Cucumber ideas please?

[WeeGarden]

Oh, I'm so glad I found this thread. I've just come in from the garden. It's nearly mid-October, and I have a trug of 18 marketmore cucumbers.

I think I might make the apple and cucumber chutney, as a friend managed to get me some bramleys from a colleague at work.

[vikkib]

Cucumber, Tomato And Onion Chutney

Ingredients:
• 6 large cucumbers or 4 long cucumbers
• 6 medium onions
• 6 – 8 medium tomatoes
• 1 – 2 inch piece of fresh root ginger. Peeled, bruised and diced fine
• 12 – 16 ozs Demerara or soft brown sugar
• 1 – 1 ½ pint malt or cider vinegar
• Spices ground in a coffee grinder:
1 tsp mustard seed
1 tsp cayenne pepper (to taste)
1 tsp allspice
1 – 2 tsp ground cloves (to taste)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
• Salt (see method)

Method:
1. Wash cucumbers, de-seed and chop into whatever size chunks you like in your chutney.
2. Place the cucumber pieces in a bowl in 1 inch deep layers and sprinkle a couple of teaspoons of salt on each layer.
3. Set aside the cucumbers while you dice the onions.
4. Take the tomatoes (skinned if you wish) and slice into ½ inch pieces.
5. Put the salted cucumbers into a colander and rinse away the salt under cold running water, twice.
6. Place all ingredients, except sugar, into a large saucepan or stock pot.
7. Add vinegar to cover the vegetables.
8. Bring to the boil for 10 minutes and then add the sugar. Stir well until the mixture reaches boiling point. Reduce the heat immediately and simmer, stirring often to prevent it burning on the bottom of the pan.
9. The chutney should be ready after one and a half hours (give or take a half an hour either way).
10. Pack into warm, sterilised, jars.

The quantity of vinegar given in the recipe didn't quite cover my veg but it soon reduces and I think adding extra would have made it too runny.

I added a good helping of chilli flakes which gave it a lovely spicy warmth which contrasted with the 'cool' taste of the cukes really nicely... a really lovely chutney!

[suzie spud]

No need to peel those cukes for pickles. The skin gives them a lovely crunch. You should try fridge pickles and even freezer pickles they are so good all my kidas from 12 to the 2year old love them! There are several recipes online for them.
Enjoy!

[Jillyreeves]

Cucumber Relish

500 g cucumber, sliced
250 g onion, finely sliced
100g red/green chillies, de-seeded & sliced (Pimento is good)
250 ml white wine vinegar
125 g sugar
1/4 tsp celery seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp salt

Soak cucumber, onion, celery and chillies in salted water for 12 hours or overnight.

Boil vinegar with sugar, celery seeds, turmeric and salt for 5 mins. Add the well-drained vegetables and boil for 10 mins, then pack in sterilised jars

Made this a few weeks ago and just tried it on a cheese sandwich - WOW it is fantastic, so good indeed I am considering making more later in the year with shop bought cucumbers.

Thank you TS for a great recipe

[vikkib]

Cucumber Relish

500 g cucumber, sliced
250 g onion, finely sliced
100g red/green chillies, de-seeded & sliced (Pimento is good)
250 ml white wine vinegar
125 g sugar
1/4 tsp celery seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp salt

Soak cucumber, onion, celery and chillies in salted water for 12 hours or overnight.

Boil vinegar with sugar, celery seeds, turmeric and salt for 5 mins. Add the well-drained vegetables and boil for 10 mins, then pack in sterilised jars

I'm just making a batch of this and I've noticed the instructions mention soaking the celery in salted water (along with the cukes, chillies and onions) but there's no mention of celery in the ingredients list.

Can anyone that's made it tell me roughly how much celery they used?

[dogsbody]

Just sampled the Rat's Cucumber soup for lunch and it was stonking!! Note to self, grow more next year!!

(Wondering if the basic ingredients would work with tomatoes / peppers, may give it a go.)

Thanks Rat, great recipe.