Ingredients
-4 lbs pickling cucumbers
for the brine
2 cups white wine vinegar
2/3 cup gin
2 tbsp juniper berries
Juice of 2 limes
1 tsp sugar
½ tsp sea salt
4 tbsp, packed, chopped mint
1 ¼ cup water
Add to the bottom of each jar
2 sprigs mint
6 juniper berries
Zest of 2 limes, divided equally between the jars
-Combine all brine ingredients except the gin in a saucepan, and bring to a boil.
-Wash cucumbers, remove blossom-end, and trim to 1 inch of the height of the jar.
-when the brine comes to a boil, reduce to a simmer.
-Pack mint, juniper, and lime zest into hot, sterilized 500 ml mason jars.
-Pack cucumbers into jars as tightly as you can without crushing them.
-Add gin to brine, then pour hot brine into prepared jars, leaving ½ inch headspace.
-Remove any air bubbles from inside the jar by running a chopstick along the inside of the jar.
-Wipe rims clean, apply lids fingertip-tight.
-If processing for shelf-stability, lower jars into the water bath canner.
-Bring water back up to a boil, then process for 10 minutes.
-Turn heat off and let sit for 5 minutes. Remove jars from canner and allow to cool overnight.
-Check seals and refrigerate and unsealed jars.
-Let rest for at least one week to allow flavours to develop before eating.
Makes 4-5 500 ml jars
