Swedish Cucumbers

• I came across this recipe in a fellow bloggers post.
• Her blog is Thistes & Kiwis – about life in Wellington, New Zealand.
• This lady is half Polish, has lived in Scotland and Sweden –
• She now lives in New Zealand.
• I did a little research around this recipe and have adjusted it slightly.
• I tested this out on one of my Polish friends – she thought it was super and has been making it already.
• Now cucumbers – ogórki – are well loved in Poland.
• They are usually the short knobbly ones, which you do not find often in England.
• They are fermented or pickled in Poland.
• This recipe uses what are known as salad cucumbers –
• These are the ones most commonly found for sale or grown in gardens in England.
• *
• This dish is called pressgurka – a word which has similarities to English and Polish. (press and ogórki)
• In Sweden it is often served with meatloat – klops or meat patties – kotlety.
• I did not have any cooking when I was making this but I am sure it would be wonderful.
• I served it with warm cooked liver and with egg mayonaise and anchovy sandwiches.
• You could describe this as sweet & sour.
• It will keep for a few days in the fridge should you have any left.
• As my amounts are for 1 cucumber – I would make this afresh when needed.
• Use a mandoline to cut or the side of a grater or a cheese slicer.
• If you are good at cutting very thin slices then cut the cucumber with a sharp knife.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 salad cucumber
• Large pinch of salt
• 2 tablespoons of sugar
• 3 tablespoons of white wine or cider vinegar
• 4 tablespoons of water
• *
• Can add some dill flowerheads or caraway seeds at the end

METHOD

• Peel about half of the skin off the cucumber – lengthwise.
• Slice the cucumber very thinly.
• Place the cucumber on a flat plate.
• Sprinkle with a large pinch of salt.
• Place a piece of kitchen roll on top.
• Plate another flat plate on top and put some weights on this (or a couple of tins).
• Leave this for at least 30 minutes.
• Remove the kitchen roll.
• Put the cucumbers into a large sieve and remove the liquid.
• Dry up the cucumbers with some more kitchen roll or use a clean tea towel.
• Put the cucumbers into a bowl.
• Put the sugar, vinegar and water into a small pan and heat gently until the sugar has dissoved.
• Simmer a minute.
• Pour the mixture over the cucumbers and stir well.
• Leave until cool before serving.
• *
• Put any leftovers into a lided jar – can keep for a day or two.

Bavaria china dish, Meakin plate & Royal Doulton plate.