[Markw]

I was given some pickled gherkins, and some pickled onions last year from my Cypriot friend. I was so impressed with them I asked for the recipe.
He said that this recipe had been in his family for generations, this is how he make the fantastic gherkins and onions.
This is what you need.
Equal quantities of water and Vinegar,either white wine or normal
Salt, and one egg.
In a bowl add the water and the egg. ( the egg is uncooked in it's shell)
Add salt and mix into the water until the egg floats to the surface.
Remove the egg from the salt water mix and add the vinegar and mix well
Put the gherkins into the jars and add your herbs, he used dill and garlic.
Poor the mixture into the jars to cover and seal with air tight lid.
And that is it,
He has said that they store longer using this method. I can't say if it does as they only lasted for a few weeks in our house.
   

[mumofstig]

Most traditional Greek and Italian Pickled veg are preserved in a mix of vinegar and water - the trick with the egg is just to make sure the water has reached the correct ratio of salt  I often preserve peppers this way 

I still do sterilise jars and lids though! I've never kept them longer than 4 or 5 months though - so not sure about long-term storage.

[maloneranger]

Nice recipe - but not "non-brine" 

Brine is salt solution.

When making brine to salt pork, many years and years ago, my family in Devon also used an egg to judge when the brine was the correct concentration. 

[tosca100]

They do similar here in Bulgaria, but also do a sweet one. We have just planted out a load of squat peppers so will be asking my neighbour for tips for her sweet pickled ones, they are delicious.

[New shoot]

will be asking my neighbour for tips for her sweet pickled ones, they are delicious.

Oh please put the recipe on when you get it Tosca    I've got 5 dwarf sweet pepper plants for the greenhouse this year and sweet pickled peppers sound very tempting 

[tosca100]

will be asking my neighbour for tips for her sweet pickled ones, they are delicious.

Oh please put the recipe on when you get it Tosca    I've got 5 dwarf sweet pepper plants for the greenhouse this year and sweet pickled peppers sound very tempting 

Strangely, when in the UK, I used to pay a premium for the long romano peppers, but they are so cheap, easy to grow(our neighbours had planted 70 odd for us before we got here) and plentiful here that I am already a bit fed up and want something with more flesh. The squat peppers are later and very fleshy, don't need peeling before pickling and give you something to get your teeth into during the winter. They always have salad before a meal in the villages, but in winter that is often replaced by pickled veg, the most common being the end of year pickles where anything left in the garden will get put in the jar. So green toms, cucumbers, peppers, garlic, cauli, cabbage, turnips and carrots are all fair game. And lots of fennel seed too. But I must admit I like a little sugar in my pickles and these are the ones I treasured last winter, especially the peppers.

[New shoot]

I like to use sugar in pickles as well    I did red cabbage in a sweet vinegar last year and it barely made it through a week before I had scoffed the lot - 2 big jars as well   

Just remembered I have a book called The Perfect Pickle Book with recipes from around the world.  Might have to dig that out for a read as there are sections on Northern and Eastern Europe 

[Kate and her Ducks]

I discovered sweet pickled squash last summer using summer crookneck squash and they were fabulous!

The squash plants turned out to be very VERY productive and we are still eating they! And that with giving away loads to friends and family who love them too. Down to the last 4 jars so hopefully this years plants will start producing soon.

Also did some pickled peppers (cherry bomb and jalapeño) which were lush and long gone.

[sunshineband]

I like to use sugar in pickles as well    I did red cabbage in a sweet vinegar last year and it barely made it through a week before I had scoffed the lot - 2 big jars as well   

Just remembered I have a book called The Perfect Pickle Book with recipes from around the world.  Might have to dig that out for a read as there are sections on Northern and Eastern Europe 

Oooh yes, please do dip into that book New Shoot, as I love pickled veg but often have had recipes that seem to be overpoweringly vinegary ---maybe sweet pickles is the way forward 

[New shoot]

The basic sweet vinegar mix I have used is from an American pickle book (I have a few pickle and preserve books ) 7-8 oz sugar to 1 pint white vinegar. 

This was for pickled chillies and so was unspiced and poured hot over the chillies.  I made these and they were good, so added a few spices and used it on the red cabbage, but poured over cold this time 

The Perfect Pickle book has salted/brined veg pickles from eastern Europe, but no sweet ones 

One from the Perfect Pickle book I have made and is the sort of pickle you can just eat almost as a salad (or in my case by the spoonful straight out of the fridge  ) is this one.

Sweet and sour pickled courgette

1.25kg courgette/marrow - great for using up giant courgettes that the courgette fairy has hidden from you 
4 peeled and sliced onions
2 green peppers - deseeded and chopped
2 tsp salt
300ml cider vinegar
450g sugar
1/2 tsp celery seeds  (I didn't have these so subbed cumin and that was good)
1/2 tsp white mustard seeds

Remove the seeds and pulp from the courgette and peel if the skin is tough, then finely slice
Put in a bowl with the onions and peppers and mix with the salt
Transer to a colander, put a plate and a weight on it and leave for 1 hour

Put the vinegar in a large pan and stir in the sugar over low heat until dissolved. Add the spices and bring to the boil.  Add the veg and cook for about 4 minutes or until the courgette is translucent. 

Put in jars or lidded plastic containers and store in the fridge. You can eat it the next day and it keeps for up to 3 months.  Can't say if this is true as we ate it up very fast 

I reckon squash would work as well if you cooked it a little longer 



 

[sunshineband]

Lovely sounding recipe there. Thank you New Shoot 

[tosca100]

I might have a go too, but half the amount, I have very limited fridge space with it being so hot here.

[Kate and her Ducks]

I do a very similar recipe with squash except it isn't really cooked at all.
 I use small squash or courgettes, slice them into about 5mm slices and then put them and the onion into a bowl with the salt and leave for about 4 hours. Then since and drain and pack into kilner jars (the ones with the 2 part lid).

The cider, sugar and spices are them boiled up and then poured over the squash leaving about a cm clear of the top. I put the lids on and put them in a pan with water covering them and boil for 10 mins. providing they seal properly they last for at least 9 months (still eating last years and they are still fab! )