Gherkin advice please

[Scottishnewbie]

I am trying gherkins for the first time this year as i want to do pickled ones. however, there are only one or two ever ready at the same time!

how do i keep them fresh until i have enough to make it worth my while to pickle them?

[binley100]

I've just been popping them whole into a jar with pickling vinegar in it and hoping for the best.

[coreopsis]

Smaller jars?It won't make them any harm if you keep them in the fridge for a few days.

[Scottishnewbie]

hey binley, i never thought to do that - is it working?

[binley100]

Dunno , haven't tried one yet. We have a Mrs Beetons book with a pickle recipe where you just keep adding stuff as it's ready so just thought I'd give it a go.
I did have some larger ones which I slice, salted over night , drained, rinsed then dried and packed into a jar with some pickling vinegar so we'll see which is better.
I didn't use dill as I'm not to keen on the dill pickles.

[susieq100]

I adore gherkins so I grew some last year and had a go at pickling them, using 100% vinegar as the 'pickling liquid' - disaster! Much much too acidic. So I am experimenting with 50% boiled water and 50% white vinegar at the moment. If you like shop bought pickled gherkins then 100% vinegar might be a bit much. I am still looking for a good recipe for doing them whole. The best ones I did were put into left over fluid from a jar of Lidl gherkins (my fave!).

[Nicos]

I'm glad you asked this question scottishnewbie- cos I was thinking the very same thing yesterday.
We have about 6 gerkins the right size for pickling- and the next 'batch' are till at the flower stage

It's my first year too..and I've never found a pickling medium( thinking of beetroot here) that hasn't been too acidic for me

( I do happen to have a nearly empty jar of the shop bought ones- with all their vinegar...hmmm....I wonder how long they'd keep like that in the fridge????)

[coreopsis]

It depends what vinegar you intend to use.I never made any pickles with malt vinegar but just had a look at some recipies.
If you use white vinegar(strength 10%) the ratio water:vinegar should be 4-5:1 or more water(depends how strong you want it to be).Add some:water,salt,mustard seed,allspice,peppercorns,bay leaves,garlic,dill and horseradish.Spices are optional,depends on what you like.

[binley100]

I've just used sarsons ready spiced pickling vinegar so watch this space and I'll let you know.........

[womble]

Can I just ask a question about this. I have a couple of spare gerkin jars full off whatever liquid they have in them, can I just stick my tiny burpless cucumbers in there one at a time and reuse the liquid? And when they get a bit bigger, can you cut them in half, or do I need a larger jar?

I've got some 5% acidity white vinegar, is that any good for anything?

[coreopsis]

Womble,I suppose 5% should be ok,just add less water.I never tried reusing pickle liquid-mainly because spices have "burnt out"with the original load and I have to pasteurize jars after filling.As for cutting-probably you could.

[rogesse]

Just like Nicos, I was wondering what to do with mine and hey presto a thread on the subject!

My only experience of pickled gherkins are those nasty things you get in fast food burgers but the rest of the family love them so I'll give it a go.

[Scottishnewbie]

glad i have been of help everyone! let's monitor this and see who ends up with a 'recipe' they like and then we can all use it next year!

[snakeshack]

I mix sarsons white pickling vinegar and water in equal quantities and add 1 tablespoon of salt and one tablespoon of sugar to a litre.I thenput a whole head of dill into a 1 litre kilner jar add 2 crushed garlic cloves and a spoonful of white mustard seed (bought as a green manure).
pack the jar full of gherkins cut or whole,the more gherkin you get in the less vinegar you have to buy.
I then fill the jar to within 2 cm of the top with the vinegar mix and stand in a large saucepan of cold water with the lid in the water.
turn the heat on and wait until the water is boiling and the vinegar level has risen and is nearly boiling,remove the lid from the water and put on the jar,immediately remove jar from pan and set aside to cool,leave for 60 days (this is the hardest part)
Gherkins will keep in the fridge for up to a week in a poly bag,personally I just grow more plants as you can eat them as cucumbers anyway,I am also growing cucumber "mini" ths year and if it crops well may try pickling them too.
this tears gherkins are "bimbostar","piccolo de paris"and I think vento (lost packet)I am thinking of saving some of the seed for next year to see what I get.