Sugar is added to vinegar and spices for sweet pickles they are the perfect partner for cold meats. Sweet pickles have a delicate balance of flavours and lovely colours. They taste sharp but not at all sour, which is why I like them.
Sweet pickles don’t need to be sealed airtight. I put my sweet pickles in attractive jars and set them directly on the table to spoon on to a plate of cold meats such as ham, beef or chicken. Most recipes are made with fruit although my own favourite is made with cucumber. I find sweet pickles keep right through to the next season when I make a fresh batch.
Spices are important in sweet pickles so don’t leave any out. A health food store is always a good source and a big supermarket is pretty reliable. Stick cinnamon is used a lot as is dried root ginger (which needs to be cracked, or bruised, with a rolling pin) and turmeric which keeps cucumber pickle a beautiful green surprising because it’s actually bright yellow. I always keep allspice, cloves and mustard seed in my larder.
The preparation is simple: fruits or vegetables are simmered in spiced vinegar and sugar until tender. Then they are transferred to jars. The vinegar syrup is boiled to concentrate the consistency and flavour before it is poured over the fruits. A concentrated syrup will draw natural juices from the fruits and achieve the right balance of flavour during storage. During the first few weeks you may see a separation of heavy syrup at the base and thinner liquid at the top just give the jar an occasional shake to evenly redistribute the syrup. Sweet pickles are best left for a month or two before using.