Pickle People - Help!!

I've just made a "Branston" style pickle which smells just like the real thing (but tastes hotter). Anyway, it's cooked through, but there is still a lot of liquid left which is quite runny. Should I keep cooking until it thickens or leave it? The real stuff is quite thick.

Either cook a little longer or thicken slightly with some cornflour paste. Would you share your recipe pls.

Thanks nauru - I'll try cooking it a little longer first. Here's the recipe.

Branston Pickle is one of the best-known British commercialised pickles or relishes, a spiced vegetable mixture - and a staple for all cheese sarnies and ploughman's lunches! There are many generic brands on the market now, but this is the closest set of ingredients and the most authentic taste, compared with the Original Branston Pickle recipe! Wonderful when added to curries and stews, and you MUST try it with toasted cheese or Welsh rarebit - delicious!

Ingredients
250g carrots peeled and cut into small chunks
1 medium swede peeled and cut into small chunks
4-5 garlic cloves peeled and finely chopped
140g dates, finely chopped
1 small cauliflower, finely chopped
2 onions, peeled and finely chopped
2 medium apples, finely chopped, unpeeled
2 medium finely chopped courgettes, unpeeled
15-20 small cornichons or gherkins, finely chopped
280g dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons lemon juice
420ml malt vinegar
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
2 teaspoons ground allspice
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (if you don’t like things too hot I’d halve this)

Directions: 4 x 500g jars Combine all the ingredients in a large saucepan and bring them to the boil. Then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the swede is cooked, but still remains firm, about 2 hours. Stir well to redistribute all of the vegetables. Bottle and seal in sterile and hot jars.
Allow the pickle to age for a few weeks before using, this improves the taste and it will become more "mellow". Serve with cheese, ploughman's lunches, in sandwiches, with cold cuts and meats. This pickle is also wonderful when added to curries and stews.

Ooh thanks for recipe. My hubby absolutely loves Branston...

Thanks for thr recipe, will definitly give this one a try. Love Branston pickle.

I hope you reduced the liquid by cooking longer - it won't hurt the flavour. Pickles and relishes tend to thicken over time, and nothing's worse than adding a flour or cornflour paste to get it looking thick before bottling and then find that it sets solid.

Yes, I did cook it about another 40mins and it thickened up nicely. It tastes amazing. Worth all the chopping time.

elliehen, I am still looking for a pickle recipe that has the following in it.
cucumber, tomato, celery and onion, in a nice thick yellow creamy not hot sauce. I bought a jar at a fete, and it is the most beautiful i have tasted, can eat it outta the jar. It is the sauce part that i am trying to figure out. It is kinda sweet, but not curryish. It doesnt have that vinegary taste either. Just real yummy. If you can help i would be most grateful.

korbo, I don't have exactly what you're looking for, but here is a delicious tried and true sweet cucumber & onion relish that can also be eaten out of the jar :)

CUCUMBER & ONION RELISH
Seven large cucumbers with skins on (optional), remove seeds
Five medium onions
Mince or grate cucumber and onion
Sprinkle with 2 Tblsp PLAIN salt, leave for 4 to 6 hours, then strain
Mix together 3 breakfastcups malt vinegar, 3 cups white sugar, 1 cup water, 1 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp dry mustard, 1 tsp ground ginger, pinch pepper, 1/2 cup flour
Bring to boil, add cucumber and onion
Boil all for ten minutes then bottle

I have a copy of Ariane Maddison's 'Pickles and Preserves for the New Zealand Kitchen'. I'll check that out too.

COOL, THANK YOU FOR LOOKING, WILL keep any eye on this thread, cos i really would like to make the golden pickle, it was called. yes i have made the above ones, and have to smack my hand from going into the jar often... lol... .

try this one http://www.cookipedia.co. uk/wiki/index. php/Branston_pickle_r
ecipe

as of this year, anything i have preserved that looks a little runny has been slightly thickened with arrowroot powder (made in to a paste). It has given jams, pickles and even sauces an awesome texture. Heaps of my preserves are now months old and ithasnt made any difference to the taste or preserving of it

Just out of interest, I am just getting back into preserving again, how long can you keep these for in the cupboard unopened... thanks

My relishes and chutneys (in re-used pop-top jars) are usually eaten within two years, although family consumers eye them suspiciously if they develop a dark layer near the top of the jar. If you seal them with paraffin wax, they have a really long shelf-life. Maybe an old-timer will come in and post?

I don't know whether anyone else has had trouble trying to buy celery seeds for some relish/pickle recipes but I couldn't find any anywhere. I have now found them... yay! ... at Moshims on the one way behind South city. One of the nicest pickles I made this season was the pineapple and cucumber one which I sourced from the pickle thread. It's so easy and one of those 'eat from the jar when nobody's looking' pickles.