BREAD AND BUTTER PICKLES

This recipe is from my mother-in-law, Judith, who enjoys making pickles and delivering them to friends. We are always happy to see lines of pickle jars on her kitchen bench, waiting for us to take home to pile on cheese sandwiches or add to mezze platters with toasted flatbread, yoghurt, olives, tomatoes and feta. Judith adds these pickles to peanut butter sandwiches and serves them alongside barbecued meats, especially our venison.

MAKES ABOUT 3 CUPS

8 baby Lebanese cucumbers, cut into 6 mm (¼ inch) slices

2 red onions, thinly sliced

2 tsp salt

1¾ cups (435 ml) white wine vinegar

1 cup (220 g) sugar

2 tsp brown mustard seeds

1 tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp coriander seeds

Combine the cucumber, onion and salt in a small bowl and toss well to combine. Cover and place in the fridge overnight (this will soften the cucumber before pickling). The next morning, rinse the cucumber and onion slices and pat dry.

Combine the vinegar, sugar and spices in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring often to dissolve the sugar. Add the sliced cucumber and onion and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat, divide among sterilised jars and seal well. Wait for a couple of days for the flavours to develop before cracking the pickles open.