As the barbecue season creeps in, I suddenly felt the urge to make a batch of cucumbers for my burgers. I must admit, nothing beats the Lithuanian way of doing it. No vinegar, no harsh tang, just that gentle, naturally fermented flavour I grew up with. I even called my dad for a few tips, and here’s what I ended up doing…
LITHUANIA-STYLE FERMENTED CUCUMBERS
- 5 cucumbers (I bought them from green groceries as the long
cucumbers in the supermarket would not work) - 2 handfuls of dill (very important)
- 1 handful of blackcurrant leaves (my dad said this is important,
but I could not find so I did not add) - 1 handful of cherry leaves (optional and I did not have any anyways)
- 1 handful of oak leaves (optional, do you know any oak tree in London?)
- 1 sprinkle of fennel seeds (optional)
- 5 pepper corns
- 3 garlic cloves
- lots and lots of salt
- 1l boiled water, cooled down to lukewarm
So first thing first (very simple), put all the ingredients into one pot, glass jar or a bucket (I used a vase actually)… whatever!
I used ceramic baking beans on the saucer to weigh the contents down (the cucumbers tend to float). My dad usually use a stone, but I did not find any suitable. The important thing is not to seal them as it might explode due to gases passing through (I know that sounds creepy, but it’s worthy!). After just a few days here come the results!
Now you only need other components for the burger like coleslaw (try sunflower oil with caraway seeds instead of mayonnaise), sliced tomatoes with sour cream and chives + most importantly fried onions (I like it caramelised with some balsamic vinegar and sugar).
As for buns I baked them all from scratch sprinkled with some caraway seeds again (can’t have too much of it!)
And finally the burgers – have them which ever way 😉
