Quick-pickled dill cucumbers

Sterilise 2 x 300g jars according to the instructions online at waitrose.com/howtosterilisejars. Use a vegetable peeler to remove alternate strips of skin along the length of each cucumber, so you are left with pale and dark stripes. Slice the cucumbers into ½cm rounds and put in a bowl with the sliced onion. Sprinkle with the salt and toss together well. Leave for 30 minutes, massaging occasionally, until the mixture is bathed in liquid.

Meanwhile, put the vinegar, sugar, allspice and bay leaves in a saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve. Remove from heat and set aside to cool a little.

Squeeze out any excess liquid from the cucumbers with your hands (do this in batches) and add the squeezed slices to the warm vinegar mix, pushing them under the liquid so they are totally submerged. Stir in the dill, transfer to the sterilised jars and leave to cool. Seal, then put in the fridge for at least 2 hours or up to 1 week.