Cucumbers in mustard / Ogórki w musztardzie
This is a fantastic and super simple recipe for cucumbers in mustard. They're great for sandwiches, burgers, hotdogs, salads, canapés, on a plate as a side dish for dinner, or just to munch on.
Ingredients
- 2 kg small cucumbers
- 5-6 small bay leaves
- 10-12 cloves allspice
- 5-6 black peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 bunch fresh dill
Brine:
- 1 L water
- 340 grams granulated white sugar
- 250 ml's 10% vinegar
- 3 tablespoons salt I used non-iodized salt
- 5 tablespoons mustard I used sarepska
Instructions
- I prefer starting to prepare the brine. It needs to cool slightly before adding the mustard. Bring the water to a boil and finally add vinegar. After a while, turn off the heat and add three tablespoons of salt and sugar. Stir until the sugar and salt dissolve and set aside to cool.
- Prepare 5-6 375 ml jars. The jars should be perfectly clean, preferably sterilized with boiling water. Do the same for the lids. Use only undamaged jars and lids. Do the same with the canning jars. The amount of jars will vary on how well you pack your cucumbers.
- Peel the cucumbers, washed under cold running water, and cut them lengthwise into quarters. I also cut the ends off especially the thicker, greener end since it can be bitter. Arrange the cucumber slices vertically in the jars. Fill all the jars this way.
- Add a bay leaf and two allspice cloves to each jar. Divide a teaspoon of mustard seeds evenly among all jars. I also added dill on the bottom just for fragrance.
- Add five tablespoons of mustard to the cooled brine (it can still be slightly warm). I use Sarepska mustard, but you can also use your preferred one. Honey mustard will make the cucumbers even sweeter.
- Mix the brine thoroughly. To ensure the mustard combines easily with the brine, you can first mix it with half a cup of the brine, then add the mixed mustard to the remaining brine and mix again.
- Pour the brine into the jars with the cucumbers. Try to submerge the protruding ends of the cucumbers. If necessary, add more brine or gently push the cucumbers deeper into the jar. Wipe the threads with a cloth or paper towel. Place the lids on the jars only half way, since the trapped air inside will have room to escape during the pasteurization process. Tighten the lids after pasteurization.
- Place a cotton cloth or paper towel on the bottom of a wide pot. Arrange the jars side by side, but make sure they don't touch each other. Pour water up to a maximum of 3/4 of the jars' height. Turn the burner to medium heat and bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and pasteurize the jars for about 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, remove the jars and tighten them fully and place the jars on cloth or board inverted until cooled, preferable overnight.
- Store jars of cucumbers in mustard marinade in a cool, dark place. Do not open them for more than 10 days after making them. Enjoy and smacznego!