Cucumbers and Onions - One Of Our Favorites

Did your family have a recipe of some kind for  cucumbers and onions in vinegar?  Seems these recipes exist around the world.  When our kids were all at home, this was one of their most favorite sides that I would make.  They would eat a whole bowl full at one meal.  Since there was all that delicious vinegar goodness left in the bowl, I would simply peel and slice more cucumbers and onions and add it to the brine.  More for the next day!

I made these a couple of weeks ago when the family came over for dinner, and nothing has changed - they were devoured.  We all love them, except for Dan.  He is not a fan of anything made with vinegar.  I know, I don't understand it but that's the way it is.  He doesn't like salad dressings, most condiments and NOTHING that he even suspects has vinegar in it.  Let's face it, we all have something we don't like.

This is a dish that I grew up with and many of you probably did too.  My great grandmother, grandmother and mother all made these, especially in summer when there were plenty of fresh cucumbers.  There are a myriad of recipes available, some using mayonnaise, while most use vinegar, oil and sugar.  That's what I am accustomed to.  I tried to find the history of this dish and where it originated, but it seems to exist in some form everywhere.  

Cucumbers originated in India. where a great many varieties of cucumber have been observed. They have been cultivated for at least 3,000 years, and were probably introduced to other parts of Europe by the Greeks or Romans. Records of cucumber cultivation appear inFrance in the 9th century, England in the 14th century, and in North America by the mid-16th century.  Wikipedia


Cucumbers and pickling have been traced back as far as 4400 years ago.  There are references to Cleopatra believing that pickles enhanced her beauty and Julius Caesar was also a fan.  The Bible has several references to cucumbers, so we know they have been around a good long while.  George Washington and Thomas Jefferson were also reported to be lovers of pickles.  Amerigo Vespucci, for whom our Country is named. was a pickle salesman.  I mean, other than Dan, who doesn't love a good pickle?  


Even though this recipe uses fresh cucumbers and onions, it is still a form of "quick" pickling because it involves vinegar.  Vinegar is a preservative and immigrants coming to America usually traveled with quantities of pickles because they were nutritious and would not go bad on the long ocean journey.  If you want some interesting reading, Google the history of vinegar.  At least I thought it was interesting.


Science now knowns that cucumbers contain anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory properties.  Not only do they taste good, they are good for you!   Pickles also contain probiotics which are helpful to the digestive system.   It's nice to know that pickles are actually good for you!


Here is what you need to make a batch of these cucumbers and onions.


3-4 whole cucumbers, peeled and sliced
2 large onions, peeled and sliced
salt
fresh cracked black pepper
1 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil


I made these in a 1 1/2 quart Pyrex dish that we received as a wedding gift almost 43 years ago.  Yes, it's practically an antique, but it has a lid and that means I can store leftovers in the refrigerator.


First, peel and slice the cucumbers and onions.  Generously salt both sides of the cucumbers and onions, mixing them up with your hands or a large spoon to make sure they are all salted.  Let them sit for about 1/2 hour.  (I don't rinse mine but I do drain any water off that comes out of the cucumbers.)


Place the cucumbers and onions in the container you plan to serve them in.  For this size container, I mixed 1 cup cider vinegar, 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup vegetable oil.  Mix thoroughly with a whisk until the oil is combined with the vinegar.  Pour over the cucumbers and onions and refrigerate.  These can be served anytime, but if they marinate for a while the cucumbers absorb more of the flavor.


If you want to use white vinegar, or red wine vinegar, that is your choice.  I prefer the slight sweetness apple cider vinegar adds to the flavor and it's the way we always made them.   You know, it's the way I prefer them.  You make them however you want.


I am sitting here looking the the picture as I type and it is literally making my mouth water wishing I had a big bowl of these to have with dinner.  Looks like there is a project in my future.  Hope you give these a try.   If you didn't have these growing up, you may not know what you have been missing.  Mm mmm mmmm.  


Everyday Donna


Things to Remember:

American King James Version We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic:  Numbers 11:5

Pickles and Preserves

Bread and butter pickles.  Yum yum.  I love pickled things and these have been on my "to do" list for a week or two.  Saturday, I purchased cucumbers that are specific for pickling.  It was too hot to do anything outside today, so I made bread and butter pickles and peach preserves.  Oh boy! 


Why are they called bread and butter pickles?  I have often wondered that myself, so I did a little research today and this is what I found.


According to egullet.com, bread and butter pickles are named such because during the Depression, they were as regular a part of a diet as bread and butter. The difference between bread and butter pickles and sweet pickles is just a few ingredients. Sweet pickles use cinnamon, cloves, and allspice in a vinegar-sugar brine. Bread and butter pickles are made with turmeric. mustard, and onion in a vinegar-sugar brine.

