Green bean & mustard pickle

Contains pork – recipe is for non-Muslims only
Got a glut of runner beans, or just fancy a twist on classic English piccalilli? This low-fat preserve is great with ham or in cheese sandwiches

Prep:35 mins
Cook:25 mins

Easy

Nutrition per serving

kcal 33
fat 0g
saturates 0g
carbs 8g
sugars 7g
fibre 0g
protein 1g
salt 0.19g

Ingredients

600g onions, chopped
850ml /1½ pts pickling vinegar
1kg runner beans
40g /1½ oz plain flour
57g tin English mustard powder
2 tbsp ground turmeric
2 tbsp celery salt
2 tbsp black mustard seeds
225g light muscovado sugar
450g golden granulated sugar

Tip

Tip
Don't forget to sterilise your jars. This is essential to ensure your pickle stays in tip-top condition. Wash your jars in hot, soapy water, then leave in a low oven to dry completely. Keep them warm until you fill them.

Method

Put the onions in a preserving pan with 500ml of the vinegar. Cover and cook gently for 20 mins until soft. Meanwhile, blanch the beans for 5 mins, then drain.
Mix the flour, mustard powder, turmeric and celery salt. Heat the mustard seeds in a small lidded pan until you hear them popping, then tip them into the flour mixture. Gradually stir in remaining vinegar until smooth.
When the onions are ready, tip in the spice vinegar mixture and stir continuously over the heat until thickened. Add the blanched beans and cook, uncovered, for 10 mins, stirring occasionally. Add both the sugars and cook, stirring frequently, for 15 mins more until thick. Spoon into sterilised jars (see tip) and seal while hot. This will keep in a cool place for a year, but the colour will fade over time. Once opened, store in the fridge.