The little Jewish gentleman’s eyes sparkled as he recounted his mother’s recipe for pickled cucumbers. Now he lives alone, but he still makes them the old way for his grandchildren from a recipe that probably had its origins in Poland or the vast open spaces of the Ukraine. It may have been refined by an aunt in Tel Aviv or a second cousin in North London, but here it was in London’s Berwick Street market, in the heart of the West End, still alive and kicking.
Away from the cosmopolitan garishness of Soho, Barry Rogg’s Kosher delicatessen was a fixture of the Whitechapel scene in London’s East End for more than 50 years before finally closing its doors around 1998. Barry’s grandfather started the business and Barry reigned supreme as a ‘fryer and pickler’. Here, the pickled cucumber was omnipresent. Every inch of shelf space seemed to be taken up with cans and jars of all shapes and sizes; they were stacked high against the walls and arrayed in the windows. Of course, Barry pickled his own, and these were clearly the best-sellers. He did two basic versions: one a conventional sweet-and-sour pickle using small, knobbly whole gherkins; the other in a very dilute vinegar which produced a mild, almost fermented pickle, with half cucumbers swimming in their liquor. But there were always variations on the theme, to keep the customers guessing.
Barry originally did all his pickling in wooden barrels, although he later switched over to pedal bins and plastic dustbins.When we visited him, he showed us the very last wooden barrel lurking by the shop doorway. In the pickle we could see cucumbers, with bay leaves, red chillies and garlic halves. Barry also gained a legendary reputation for all manner of homemade delicacies: not only cucumbers, but pickled green tomatoes, herrings and cured salmon.
Right across Eastern Europe and into Russia, pickling is second nature. The Bulgarians have a great reputation as gardeners and many consider their torshi (or pickled vegetables) the finest in the region. In Poland, all kinds of fresh produce—beetroot, tomatoes, cucumbers, pears, mushrooms—are traditionally bought in bulk when they are in season and pickled so that they last. This is a hangover from the days of hardship and austerity, when pickling was done out of necessity, not simply for pleasure. ‘We pickled because we had to’, admitted one of our contacts.
In Hungary, the quality of canned and bottled produce is very high, yet there is still some home-pickling and preserving: cucumbers in vinegar, plums in vinegar with cinnamon, and preserved lecso—peppers and tomatoes—are still common. Hungarians have a curious variation on the Polish method of steam-sealing: their hot preserves are put into hot jars and kept continuously at 60–70°F (15–19°C) so they cool very slowly. This is done by surrounding the hot jars with blankets, newspapers and cushions and wrapping them up so no cool air can get to them. After a day and a night they are ready.
The Russians use their pickles as zakuski, or hors d’oeuvres. There are pickled grapes and mushrooms, salted cucumbers, tomatoes (both green and red) and cabbage fermented rather like sauerkraut. All that is needed as the finishing touch is a shot of vodka!
There are many versions of this pickle throughout Eastern Europe. In Hungary the cucumbers are often flavoured with horseradish and topped with unripe grapes or gooseberries; in Russia they are flavoured with garlic and eaten as zakuski, washed down with vodka.
MAKES ABOUT 1 kg (2 lb)
BLACKCURRANT, CHERRY OR VINE LEAVES
1 kg (2 lb) FIRM, RIDGE CUCUMBERS, ABOUT 7.5 cm (3 INCHES) LONG
1 CLOVE GARLIC, CHOPPED
1x5 ml SPOON (1 TEASPOON) BLACK PEPPERCORNS
4 SPRIGS FRESH DILL
2x15 ml SPOONS (2 TABLESPOONS) SALT
Line the bottom of an earthenware crock or plastic tub with the leaves (this helps to prevent the cucumbers from going soft).Wash the cucumbers well, dry them off, then pack them on top of the leaves with the garlic, peppercorns and dill.
Dissolve the salt in 600 ml (1 pint) water and bring to the boil, then leave to cool. Pour over the cucumbers, making sure that they are covered, and top with a few more leaves. Cover with a plate or board, weight down and set aside for 1 week. The cucumbers are then ready to eat. They can be stored in the fridge, in a plastic container, for 2–3 days provided they are covered with brine.
This recipe can be made with small green tomatoes or ripe cherry tomatoes. They should be roughly the same size.
MAKES ABOUT 1.5 kg (3 lb)
1.5 kg (3 lb) TOMATOES
2 SPRIGS FRESH DILL PER JAR
1 CLOVE GARLIC, CHOPPED
2x5 ml SPOONS (2 TEASPOONS) BLACK PEPPERCORNS
100 g (4 oz) SALT
Wash the tomatoes and dry them carefully. Pack into cleaned, sterilised jars and put 2 sprigs fresh dill into each. Boil 1.2 litres (2 pints) water in a pan and add the chopped garlic, peppercorns and salt. Heat for 10 minutes, then set aside to cool. Pour over the tomatoes, making sure they are completely immersed. Seal the jars well and store for 1 week before opening. Once opened, they will keep for a further week in the fridge.
Most East Europeans have a passion for mushrooms and consume wild fungi with gusto. They also pickle them. This recipe can be used for any kind of wild or cultivated mushroom, although it’s best to use only one variety in each batch.
