Put mustard cucumbers in a stone pot

Place mustard cucumbers in a stone pot - a traditional pleasure

Stone pot for cucumbers

A stone pot has many advantages, which is why it has been used for pickling cucumbers for decades. To this day, many people continue to hold on to this tradition. In terms of sustainability, it is currently also being discovered by the younger generation. These are the pluses at a glance:

it is made of natural material
can be used again for years
offers a large capacity
comes in handy when inserting

Tips

Use a stone pot with a rim for water. The water envelops the lid and protects the contents from the penetration of harmful germs.

Wash out and rinse with hot water

Even a large stone pot must be cleaned well before use. This works best with hot water and a few spoons of soda. This solution is put into the stone pot and left to stand for the time being. When the water has cooled down a bit, the inside can be cleaned with a brush. Then the stone pot is rinsed with plenty of water.

Pickling cucumbers or cucumbers?

Most pickled cucumber recipes call for small pickled cucumbers. Mustard cucumbers, however, are made from cucumber. Unlike for a salad, mustard pickles are allowed to mature on the plant for a long time. If they're thick and yellow, they'll be especially tasty when paired with mustard. Autumn is the time of the ripe cucumbers and therefore the best time to pickle them as mustard cucumbers for the winter.

Only the pulp is required

Cucumbers are peeled and pitted, because only the remaining pulp goes into the stone pot. If the cucumbers have hardly any or only soft kernels, as is often the case with green specimens, they can stay on. The pulp is cut into pieces before pickling, but they do not necessarily have to be bite-sized.

The flavor givers of the cucumber

Mustard seeds are the main ingredient, so they are always found in large numbers in mustard pickles. In addition, other herbs and spices complement the mustard taste harmoniously. These are in particular onions, garlic and horseradish, fresh dill and bay leaves, peppercorns and chilli. But these are by no means all possible ingredients. You can also experiment with other flavors.

Recipe for mustard pickles in a stone pot

For a stone pot with a capacity of 5 liters you need the following ingredients:

3 thick, medium-sized yellow cucumbers
10 tablespoons of sugar
3 tbsp salt
100 g mustard seeds
375 ml vinegar (10%)
2 large onions
1 bunch of dill
1/2 stick horseradish

If you have a different size stone pot, you can adjust the amounts in the recipe accordingly.

preparation

Cut the peeled and pitted cucumbers into smaller pieces.
Remove the skin from the onions and cut them into rings.
Peel the horseradish and grate it finely on a kitchen grater.
Wash the dill clean, but it doesn't need to be cut.
Put cucumbers, onions, horseradish and dill alternately in the stone pot.
Mix the vinegar with the remaining ingredients. Stir the solution several times until the salt and sugar have completely dissolved.
Pour this spice stock into the stone pot with the cucumbers.
The contents are only partially covered by this liquid at the beginning. Don't worry, more juice will leak out of the cucumbers over time.
Fill the rim of the stone pot with some water and place the lid on it. So the stone pot is hermetically sealed.
Put the pot in a cool place for about 4 days.
During this time, stir the contents daily so that all the cucumber pieces come into contact with the spice stock.

durability

Mustard cucumbers in a stone pot can be kept for several weeks.

Conclusion for quick readers:

Advantages of stone pot: made of natural material; usable for decades; large capacity; practical to use
Tip: Use a stone pot with a rim for water to make it airtight later
Cleaning: pour hot water and soda; let stand briefly; Brush out the pot and then rinse thoroughly
Suitable cucumbers: Ripe, yellow cucumbers are ideal; Pickling cucumbers are not used for mustard pickles
Pulp: Only the pulp of the cucumbers is used; The shell and seeds are removed
Flavor: In addition to mustard seeds, onions, garlic, horseradish, dill, peppercorns, etc. A.
Recipe for 5 l stone pot: 3 thick yellow cucumbers; 10 tbsp sugar; 3 tbsp salt; 375 ml of vinegar
Recipe for 5 l stone pot: 2 large onions; 1 bunch of dill; ½ stick of horseradish
Step 1: Peel, core and cut the cucumber into pieces; Peel the onions and cut them into rings
Step 2: peel the horseradish and rub on the grater; Wash dill
Step 3: Layer the cucumber, onion, dill and horseradish in the stone pot
Step 4: Mix the remaining ingredients until the salt and sugar have dissolved; pour into the pot
Step 5: Fill the edge of the pot with water and put the lid on; Let the pot cool for approx. 4 days
Step 6: During this time, stir the contents daily and mix the cucumber and spice stock together
Shelf life: Mustard cucumbers in a stone pot can be kept for several weeks