Dill pickles

In our house, it’s hard to choose between a ploughman’s ‘picky’ lunch and an actual proper meal. We almost always go with a ploughman’s lunch. And what’s a ploughman’s lunch without some traditional dill pickles (aka bread and butter pickles)? These guys are the perfect balance of sharp and sweet. They remind us of lunches at the grandparents’ place, where jars of their famous pickled cucumbers were served alongside crunchy crackers and tasty cheese.

Makes 500 g (1 lb 2 oz)

Use

6 small cucumbers, thinly sliced into rounds (generally the smaller the cucumber, the more flavoursome)

1½ tablespoons salt

1 white onion, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons honey

1 cup (250 ml/9 fl oz) purified water

½ cup (125 ml/4 fl oz) apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

1 teaspoon caraway seeds

2 dill flowers

¼ teaspoon ground turmeric

Do

1	Combine the cucumbers and salt in a large bowl and cover with a tea towel (dish towel) for 1–2 hours.
2	Place the cucumbers into a strainer and rinse thoroughly under cold water. Drain well and place the cucumbers back into the bowl.
3	Toss the onion with the cucumbers and transfer the mixture to a sterilised jar.
4	Combine the remaining ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until the honey has dissolved. Pour the hot mixture over the cucumbers and onions in the jar.
5	Let the jar stand at room temperature for 1 hour. Place the lid on the jar and store the jar in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.
6	The pickles will be ready to eat after they have been in the fridge for 24 hours.

Oh and don’t cut the cucumbers too thinly – you want them to have a little bit of crunch!