Not only have I baked up storm (admittedly not all that unusual for me), but I’ve been testing some recipes from a review copy of a fine new cookbook (watch this space), churning out regular meals and whipping up vats of carb-dense food for my only son to take on the weekend of debauchery he has planned to celebrate the completion of his school career. Oh, and I’ve been doing a spot of pickling, too!
A few weeks back I succumbed to temptation and purchased myself some very fine looking preserving jars from a US website called Kaufmann Mercantile. Normally I try quite hard to avoid this kind of extravagance as the guilt I feel from the carbon footprint incurred sucks all the joy from my purchase, but these jars were just so very desirable that I became weak and helpless. Coincidentally, I have been lurking around some of the fantastic US-based canning and preserving blogs that are around. (Try Food in Jars and Canning Jars Etc. to begin with.) They take their preserving seriously over there and offer a wealth of resources, so the advent of the first of the summer produce here in Australia was just what I’d been waiting for.
This recipe for pickled cucumbers is my own adaptation of a Greg Malouf recipe from his glorious book “Turquoise”. I never realised how simple the process was – it’s not rocket science and can be done and dusted in around ten minutes. I considered whether to refrigerate these immediately or to let them begin to ferment a little first. However, Botulism is such an ugly word so I erred on the side of caution and put them straight in the fridge where they will sit for a week or so before I unveil them.
Pickled Cucumbers
Ingredients
- 500 gms small, green cucumbers
- 1 tsp fennel seeds, cracked
- 1 tsp coriander seeds, cracked
- 1 small bulb of fresh fennel, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
- 1/2 cinnamon stick
- 1 cup filtered water
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Prepare your jars by scalding with boiling water, or running through a hot dishwasher cycle, then standing in an oven, preheated to 150C for 10 minutes.
- Wash cucumbers, top and tail them, slice into sticks.
- Place garlic, fennel, and spices into bottom of sterilised jars.
- Pack cucumber sticks in jar, upright, with cinnamon nestled in the middle.
- Bring water, cider vinegar and salt to boil, then pour over cucumber, ensuring it is covered.
- Seal jars, allow to cool, then refrigerate.
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Long live your inner domestic goddess! 🙂 And thank you for the recipes – we’ve planted three Lebanese cucumbers this year, so hopefully we’ll get a glut that will need pickling! 🙂
I am full of admiration for your pickling and canning ventures – botulism scares me off going down that path !!
Oh no, now you’ve done it I want to go to this site immediately to get jars. Your carrots and cucumbers look great. I love these in the fridge for jazzing things up in a hurry
Lovely pickling yarn, it is so very satisfying to pickle things or make a funky chutney and give them to friends. The icing on the cake is if you can grow the `things`in the garden and the go forth and pickle! Your cucumbers are perfect for that….food miles, zero.
I did some of my onions last year with my own chilli, coriander and cumin seeds and cloves, pretty nice. I also used some of my little green tomatoes for a spectacular chutney with similar spices.
Thanks agin for your writings.
Oh, they look so pretty! The B word always scares me a little too, I’ve been doing some research on the CSIRO info and what they recommend before getting too excited.
Let your domestic goddess shine, and I’m always very interested to hear about a fine new cookbook too , love adding to my collection! 🙂
Good work you domestic goddess! Well done.
I hope your youngest is good at keeping in contact because that’s a long time to be away from home. I love your pickling jars and great to see this ‘old school’ kind of cooking back in vogue.
I adore pickled cucumber. I really like those jars although I’ve bought similar ones here 🙂
I do not need more jars, I do not need more jars, I do not need more jars…. oh pickle me in vinegar!… Perhaps I really do?
And just for the record Amanda, I can’t imagine you ever not being a kitchen goddess!
This all seems too easy! And so much easier than the old Canola preserving methods which seemed to involve hours of boiling. I was always terrified if I did it wrong we would all die of botulism!
How long do the pickled vegetables last?
Celia – Good luck with the cucumbers. I’m about to put a couple in up here.
Kate – this is my very first try. If you don’t hear from me again you’ll know why.
Tania – Thanks, I’m quite pleased with how they look.
Grant – your chutney sounds very good. Care to share the recipe?
Bec – I like to keep the goddess in check. Like I said, I don’t want to create expectations.
Lizzy – thanks!
Charlie – My baby appears to have settled into her new home very nicely and is not at all homesick – yet.
Lorraine – I’ve not seen the jars here, but I haven’t been hunting for them.
Brydie – They are really quite fine looking jars.
Louise – I’m told the vinegar makes it too acidic for nasties to grow, but I don’t think they will last more than a week or two once opened. That’s why I used the smaller jars.
Those pickles look wonderful. Go domestic goddess!!
They look splendid! Love the idea of pickled carrots, might have to do that one next. I think the vinegar has to be certain level of acidity too, we’ve been experimenting with making our own vinegar from the glut of apples this year and I think ours isn’t high enough in acid to use for pickling though it does make a fine salad dressing, marinade addition etc etc.
Homemade pickles are so good! Looks delicious!
Food Sage – thanks for the encouragement!
Joanna – yesterday I was given a bottle of local apple cider vinegar & I’m looking forward to experimenting with it.
Melanie – thanks. We’ll find out how good they are this week.
Both your pickled cucumbers and spiced carrots look amazing! I don’t think jars like this are ever extravagant, as you can use them over and over and save veges from spoiling.