Why a British pantry deserves a shelf of pickles

A jar of homemade pickles is one of the quiet triumphs of a British kitchen. It turns a glut of small onions or ridge cucumbers into something sharp, crunchy and useful, ready to sit beside a wedge of Cheddar, a slice of cold ham or a bowl of salad. The best pickles are not complicated. They rely on good vinegar, plenty of salt, a few warm spices and a little patience. Make them in late summer when produce is cheap and plentiful, and you will eat well all winter.

What you need before you start

Gather your equipment first. You will need a large non-reactive bowl or bucket for brining, a stainless steel or enamel pan for heating vinegar, and clean glass jars with vinegar-proof lids. Never use aluminium, copper or chipped enamel, as the acid will react with them. Sterilise your jars by washing them in hot soapy water, rinsing well, then drying them in a low oven for ten minutes. Fill them while still warm.

• Vinegar: use malt vinegar for onions and cider or white wine vinegar for cucumbers. Check the label says at least 5% acetic acid. Do not use non-brewed condiment.
• Salt: ordinary table salt or sea salt is fine, but avoid iodised salt if you can. It can make brine cloudy.
• Spices: mustard seeds, coriander seeds, black peppercorns, bay leaves, dried chilli and dill are the classic British set.
• Sugar: a little soft brown or white sugar softens the sharpness without making the pickle sweet.

Pickled onions that stay crunchy

Small pickling onions are the traditional choice, but shallots or tiny round shallots work well too. Peel them and put them in a brine of 100g salt to 1.2 litres cold water. Leave for 24 hours. This draws out water and keeps the onions firm. Drain, rinse and pat dry.

For each 1kg of onions, warm 600ml malt vinegar with 100g sugar, 1 tablespoon mustard seeds, 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, 1 teaspoon black peppercorns and 2 bay leaves. Bring just to a simmer, not a rolling boil, then take off the heat. Pack the onions into jars, tuck in a dried chilli if you like heat, and pour over the hot vinegar. Seal. They will be ready in four to six weeks. Keep them in a cool, dark cupboard. Once opened, store in the fridge.

Cucumbers and gherkins: brine first, vinegar second

Cucumbers are mostly water, so the trick is to remove some of it before they meet the vinegar. Slice ridge cucumbers or small gherkins into 5mm rounds, or leave gherkins whole if they are tiny. Toss with 2 tablespoons salt for every 1kg and leave in a colander for two hours. Rinse and dry thoroughly. This step is what keeps them crisp rather than limp.

Pack them into jars with fresh dill, a few mustard seeds, a sliced garlic clove if you wish, and a bay leaf. For the pickling liquid, combine 500ml cider vinegar, 250ml water and 50g sugar. Bring to a simmer and pour over the cucumbers while hot. Seal and leave for at least a week before eating. They will keep their crunch for months. If you prefer bread-and-butter style, add a teaspoon of turmeric and a little more sugar to the vinegar.

Spices, vinegar and the British larder

Spices should support, not shout. Mustard seeds give a gentle heat, coriander adds citrus notes, and bay leaves bring a savoury depth. Toast whole spices in a dry pan for a minute before adding them to the vinegar, but do not let them burn. A piece of fresh horseradish or a few grape leaves can help keep cucumbers crunchy, though the salt brine does most of the work.

Vinegar is the backbone. Malt vinegar is robust and traditional for onions, while cider vinegar is softer for cucumbers. If you want a clearer pickle, use white wine vinegar. Never dilute unless the recipe says so, as too little acid can allow spoilage. A pinch of sugar balances the sharpness, and a teaspoon of salt in the vinegar improves the flavour.

Storing, serving and small-batch growing

Label your jars with the date and contents. Store them in a cool, dark place for up to a year. Check the lids are not swollen and the brine is clear. If a jar smells off, looks fizzy or has a fuzzy growth, throw it out. Once opened, keep it in the fridge and use within a month or two.

Serve pickled onions with a ploughman's lunch, sharp Cheddar, cold roast beef or a pork pie. Cucumber pickles are excellent alongside grilled cheese, fish and chips, or chopped into potato salad. They also cut through rich winter stews.

If you grow your own, choose pickling onion sets and ridge cucumbers or gherkins. Harvest onions when the tops fall over and dry them well. Pick cucumbers young and firm. A single row of gherkins can fill a shelf of jars. Even a windowsill pot of dill and a few small cucumbers will give you enough for a first batch. The pleasure is in the making as much as the eating: a store cupboard that tastes of summer, ready for the coldest day.