Brine for Cucumbers
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the brine
Dissolve the alum in a little hot water.
Combine all ingredients in a jar or keg.
Brine the cucumbers
Wash the cucumbers carefully, discarding any bruised ones.
Add the cucumbers to the brine and place a weight on top to keep them submerged.
When ready to pickle, soak the cucumbers for a short time, changing the water as needed.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Coarse sea salt
- Draws water out of the cucumbers and seasons them through the brine.
- Alum
- Helps the cucumbers keep their firm, crisp texture during brining.
- Black pepper
- Adds aroma and flavour to the brine as it steeps.
The step that matters
Keep the cucumbers fully submerged. Any cucumber left above the brine can spoil or soften, because air exposure allows mold and bacteria to grow. A weight keeps every piece under the liquid throughout brining.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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