Place in a shallow dish, sprinkle with the salt lightly and toss to distribute the salt. Cover the surface with baking paper and weigh it down with a plate. Leave in a cool place for 12–24 hours. Put the vinegar, 200ml/7fl oz water and the sugar in a large saucepan. Heat gently, stirring all the time, until the sugar has dissolved. Add the gherkins or cucumber and simmer for 5–6 minutes for gherkins, or 3–4 minutes for cucumber spears (the skins of both will turn an olive green and the cucumber flesh slightly translucent). Remove from the heat. Place a dill head (or fronds) into each sterilised jar. Add a teaspoon of dill and mustard seeds and a garlic clove to each jar. The salt draws out the excess moisture from the vegetables, which will help keep them crisp, intensify their flavour and improve their preservation by preventing the excess water diluting the vinegar. While Taste America Ltd update product information about American food online regularly, the nutrition, ingredient, allergen and other product information may change.

Tip into a colander and rinse the gherkins or cucumbers under cold water. Drain well, tossing to encourage any excess water to drain away. Leave for 5–10 minutes to dry. Wash the gherkins or cucumbers. Leave gherkins whole, but if using cucumbers, cut in half lengthways and remove any seeds by running a teaspoon down the length of each half. Cut each half into 3–4 slices lengthwise, then cut the lengths in half on the diagonal so you end up with spear-shaped pieces about 6–7cm/2½–2¾in long.

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