Cucumber, pineapple relish

Press, 2 April 1980, Page 17

Cucumber, pineapple relish

I think =1 must be lazy when it comes* to making chutneys and relishes because I nearly always pass over a recipe which calls for “salting and standing” the ingredients in favour of one where everything goes into the pan together and is cooked immediately. If you feel the same way, try this cucumber and pineapple relish. Just before the recipe — a note about sealing chutneys and relishes. Cellophane topped vinegary preserves often shrink in the jars and dry out because vinegar evaporates through the cellophane. Jars topped with unlacquered metal tops may be hard to open later, because the tops rust fast because of the vinegar. Plastic _ topped jars,- like coffee jars, or paraffin wax seals work best with these vinegary mixtures. . Clean and heat coffee ’.jars in . the oven before (filling them. ’ Prepare the screw-on 'plastic lids by pouring Jboiling water over them ‘and*leaving them to stand -for five minutes. Fill the

hot jars with the hot relish, and screw on the (undried) plastic tops im« mediately. Paraffin tops are excellent on glasses and jars which are wider at the mouth than anywhere else. Heat the clean glasses in the oven, pour in the hot relish and wipe around the inside of the glass with paper towel or a clean, almost dry cloth. As soon as the relish has cooled to room temperature, seal the glasses by pouring on a smm thick layer of melted candlewax of melted paraffin wax. This will stick to dry glass, but not to a damp surface. (You can wash 'this wax and melt it down for reuse when you open the jar of relish.) Ingredients: 2 large cucumbers 4 onions 1 can (300-500 g crushed pineapple 1} cups sugar 1 cup water 4 teaspoons (20 ml) glacial acetic acid 1 tablespoon salt 1 teaspoon curry pow« det 1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon celery seed (optional) 1 tablespoon cornflour Select cucumbers 23-25 cm (9-10 inches) long, or use more smaller cucumbers with a total weight of I|2kg. Halve cucumbers lengthwise, but do not peel them unless the skins are very tough. Using a spoon, scoop out the seeds and pulp, and discard it. Slice the cucumbers as finely as possible. Halve the onions lengthwise, cut off the roots, then remove the skins. (It is much easto remove the skins after onions are halved or quartered.) Slice the onions very thinly and put them in a large saucepan with the sliced cucumber. Add the crushed pineapple, sugar, water, acetic acid, salt.

curry, turmeric and celeery salt. Bright mixture to boil, stirring freuently, then simmer, uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Mix cornflour to a paste with two or three tablespoons fo cold water, stir it into the relish and simmer mixture for two to three minutes longer.Bottle and seal (see above).

ALISON HOLST

KITCHEN DIARY