Recipe by Jake Galbraith and Christopher Matthews of Cooks Restaurant in Cumberland
When we made the decision to open a burger shop in Cumberland after years of toiling in fine dining restaurants in Vancouver, Victoria and Calgary, we knew that we’d only be satisfied if we could apply the culinary philosophies and techniques we had worked so hard to learn. That means we buy high-quality local ingredients whenever possible, and then prepare them from scratch—like buying enough locally grown cucumbers every summer to last us an entire year of business. This amounts to a few thousand pounds of cucumbers sliced by hand and then brined and stored for future use.
We do this for a few reasons: primarily, we love working with and supporting local agriculture. Our cucumbers come from two farms: Two Roads (Denman Island) and Pendleton (Courtenay). Secondly, we understand that our product can be made better, or at least unique, by using ingredients that are only available from our kitchen. Lastly, we are suckers for punishment and the task of all that slicing and pickling takes place during the busiest stretch of the year! But it's well worth it, as our bread-and-butter-style pickle provides a bit of sweetness and acidity to our burgers and fried chicken sandwiches in order to balance out the richness, and to also complement the abundance of savoury flavours.
Instructions
Ingredients
2-3 kg (5 lbs) pickling cucumbers
0.5% by weight kosher salt
Brine ingredients:
2 l (8 cups) white vinegar
750 ml (3 cups) sugar
30 g (¼ cup) whole black peppercorns
30 g (¼ cup) mustard seeds
5 g (1 Tbsp) turmeric
5 whole bay leaves
Method
Rinse cucumbers and remove any visible dirt, trim flowering end and discard. (There are enzymes produced in the flowers that will affect the crispness of the pickle.)
Slice pickles with a mandolin, about ⅛ of an inch. Mix thoroughly with the salt and refrigerate overnight. There will be quite a bit of liquid in the morning as the salt has drawn the water out of the cucumber. Use a colander to drain completely.
Prepare the brine by combining the sugar, vinegar and spices in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir to ensure the sugar has dissolved completely. Once boiled, allow to cool and refrigerate overnight.
Pack your fully drained cucumbers into a clean vessel. This could be a jar or a bucket depending on how many cucumbers you purchased. Just ensure the lid is airtight. Fill to the brim with brine ensuring the cucumbers are completely submerged.
Refrigerate indefinitely, and wait 24–48 hours before enjoying.
Notes:
1. High-quality fresh pickling cucumbers such as Wisconsin or Kirby types will produce a tastier, crunchier pickle. Avoid salad types like long English or silver slicer.
2. The salt is very important, not only for seasoning, but also for removing excess moisture. The lower the water content, the more flavourful and crisper the pickle.
3. Seasonings can be adjusted to your tastes, but the brine recipe is a good base. Want a bit of spice with the sweet? Add some chilies. Like a hint of dill? You get the idea.
4. These pickles are not shelf stable, but they will last a very long time under refrigeration provided the water content is low.
