Easy Pickled Cucumber Recipe with Fennel Flowers - Moral Fibres

Prep Time:15

Cook Time:10

Total Time:2 10

Ingredients

3 cucumbers
3 fennel flower heads (approximately)
500 ml cider vinegar
400 ml white wine vinegar
120 ml water
4 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
1 teaspoons peppercorns
6 garlic cloves finely sliced
2-3 tablespoons salt

Instructions

Slice the ends off your cucumbers and discard, then slice the cucumbers into coins, roughly 1.5cm thick.
Sprinkle salt on a plate and cover the plate with one layer of cucumber slices. Sprinkle salt on top of that layer then add another layer of cucumber on top. Continue salting and layering your cucumber until all of your cucumber has been salted. I ended up using two plates. Leave for two hours to macerate.
Whilst you are waiting on your cucumbers to macerate, make the pickling brine. To do this, simply add the vinegars, water, sugar, garlic slices, mustard seeds and peppercorns to a pot and heat gently over a low heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Once you've done this leave this mixture to cool.
After about 1 hour and forty minutes sterilise your jars and lids.
Once your two hours are up rinse the salted cucumbers and pat dry with a clean tea towel.
Place the cucumbers into your jars and evenly divide the fennel flowers between the jars. Pour the brine over the cucumbers and fennel, leaving half a centimetre from the lid of the jar. Seal and leave in a cool dark place for 48 hours at the absolute least, but preferably a week. The longer you leave it the greater the taste, so patience really is a virtue!
The jars should keep for around 3 months unopened. If you want you can place your sealed jars in a bath of boiling water for 5 minutes to process them - this should mean they will keep for around a year, unopened. They do soften a bit using this method, so it depends on whether you prefer your cucumbers with a bit of crunch or not.
Once opened, keep your pickles in the fridge and use within a fortnight.

Servings: 6 jars