ml) jars

First thing you need to do is the most important. you need to fill a large pot with water and sterilize your jars in rolling boiling water for 3-5min. Lids as well

While your jars are boiling. In another pot add the 3L water, vinegar,  salt and pickling spice. (This pickling spice I bought in a box already mixed, but its a mixture of :Pepper corns, mustard seeds, dill seeds, coriander seeds, bay leaves and crushed chilli) bring this mixture to a boil. The pickling spice will colour the water a slight yellow that's when the brine is ready.

 

You can cut up the cucumber how ever you wish, you can even peel it if you want to, I just slices mine in rounds and left the peel on. If you like pickled onions you can also slice up some onions and add it to your jars.

 

Once everything is ready place the cucumbers and onion inside the jars and top with the brine till almost full. and that's it. You have to leave it at least a month before its good to eat  but its at its best after 3 months. This will make about 4-6 jars if there is any brine left simple pour it into an empty jar and store when you have something more you want to pickle simply re-boil and pickle.

I only had enough cucumbers for 3 jars so I have quiet a bit of brine left over (Should have halved the recipe) but now its there for the next lot of cucumbers.