Got myself in a right pickle!

Yesterday had a bit of a pickle-y afternoon.

I made Not-Quite-Nigella's cucumber pickle - which has a bit of an asian influence.. (left of above picture)

Then I made my favourite pickle - bread and butter pickled cucumbers. (right of above picture)

When I was little, my grandfather used to make these in huge quantities and when cucumbers were in season, I would look forward to devouring my very own maxwell house coffee jar volume (I reckon at least a litre!) which I would eat almost half of before we'd even got home. It's a very fond memory.

Then at the last couple of months of my pregnancy with Laura and Olivia I had an insatiable craving for water crackers with cream cheese and bread and butter pickle. I would seriously eat a packet of crackers, half a tub of cheese and 3/4 jar of pickles a day. It was insane. I still love them!

Ingredients (Makes 2 litres)

1.2kg of cucumbers, sliced into 5mm thickness slices, no ends included.

400 grams white or spring onions, sliced thinly

1/4 cup of non-iodised salt (I found this in coles - it's called 'salt flakes' has no anti-caking agent or iodine - this discolours the pickle)

1 1/4 cup of white vinegar

1 cup of apple cider vinegar

2 1/4 cups white sugar

1 tb mustard seeds

3/4 tsp celery salt

1tsp cinnamon or break the end off a cinnamon stick

1/2 tsp allspice

6 cloves

1/2 tsp tumeric

Method

In a large container (I used a casserole dish!) mix the cucumber and onion and salt. Put into the fridge for 1 hour.

Mix remaining ingredients in a stockpot and bring to the boil until sugar is dissolved

Mix in the cucumbers, onions and salt, simmer up to a boil and then store in jars/pic-a-deli in the fridge.

If you want to store these as preserves or give as gifts - sterilise your preserve jars by boiling in hot water (rubber seals off of course!) for 10 minutes, then dry in oven on teatowel upon baking tray in 110deg c oven for 15 minutes... put in hot mixture and seal immediately.

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