To Preserve Cucumbers is a traditional Elizabethan recipe for a classic method of preserving baby cucumbers (gherkins) in a brine acidulated with verjuice or white wine vinegar flavoured with dill or fennel. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Elizabethan version of: To Preserve Cucumbers.
Take a galon of faire water, & a pottle of veriuice, and a pint of bay ſalt, and a handfull of green fennell or Dill: boyle it a little, and when it is cold put it into a barrel, and then put your Cowcumbers into that pickle, and you ſhal keep them all the yeere.
Modern Redaction
In this recipe, the term 'pottle' is actually an Elizabethan unit of measurement. It is not a 'bottle' as many consider it. Rather, a pottle is half a gallon (near enough 2.25l). Basically this is the recipe for 'dill pickles' still used today.
Ingredients:
500ml water (if using tap water boil and set aside to cool before use to remove any chlorine)
250ml verjuice or white wine vinegar
2 1/2 tbsp sea salt
500ml baby cucumbers (gherkins)
a few sprigs of dill or fennel fronds
Method:
Combine the water, verjuice (to acidulate the brine) and salt in pan. Bring to a boil and cook for a few minutes. Take off the heat and allow to cool slightly.
Wash and pat the baby cucumbers dry. Pack onto a large jar with the dill or fennel. Pour the hot (but not boiling) brine over them and seal securely with a vinegar-proof lid. Allow to cool, label and set aside for at least two weeks to mature before opening.
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