This British Cucumber Pickle is the most addictive and delicious pickle you definitely need in your life. Simple to make and packed full of flavour this pickle is an absolute must with cheeses, meats or even straight from the jar.
The perfect British Cucumber Pickle
I am a big cucumber fan and make my Korean cucumber salad most weeks. So when I was in my local farm shop and saw a cucumber pickle, I knew I had to try it.
As delicious as it was, a £5 for a fairly small jar I decided I should recreate it myself. Using the ingredients list a guide, I came up with this absolutely fantastic pickle – even if I do say so myself!
Even if you don’t like gherkins or cornichons, I really think you should give this cucumber pickle a try. It is a mild, but full flavoured pickle that really celebrates cucumbers.
An easy and simple pickle
Although I enjoy making my caramelised onion chutney and sweet chilli jam, they take a little while to prepare the ingredients and then a few hours to bubble away.
The beauty of this cucumber pickle is it is far quicker to cook and prep – win win! Obviously that does ignore the time the cucumber sits in the salt, but no one can call that taxing!
And it’s a good job it is simple to make because even though this recipe makes 2kg of pickle, it won’t last you long and you’ll soon be making more!
How to slice your cucumber and onions
The aim of the game here is to get perfectly thin, even slices of cucumber. No matter how good your knife skills are, simply using a knife is likely to be inconsistent and time consuming.
I like to use my Microplane food slicer – I absolutely love this little slicer. If you have a mandolin this would also work perfectly. You could also use a food processor with a slicing attachment.
Just please remember to be careful with your fingers when using anything like this! This pickle is delicious but not worth sacrificing your finger tips for.
Ideally you are looking for slices of cucumber and onion to be 2-3mm in thickness. But don’t loose sleep over it too much, them being consistently the same thickness is more important.
which cucumber variety is best to use
Here in the UK we tend to only have two varieties of cucumber. Our standard hothouse or English cucumbers that everyone will recognise and the Persian ‘baby’ cucumbers which have become more widespread in the last few years.
I use English cucumbers for this pickle because they are their skin isn’t too thick and they are the most cost effective option. You can of course use Persian cucumbers and they would work just as well, but they tend to be a little more expensive.
If you can’t find English cucumbers or Kirby cucumbers are your preference you can absolutely use these instead. They are sometimes referred to as pickling cucumbers and have a more knobbly skin but would still work perfectly for this recipe.
How to STERILISE jars
There is lots of different information about how to sterilise jars when making preserves.
I am not an expert, but I have always used the same method. Firstly, I wash the jars and their lids in the dishwasher and leave them to dry completely when the cycle has finished.
I then put the jars and lids on a baking tray in the oven at 160°C fan for 10 – 15 minutes. I then fill them with warm chutney when the lids are still warm.
There are other methods for how to sterilise jars. I recommend checking out Tin & Thyme’s post with lots of information.
Where to buy yellow mustard seeds
You shouldn’t have too many issues finding yellow mustards seeds but you will need to look in larger supermarkets. They are found in jars with the herbs and spices.
I don’t believe you will find them in Lidl and Aldi, and Tesco aren’t showing that they have them when I look online. But you should be able to get them in other large supermarkets without issue.
Does the cucumber pickle need to mature?
You can eat the pickle as soon as it has cooled, however I like to leave it one to two weeks for it to mature slightly and let the flavours really develop.
How long does cucumber pickle keep for?
If unopened, you can keep jars of pickle in a dark, cool cupboard for at least one year. I would be extremely surprised if it lasts that long but the option is there!
Once opened, keep the jar in the fridge and use within two weeks.
What to serve with British cucumber pickle
Being completely honest I have been known on more than one occasion to eat this cucumber pickle straight from the jar. Don’t worry I had my own personal jar and it wasn’t one other people would be sharing!
It is the absolute perfect addition to any cheese board or Ploughman’s style lunch as it pairs fantastically with cheeses and meats.
It would be really tasty as a topping in a burger instead of gherkins.
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British Cucumber Pickle
This British Cucumber Pickle is the most addictive and delicious pickle that you definitely need in your life. Simple to make and packed full of flavour this pickle is an absolute must with cheeses, meats or even straight from the jar.
Ingredients
- 5 cucumbers finely sliced
- 3 tbsp table salt
- 300 g onions finely sliced
- 500 ml apple cider vinegar
- 350 g granulated sugar
- 5 tsp yellow mustard seeds
- ½ tsp ground tumeric (heaped)
Instructions
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Slice 5 cucumbers very finely. It is recommended to use a mandolin but be careful with your fingers
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Layer the cucumbers in a large bowl with 3 tbsp table salt
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Place a side plate on top of the cucumbers and weigh down with a few tins. Leave for 3-4 hours or overnight
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Drain off the liquid and thoroughly rinse the cucumbers before leaving to drain well in a colander
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While the cucumbers are draining, thinly slice 300g onions
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In a large pan, add 500ml apple cider vinegar, 350g granulated sugar, 5 tsp yellow mustard seeds and a heaped ½ tsp ground tumeric
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Slowly bring the liquid to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar
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Add the cucumbers and onion to the pickling liquid and bring to the boil for 1-2 minutes
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Sterilise your jars
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Using a slotted spoon, add the pickles to the jars
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Bring the pickling liquid back to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes until it thickens slightly
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Ladle over the cucumbers filling to the top. Put the lids on.
Recipe Notes
Nutritional information is given as a guide only and may vary.
Calorie information is based on a 25g serving.
Lesley says
Love this quick pickle and next up to try is your Korean cucumber recipe as it sounds perfect too.
Janice says
I’ve made pickled cucumber before but thought I’d try your recipe this time. I’m so impressed, it’s absolutely delicious.