Ingredients:
- 1.5 kilogram of cucumbers, small, ground variety – the year-round long, glasshouse cucumbers won’t really work well
- boiling water, at least 1 litre
- 1 tablespoon of salt per litre
- 0.5 teaspoon of sugar per litre
- one small head of garlic, halved
- horseradhish root, as it’s hard to get it can be substituted with 1 teaspoon of grated horseradish that’s common in shops. Choose variety which has as much horseradish as possible, and as little of other ingredients.
- dill stems and flowers, can be substituted with frozen dill
Method:
- boild water, about 1 litre
- place the cucumbers in a bowl or an enameled pot, pour over with boiling water – this will kill anything that would disturb the process of brining
- cover with regular water thereafter, in increments of a litre
- add the seasonings in required amount, stir a little
- weigh down the cucumbers with a plate so all stay submerged
- set aside for at least five days, after which time they are ready to be eaten
If left for longer, they’ll gradually progress towards soured/fermented cucumbers, becoming more tart and astringent with time.