Overview
This is well worth the time. Great on a sandwich or burger. This came about from a failed attempt at crunchy bread & butter pickles.
Time
The cook time is quick, but there’s hours of waiting in the preparation and cooling.
Ingredients
4 continental cucumbers (or equivalent in Lebanese cucumbers), trimmed, thinly sliced with a mandolin
2 brown onions, thinly sliced with a mandolin
2 long red chilies, thinly sliced with a mandolin
6 TB kosher salt
3 cups white vinegar
2 ½ cups white sugar
1 TB yellow mustard seeds
4-5 bay leaves
1 ts coriander seeds
1 ts dill seeds
2 – 4 sprigs of fresh dill, roughly chopped
½ ts turmeric powder
½ ts cinnamon stick
½ ts ground cloves
2 ts cracked black peppercorns
Equipment
Make sure there are plenty of sterile jars on hand for storage.
Method
1 – Place the cucumbers, onions and chilies in a bowl tossed with the Kosher salt. Cover with Glad wrap and refrigerate for 2-3 hours, tossing every 30-45 minutes.
2 – Place the cucumber mixture in a colander and place under the tap for 6-8 minutes, rotating frequently. Remove excess water by blotting with paper towels.
3 – In a large saucepan, combine the other ingredients. Bring to the boil, then add the cucumber mixture. Once it returns to a simmer, cook for 2 minutes.
4 – Remove the bay leaves, and transfer to a Thermomix (or blender), leaving as much liquid as possible behind. Blitz for 4-5 seconds on high.
5 – Transfer the mixture into storage jars, adding enough liquid if needed to cover the vegetables. Close the jars to the finger tight stage and allow to cool.
6 – Store in a cool, dark place.