This cucumber pickle recipe is a great way of “storing” cucumbers for the winter.

Ingredients:

• 4 cucumbers
• 3 onions, peeled
• 50g of salt
• 570ml of white wine vinegar
• 450g of soft brown sugar
• ½ level tsp each of ground turmeric and ground cloves
• 1 tbsp of mustard seed

Directions:

Slice the cucumber and onions thinly, then layer them in a large bowl, seasoning each layer.  Weigh down with a plate and stand for three hours.  Pour away the liquid and rinse the vegetables.

Put the vinegar, sugar and spices in a saucepan and stir over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved.  Add the cucumber and onions to the saucepan and bring to the boil.  Boil for a few minutes then remove the veg and continue to boil syrup for 20 minutes.

Fill sterilised jars with veg and when syrup is ready pour it over the vegetables.  Cover, label and store the jars.

Related: Broad Bean Hummus

Michael Kelly is a freelance journalist, author and founder of GIY Ireland.  We are trying to get 100,000 people to take a pledge to grow something they can eat – take the GIY pledge at www.facebook.com/giyireland.