Mustard Pickles

Mustard pickles are a Prince Edward Island classic. Found on dinner tables across the province, they're typically served alongside meat, fish and potatoes, adding a sweet, tangy flavour that generations of Islanders have loved.

Local celebrity home cook Mary Lou MacLeod has been making mustard pickles for years and uses a simple recipe from her "dear friend and husband's Aunt Margaret." She peels the cucumbers, removes the seeds, and chops them into small pieces with the onions, skipping the usual salting and soaking step. Her other tip? Grease the pot before cooking to keep the sugar from burning and sticking to the bottom.

Yield: Makes six (6) 500 ml jars

Ingredients:

• 3 ½ cups white sugar
• ½ - ¾ cup flour
• 2 tbsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• 1 tbsp mustard seed
• 1 tbsp turmeric
• 1 tbsp dry mustard
• 2 cups vinegar
• 8 cups field cucumber, peeled and chopped
• 1 cup red pepper, chopped
• 4 cups onion, chopped

Preparation

1. Grease the bottom of a large pot. Add sugar, flour, salt, pepper, mustard seed, turmeric and dry mustard. Mix together.
2. Add vinegar and cook until thick, about 5-7 minutes.
3. Add chopped cucumber, onion and red pepper.
4. Bring to a boil and cook another 10 minutes, stirring constantly.
5. Process the jars in a water bath for 10 minutes, following water-bath canning procedure.