Snack Polish
Sweet-and-sour curry cucumber refrigerator pickles
Pickling cucumbers with red peppers and onions in a vivid yellow, sweet-and-sour curry liquid. A punchy accompaniment with a gentle hint of warming spice, prepared for refrigerated storage only.
Ingredients
6 servings · metric units
One serving in the scaling tool represents approximately one 700 ml jar. Yield depends on vegetable size, cutting style and how tightly the jars are packed. Scale all ingredients proportionally. If there is not enough pickling liquid to cover the vegetables, make an additional batch using the same proportions of water, vinegar, sugar, salt and spices; do not top up with plain water. Heating the jars in batches will increase the cooking and total times.
You’ll need
Approximately 6 preserving jars, 700 ml each, with sound, matching lids · A large saucepan or pans that hold the jars without crowding · A rack or folded tea towel for the base of the pan · A saucepan for the pickling liquid · Scales, a measuring jug and measuring spoons · A chopping board and sharp knife · A ladle and jar funnel · A clean thin spatula for releasing air bubbles · A jar lifter · Clean tea towels and a heatproof trivet
Let’s make it
0/8 stepsPrepare the jars
Wash and rinse the jars and lids thoroughly, then prepare them for hot filling according to the manufacturer's instructions. Keep the jars warm so they do not crack when filled with hot liquid. Check the glass rims and lids for damage. Make space in the fridge for the finished jars.
Key visual detail: Prepare the jars. Prepare the vegetables
Wash the cucumbers thoroughly and trim both ends. Cut into lengthways spears or slices approximately 1 cm thick. Remove the seeds and white membranes from the peppers and cut the flesh into strips. Peel and thinly slice the onions. Peel the carrot and parsnip and prepare thin slices; thinly slice the optional ginger too.
Key visual detail: Prepare the vegetables. Pack the jars
Divide about 3 tsp of white mustard seeds evenly between the jars. If using the optional aromatics, distribute the cinnamon, ginger, white peppercorns, allspice and dried parsley between the jars. Pack in the cucumbers fairly closely, alternating with the peppers, onions, carrot and parsnip. Leave enough space at the top to cover the vegetables with liquid while keeping 1 cm of headspace below the rim.
Key visual detail: Pack the jars. Bring the pickling liquid to the boil
Pour 1000 ml of water and 250 ml of 10% acidity spirit vinegar into a saucepan. Add 250–300 g of sugar, 2 tbsp of non-iodised rock salt, 2 tbsp of curry powder, 1 tsp of turmeric, 1 tsp of sweet paprika and a pinch of hot paprika. Heat, stirring, until the liquid comes to the boil and the sugar and salt have fully dissolved. This usually takes about 10 minutes. The liquid should be free-flowing, vivid yellow and without clumps of spice; fine sediment is normal. Avoid prolonged boiling, which would reduce the liquid.
Key visual detail: Bring the pickling liquid to the boil. Fill and close the jars
Stir the hot pickling liquid before filling each jar. Pour it over the vegetables to cover them, leaving approximately 1 cm of headspace. Slide a clean thin spatula down the inside of each jar to release trapped air, then top up with pickling liquid if needed. Do not dilute it with water. Wipe the rims and fit the lids according to the manufacturer's instructions, without overtightening.
Key visual detail: Fill and close the jars. Heat the jars briefly
Place a rack or folded tea towel in the base of a large pan. Stand the warm jars in the pan without letting them touch. Add hot water to approximately three-quarters of their height. Bring the water to a gentle boil, allowing about 15 minutes for this. Once it reaches that point, heat for 10 minutes at a gentle boil. The vegetables should remain firm, and the cucumbers may turn slightly olive in colour. This stage does not make the pickles suitable for storage outside the fridge.
10:00Key visual detail: Heat the jars briefly. Cool and refrigerate
Lift out the jars and stand them upright on a dry tea towel or heatproof trivet, leaving space between them. Do not invert or wrap them. Once they are no longer very hot, transfer them to the fridge, no later than 2 hours after heating finishes. Do not cool hot glass with cold water. Label with the preparation date; a vacuum-sealed lid does not remove the need for refrigeration.
Key visual detail: Cool and refrigerate. Let the flavours develop
Leave the pickles in the fridge for 1–2 days before serving so they absorb the flavour of the liquid. They should be distinctly sweet and sour, fragrant with curry and still firm. Drain and serve chilled. Do not wait until the end of the two-week storage period before opening.
Key visual detail: Let the flavours develop.
A few useful tips
- Choose one cutting style for the cucumbers and keep the pieces a similar thickness. Very thin slices soften more quickly.
- Do not force the vegetables into the jars: the pickling liquid needs to flow freely into the gaps.
- Stir the liquid before filling each jar. Curry sediment is normal; the spices will not dissolve completely.
- Place hot jars on a dry tea towel or trivet, not on a cold stone surface. Do not put them into cold water.
- Serve chilled as a sweet-and-sour accompaniment to sandwiches, roast meats or a cold platter.
Storage
Keep refrigerated at 4°C or below and use within 14 days of preparation. Refrigerate the jars no later than 2 hours after heating finishes; do not leave them on the worktop until completely cold. Once opened, use within 7 days without exceeding the overall 14-day limit. Use clean utensils and keep the vegetables submerged in the pickling liquid. The heating method described does not make these pickles suitable for room-temperature storage, even if the lids form a vacuum seal. Do not freeze, as the vegetables will lose their crunch.
Timing
Hands-on: 40 min · Cooking: 35 min · Resting: 120 min