MAKES ABOUT 450 g (1 lb)
450 g (1 lb) MUSHROOMS
150 ml (5 fl oz) WHITE-WINE VINEGAR
1x15 ml SPOON (1 TABLESPOON) SALT
1x5 ml SPOON (1 TEASPOON) BLACK PEPPERCORNS
1 BAY LEAF
4 CLOVES
Sort through the mushrooms and discard any that are blemished. Remove the stalks.Wipe with a damp cloth, but don’t wash or peel them. Large ones can be cut in half.
Put the vinegar and 300 ml (10 fl oz) water in a large pan. Add the mushrooms and bring quickly to the boil. Put in the salt, peppercorns, bay leaf and cloves and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat, set aside to cool and pack into cleaned, sterilised jars. Seal and store for 1 week before opening. The mushrooms will keep well for up to 1 month.
Pickled Aubergines with Carrots
This curious recipe for stuffed pickled aubergines is Bulgarian in origin. It suggests using the strands from the outside of celery sticks as a kind of edible string.
MAKES ABOUT 1 kg (2 lb)
4 LARGE ROUND AUBERGINES
2x5 ml SPOONS (2 TEASPOONS) SALT
2 CARROTS, PEELED
4 CLOVES GARLIC
STRANDS FROM CELERY STICKS
600 ml (1 PINT) WHITE-WINE VINEGAR
Cut the aubergines in half and scoop out a hole of spongy flesh. Put the halves into salted water and boil for 2 minutes, Drain and leave to cool.
Put the carrots and garlic through a mincer or in a food processor. Stuff the aubergines with this mixture, put the halves together and secure with the stringy strands from the outside of celery sticks. Put the stuffed aubergines into a sterilised wide-mouthed glass jar. Heat up the vinegar and pour hot into the jar, making sure the stuffed parcels are covered. Seal and store for 2 weeks before using. This pickle should be consumed quickly.
Mixed vegetable pickles such as this turn up all over Eastern Europe as well as parts of the Middle East. Use any vegetables in season and aim for plenty of contrast in colours and textures.
MAKES ABOUT 1.5 kg (3 lb)
1.5 kg (3 lb) MIXED VEGETABLES, SUCH AS CAULIFLOWER, CARROTS,
FRENCH BEANS, DIFFERENT COLOURED PEPPERS AND TURNIPS
100 g (4 oz) SALT
600 ml (1 PINT) WHITE-WINE VINEGAR
2 CLOVES GARLIC
2 FRESH RED CHILLIES
First prepare the vegetables. Break cauliflowers into florets; peel and cut carrots into strips; top and tail French beans; de-seed and slice peppers into strips; peel and slice turnips into rings. Blanch each vegetable separately for 30 seconds, then drain well and put into a large bowl. Sprinkle with salt, and set aside for a couple of hours.
Drain off any excess moisture, then pack the vegetables into cleaned, sterilised jars. Boil the vinegar in a pan for 5 minutes with the garlic and whole chillies. Leave to get cool, then pour over the vegetables.Make sure they are covered, then seal and store for 2 weeks before opening.
MAKES ABOUT 1 kg (2 lb)
225 g (8 oz) CUCUMBER, SLICED INTO 2.5 cm (1 INCH) ROUNDS
225 g (8 oz) WHITE CABBAGE, SHREDDED
225 g (8 oz) GREEN TOMATOES, WHOLE IF SMALL OR HALVED
100 g (4 oz) GREEN PEPPER, DE-SEEDED AND CUT INTO STRIPS
100 g (4 oz) RED PEPPER, DE-SEEDED AND CUT INTO STRIPS
25 g (1 oz) SALT
150 ml (5 fl oz) WHITE-WINE VINEGAR
Put the cucumber, cabbage, tomatoes and peppers into a large bowl and mix with salt. Cover and leave overnight in a cool place.
Next day, drain off the excess liquid and wash the vegetables well to get rid of the salt. Drain on a cloth. Pack loosely into cleaned, sterilised jars. Boil the vinegar with 300 ml (10 fl oz) water for 10 minutes, then set aside to cool. Pour over the vegetables, making sure that they are covered. Seal and store for 1 week before using. This pickle will keep for up to 1 month in the fridge.
A very popular Polish pickle that is milder than its English counterparts. It will need to be steam-sealed (see p. 128) if you wish to keep it for more than 1 month. Use firm varieties of pear such as Conference.
MAKES ABOUT 1 kg (2 lb)
1 kg (2 lb) PEARS, PEELED, CORED AND CUT LENGTHWISE INTO QUARTERS
1x5 ml SPOON (1 TEASPOON) CLOVES
1 SMALL STICK CINNAMON
RIND AND JUICE OF ½ LEMON
25 g (1 oz) FRESH ROOT GINGER, PEELED AND CHOPPED
300 ml (10 fl oz) WHITE-WINE VINEGAR
225 g (8 oz) SUGAR
Keep the fruit in a bowl of cold water with some lemon juice squeezed into it: this prevents discoloration.
Tie the cloves, cinnamon and lemon rind in a piece of muslin and boil in the vinegar plus 150 ml (5 fl oz) water for about 10 minutes. Remove the spice bag and stir in the sugar.When it has dissolved, add the pears (well drained) and simmer until they are tender.
Remove the fruit very carefully and pack into warmed, sterilised jars. Bring the syrupy vinegar to the boil and pour hot over the fruit. Cover well, then steam-seal if keeping longer than 1 month.