As a child I adored my maternal grandmother’s bread and butter pickle. No picnic was complete without bread and butter pickle and cheddar sandwiches, the Monday cold cut meal that followed Sunday’s roast hogget using the remains always featured a jar. While I don’t have her recipe this one seems pretty close. While my grandmother was staunchly of the opinion that it could only be made with gherkins I happily blend cucumbers, zucchini and gherkins as the garden offers them up.

Ingredients

1.5 kg cucumbers/zucchini/gherkin sliced thin

450 g onions sliced thin

2 tbsp sea salt

750ml cider vinegar

250ml malt vinegar

400 g caster sugar

2 tsp white mustard seed

3 tsp turmeric

2 tsp peppercorns

2 tsp fennel seeds

3 bay leaves

Layer the vegetables in a colander, sprinkling them with the salt, then cover with a wet cloth and stand for three hours. Drain, rinse well with cold water, and drain again.

Put the remaining ingredients into a large aluminium or stainless steel saucepan – not a copper preserving pan – and bring to the boil, stirring.

Add the drained vegetables and return the mixture to boiling point, stirring, then turn off the heat immediately.

Ladle while hot into clean jars. Allow to cool before rinsing, and labelling. Store in a cool dark cupboard or cellar.

Reserve any pickling solution left over in a jar in the fridge and add to the next batch.

Perfect with sharp cheddar, in sandwiches, or on a burger.