This is what I do know about these pickles -  they are so good and really easy to make.   Here is what you do.

Ingredients:

3 pounds pickling cucumbers (they are small, no more than 6 inches long)

1 pound white or yellow onions, thinly sliced

1/4 cup pickling or kosher salt (do not use iodized salt as it will turn your pickles "muddy")

1 cup apple cider vinegar (5% acidity)

1 1/4 cups white distilled vinegar (5% acidity)

2 1/4 cups granulated sugar

1 TBSP mustard seed

1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

3/4 tsp celery seed

1 tsp ground cinnamon

6 all spice berries

6 whole cloves

1/2 tsp turmeric

3  1-qt canning jars with new lids, or 6 pint jars with new lids

1 large bowl to hold cucumber slices and onions

1 8 - 10 qt pan for the pickling process (use a non-reactive pan, enamel or stainless steel)

Sterilize your jars by washing them in the dishwasher or by hand.  When sterilizing them in the dishwasher, make sure you give yourself time for the cycle to complete before making your pickles.  If you do them by hand, place them in a cake pan and put them in a 200 degree oven for at least 10 minutes.  Put the lids and rings in a bowl.  Boil some water and pour it over the lids to sterilize.  You want your jars to be hot when you put the cucumber and vinegar syrup in, so you can do this right after you rinse and drain your cucumbers. (see directions below)

Next, you want to scrub each cucumber to make sure all the dirt has been removed.  Then, slice about 1/8 inch from each end of the cucumber and slice the remainder into 1/4 inch slices.  Pickling cucumbers are small, no more than 6 inches long.

Next, peel and slice your onions very thin.  Place all cucumbers and onions in a large bowl and pour in the 1/4 cup of salt.  Using your hands to mix, distribute the salt evenly throughout the pickle/onion mix. 

Now, place a thin tea towel over the bowl of cucumbers and onions (not terry cloth) and cover with ice cubes.  Place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

After removing the cucumbers from the refrigerator, take the towel and ice cubes off the bowl.  Using a colander, wash and rinse the cucumbers and onions TWICE, letting them drain after each rinse.  *Now is the time to sterilize your jars in the oven if doing this method.*

Now, it's time to prepare your pickling liquid.  Put the 1 1/4 cups white vinegar, 1 cup apple cider vinegar, 2 1/4 cups sugar, 1 TBSP mustard seed, 1 tsp red pepper flakes, 3/4 tsp celery seeds, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 6 all spice berries, 6 whole cloves and 1/2 tsp turmeric in an 8 to 10 quart pan.  Bring this mixture to a boil.  Once sugar has dissolved, add the sliced cucumbers and onions.  Let mixture come to a boil again.  As soon as the vinegar solution starts to boil again, use a slotted spoon to start packing hot jars with cucumbers and onion slices.  I used a funnel to make sure they don't spill everywhere.  

Pack the jars with the hot vegetables.  Go to within 1 inch of the jar rim.  I used a ladle and poured the vinegar syrup over the vegetables to 1/2 inch from the jar rim.  Be sure and wipe the rims of the jars clean or the lids may not seal.  Place a sterilized lid on each jar and secure with a metal ring.  As the jars cool, you will hear the lids "pop" which means they have sealed.  If you do not plan to use these pickles soon, you will need to process the jars in a water bath.  I will just store mine in the refrigerator, so this method is all I need to use.  If the lids do not seal properly, the pickles will need to be consumed within 2 weeks.  Another way to know the lid has sealed properly is, it will not move up and down under pressure.  That is in case you do not hear the "pop."

 I plan on making more pickles later and they will be stored outside the refrigerator.  Then,  I will use a water bath method to seal the jars.  You can find information on using a water bath method on the internet.

I also made peach preserves today.  I did not want to waste one morsel of the delicious peaches we have been getting from the farmer's market.  We will be happy to enjoy a "mouthful of sunshine" when it's cold outside and there are hot biscuits on our plates and wonderful, sweet summer peaches preserved for us.  I will tell you how to make those tomorrow!  They are super easy.  

Our house smells of good things to eat and I can't wait to dig in to those bread and butter pickles.  They need to sit for a few days so that the cucumbers absorb all of the delicious flavors of the spices and vinegar syrup.  

I am impatiently waiting for the tomatoes in our garden to start ripening, because boy howdy, do I have plans for those -  tomato preserves, green tomato chow chow, freeze some for soups and stews.  Oh, I just can't wait.  Take a little time and preserve some summertime goodness for you and your family to enjoy when the weather has turned cold and summer seems far away.  It's so easy.

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

"On a hot day in Virginia, I know nothing more comforting than a fine spiced pickle, brought up trout-like from the sparkling depths of the aromatic jar below the stairs of Aunt Sally's cellar."Thomas Jefferson