Quick & easy spicy pickled cucumbers
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Quick pickling methods like this taste great, are healthy to eat, and simple to make.

I tend to make quick pickles using sliced up cucumbers or other vegetables when I don’t have enough to ferment all in one hit. Sometimes there aren’t enough small cucumbers to make a jar or crock but a few sliced up can go a long way using this method!

Chilli Bread and Butter Pickles

Quick & easy spicy pickled cucumbers
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Prep Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Course Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack
Servings 1 litre or pint
Calories 1111 kcal

Equipment

  • bowl
  • plate or weight
  • saucepan
  • jar

Ingredients
  

  • 3 cucumbers no bigger than 10cm- small & dense is best
  • 1 onion
  • 1 long chilli (hot pepper) medium to hot
  • 1 tsp mustard seed
  • 1 tsp turmeric powdered
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 cups apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup cooking salt
  • 10 cubes of ice
  • 1 bowl cold water

Instructions
 

  • Slice cucumbers nice and thin, about 1 or 2 millimetres maximum. Also, slice the onion into nice thin slithers. Chop the chilli roughly into pieces.
  • Place some cold water in a bowl with the salt and stir to combine/dissolve well. Add the ice-cubes, the sliced cucumber, and onion then weigh them down with a plate (or something) to keep the cucumbers/onion under the water. Leave sit for about 3 hours to let the cold brine firm up and salt the cucumber slices.
  • After 3 hours, strain the sliced cucumber and onion then rinse quickly under some fresh water to wash off excess brine (don't over rinse).
  • In a saucepan combine the vinegar, sugar, mustard seed, turmeric, chili, and the cucumber/onions. Stir and mix well over a medium heat.
  • After about 5-10 minutes and just BEFORE the pickle blend begins to boil, remove from the heat and package into a large jar that has been recently sterilised. Note: Boiling or overcooking the pickle will make it go soggy.
  • Place the lid on and let the jar cool on the bench top then store in the fridge. The pickles are best eaten after about a week but can be eaten the next day and will keep in the fridge for several weeks once opened.

Notes

You should have plenty of liquid in this recipe to cover the cucumber in the jar but if you need more liquid, make up a separate batch or vinegar and sugar and pour over as a top up.
You can scale up this recipe by increasing the amount of ingredients. Some people like to add more or less vinegar or sugar to their liking – I encourage you to experiment!
You can also add garlic or dill or other herbs and spices to enhance flavour if you feel adventurous.
Why “bread and butter” pickles? Because they go great with bread and butter!

Nutrition

Calories: 1111kcalCarbohydrates: 252gProtein: 8gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 28410mgPotassium: 2108mgFiber: 9gSugar: 233gVitamin A: 661IUVitamin C: 39mgCalcium: 401mgIron: 6mg
Keyword pickling, cucumbers, pickles
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