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Simple Cucumber Relish

A sweet, crunchy relish, good for ham or cheese sandwiches and great for using up surplus greenhouse cucumbers 5 large cucumbers 2 tbsp sea salt 3 large onions - about 1kg in weight 500ml distilled/white vinegar 350g white sugar 1 tsp turmeric 1 tbsp nigella 1 tbsp yellow mustard seeds 1 tsp cornflour, mixed with a little water

1. Slice the cucumbers in half lengthways, and scoop out the seeds with a spoon, discarding
2. Slice further into thin strips, gather together and then slice across creating cubes of between 5mm and 10mm, to preference, gathering in a bowl as you go
3. Grind the sea salt in a pestle and mortar and sprinkle over the cucumbers, mixing well. Tip into a colander and place over the bowl and allow to drain, covered, overnight
4. Cop the onions finely, and tip into a large pan along with the cucumber, discarding any drained liquid
5. Add the vinegar, sugar, turmeric, cornflour mixture, nigella and mustard seeds
6. Bring to the boil, then simmer gently for about 20 minutes

Once ready, decant into jars sterilised in a 140°C oven for 15 minutes, with the lids sterilised in boiling water. Ensure lids are on tight and that the "button" is vacuumed in. One way to help this process is to pick up each jar in turn with a folded-over tea towel (they are very hot), cover the lids with the towel and shake gently two or three times, undoing the lid in between each shake to let any steam out. After the last shake, tighten the lid fully and the safety button should click in after a few minutes at most. Can be eaten more-or-less straight away, but like all vinegared relishes and chutneys, improves over time.