Easy pickled qukes or Lebanese cucumbers are very yummy and so easy to make! They are made in a sweet brine with mustard seeds and fresh turmeric! Maybe a tiny little bit spicy for some and definitely loved by everyone with a passion for sweet foods!
Pickles are good and somehow I think they just easily pair with literally anything. A yummy extraordinary spread on your toast? You got it. A snack between big meals? Pickles will save you. A sweet tooth? These sweet pickled cucumbers will help with that as well.
I just love how versatile the pickles are. They can be served as an appetizer, a side dish or a snack. And I truly believe there the right pickles for everyone out there! After making these amazing Spicy Sweet and Sour Pickled Cucumbers not long ago, I decided to make another jar of sweet pickle cucumbers but with mustard seeds and turmeric.
These sweet pickled cucumbers are truly unusual. I just love how this brine turns so thick and sweet! The pickled cucumbers have an unexpected taste because they use different ingredients. What they are?
Mustard seeds
Mustard seeds are a kind of spice you probably know from Asian and Indian dishes. They have different colours and shades. Most likely you will find white, brown, yellow (the most common kind) or black mustard seeds.
Depending on their colour, mustard seeds have different aromatic strength and flavour. Black mustard seeds have probably the strongest scent and white mustard seeds are quite mild. For cooking, they can be roasted, fried or toasted. Sometimes they are in a ground form as powder.
Mustard seeds are perfect for making pickles (like this recipe!), adding to stir-fries and Indian dishes, such as curry or Masala sauce. If ground, mustard seeds are used to make a mustard condiment (for example for Dijon mustard).
Mustard seeds are sometimes pressed cold into mustard oil. This oil has many health benefits but also a few negative effects. One of them is that mustard oil contains quite a high level of erucic acid. This is linked to several cardiovascular diseases. However, it’s safe to consume erucic acid in a small dosage.
Recipes using mustard seeds:
Turmeric
Turmeric is well known for its bright yellow colour and a bitter taste. But don’t worry, it won’t turn a dish bitter. The taste of turmeric rarely overcomes the taste of your dish.
Turmeric has been used for thousands of years because of its anti-inflammatory properties. The ancient civilizations praised turmeric for its power to treat osteoporosis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Apart from using turmeric as an immune booster, it helps with other medical treatments. Turmeric can help prevent cancer (some kinds), improve memory, and help reduce stress and anxiety.
Turmeric is frequently used for Indian dishes, such as curries and dhal, for soups, porridges, and as a yellow natural colouring. It is usually ground into turmeric powder.
Recipes using turmeric:
Imunne-Boosting Turmeric and Ginger Drink
Cardamom And Orange Christmas Cookies
Spicy Lentil And Chickpea Soup
Miso Glazed Eggplant With Turmeric Sauce
What do you need to make mustard and turmeric sweet pickled cucumbers?
- Qukes or Lebanese cucumbers. I like using qukes cucumbers because they have the best size and shape for pickling! If eaten raw, they are juicy and crunchy. I love them! They are also suitable for healthy snacking. Lebanese cucumbers are good as well.
- Red onion
- Salt. Fine sea salt or finely ground Himalayan pink salt is the best.
- Granulated white sugar. If you feel extra fancy, substitute white sugar with raw cane (brown) sugar.
- White vinegar. Distilled white vinegar is the cheapest option. You can also use apple cider vinegar or white rice vinegar (unseasoned).
- Distilled water
- Mustard seeds, brown or yellow.
- Fresh turmeric root. If you can’t get any, use ground turmeric.
Do you want more recipes for pickles? You can see them here:
Spicy Sweet and Sour Pickled Cucumbers
Pickled Beetroot (Vegan and Gluten-Free)
The Easiest Fermented Red Onion
Mustard and Turmeric Sweet Pickled Cucumbers
Equipment
- Jar with a lid (about 1 litre)
Ingredients
- 500 g qukes or Lebanese cucumbers sliced
- 1 large red onion peeled and sliced
- 1/3 cup salt
- 5 cups granulated white sugar1)
- 4 cups white vinegar2)
- 1 cup distilled water
- 2 tbsp mustard seeds
- 6cm/2.3inch piece turmeric3) peeled and grated
Instructions
- Place the sliced cucumbers and onion in a bowl and sprinkle them with salt. Set it aside for 4 hours.
- After 4 hours, discard the brine (liquid) that cucumber and onion released. Keep the cucumbers and onions and rinse them shortly with water to get rid of any remaining salt. Place them in a clean jar.
- Place the rest of the ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring it to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes until the brine thickens.
- Pour the brine over the cucumbers while still hot. Close with a lid. Serve when completely cooled down.
Notes
Nutrition
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Klara Walterova
Klara is a professional freelance writer for hire. She offers web content, blog posting, ghostwriting and copywriting. She writes for a healthy lifestyle, wellness and travel websites. She focuses on veganism and the vegan diet. When she's not writing, she develops new tasty vegan recipes, travels the world or plays with her cats. Please contact her for her online writing services on her website writtenbyvegan.com or visit her Instagram profile @writtenbyvegan.