This is not only a fantastic recipe, but it brings back so many wonderful memories of master gardener, friend and mentor Barb Donahue. Every spring she would spend a few days getting the soil ready for planting my veggie garden. One year the cukes were so prolific I was at a loss with what to do with them. Here was her yummy remedy. They are great with or on a sandwich and I am especially proud to include them on a charcuterie display.
Ingredients for 2 Pints
3 cucumbers, sliced into ¼-inch rounds
1 large onion, sliced into rounds
1 medium cayenne or jalapeno, seeds removed, diced fine
1 medium red pepper, diced medium
Preparation
Toss above with 2 tablespoons salt.
Allow to sit four hours. Drain but don’t rinse.
Brine
1½ cup apple cider, organic preferred
⅔ cup sugar, organic preferred
1 cup water
1 teaspoon turmeric
Heat above ingredients until sugar is dissolved.
Cool and pour over cuke mixture. Toss several times a day for 2 days.
Will keep in refrigerator for 3 weeks.
Will keep in freezer 6 months.
Store in freezer-proof containers, not glass jars.
NOTE
The best cukes for this are the garden variety because of their thicker skin—the seedless English are a bit fragile in nature to brine. Turmeric is native to the Orient and is the root of a tropical plant related to ginger—zesty in flavor with an intense orange color. American mustard gets its brilliant color from this sharp spice.