Few things smell more like late summer than a kitchen full of jars waiting to be filled. Pickled cucumbers are a pantry classic, and with the right ratio of ingredients they are easier to make than you might think.
Ingredients (for about 4 jars of 720 ml)
2 kg small cucumbers
1 l water
300 ml Kisko spirit vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon coarse salt
a few sprigs of dill
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
2 to 3 bay leaves
Method
Wash the cucumbers well and leave them in cold water overnight. This keeps them crunchy even after the hot brine is added.
[In-text photo: cucumbers packed into jars with dill]
Bring the water, vinegar, sugar and salt to a boil until the sugar and salt dissolve. Pack the cucumbers tightly into clean jars, add the dill, mustard seeds, peppercorns and bay leaves, then pour over the hot brine.
Seal the jars and pasteurise them in a water bath for 10 minutes. Let them cool slowly, wrapped in a blanket.
Tip
Pickles taste best after two to three weeks, once the flavours have fully developed. Store them in a cool, dark place.
