Conservation
Cucumber varieties: About salad cucumbers and pickles
Cucumbers are a popular summer treat, and you can even preserve your cucumbers all year round by pickling them. In this article, we explain what you should bear in mind when pickling cucumbers, what types of cucumbers can be pickled and provide you with a few sample recipes.
Here you will find a short, general recipe for pickling cucumbers. Depending on your taste, you can pickle your cucumbers with spices such as dill, mustard, chillies, garlic and honey:
Everyone has different tastes when it comes to pickled cucumbers. Fortunately, there are recipes for almost every preference. In the respective sections you will find recipes for mustard pickles, sweet and sour pickles and pickled cucumbers. You can find tips and tricks on how to grow cucumbers in our article Planting cucumbers.
Each cucumber variety offers unique characteristics and flavor profiles. Whether it's a farmer's cucumber, gherkin or snake cucumber, choosing the right variety depends on your personal preferences and the desired end product. You can find out more about the different types of cucumber in our article Cucumber varieties: about salad cucumbers and pickling cucumbers.
Gherkins are small, firm cucumbers that are ideal for pickling. They are the classic pickling gherkins and have several advantages when it comes to pickling:
Snake cucumbers and salad cucumbers are usually eaten fresh, but can also be pickled. Pickling allows you to preserve your gherkins and cucumbers, especially if you get a large quantity of cucumbers from your garden and you can't use them all fresh or give them away. Here are some advantages and disadvantages and things to bear in mind:
Cucumber pickling is a traditional method of preserving the taste and freshness of summer throughout the year. The cucumbers are not only pickled in vinegar or brine, but also pasteurized using heat, which significantly increases their shelf life. This process, also known as "hot-filling", seals the gherkins in airtight jars and protects them from bacteria and mold. There is a wide variety of recipes: from sweet and sour pickled gherkins to spicy varieties with garlic, mustard and dill. And it's not just cucumbers that you can pickle, you can also pickle other vegetables such as peppers like cucumbers. Regardless of the recipe you choose, it is important to use fresh ingredients and clean, sterilized jars. You can adjust the intensity and mix of spices to suit your personal taste, which allows for countless variations and exciting flavor experiences.
Pro tip: Sprinkle your cucumbers or cucumber slices with a little salt and weigh them down overnight or for 12 hours. The salt removes excess moisture from the vegetables, which helps to keep the cucumbers crunchy. It also intensifies the flavor and improves the shelf life, as the excess water does not dilute the vinegar.
There are many grandma-style recipes. Perhaps there are also recipes in your family that used to be used for pickling. Have a look or ask your relatives if you like. But in the next section, we also present a recipe for sweet and sour cucumbers Grandma's style.
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Preparation:
Making your own pickled gherkins is not difficult at all. There are many recipes on the internet, depending on what flavor you prefer. You can find a sample recipe here. Feel free to adapt it to your own taste.
Ingredients:
Preparation:
There are also many recipes for mustard pickles. Depending on how intense you want the flavor of the spices to be at the end of the pickling, you can use different amounts of spices and time before opening the pickled cucumbers. This recipe has already been tried by us and the flavor was very strong and intense.
Ingredients:
Preparation:
Recipe originally from BBC Food: Dill pickles.
Pickling cucumbers without cooking, often referred to as "fridge pickling", is a quick method of pickling cucumbers. The cucumbers remain particularly crunchy as they are not exposed to the heating process. However, the shelf life of such cucumbers is shorter than that of conventionally pickled cucumbers.
Pickling without cooking is a great way to enjoy the fresh, crisp taste of cucumbers without the hassle and time required for pickling.
The length of time for which cucumbers should be pickled depends on the type of recipe and the desired flavor result. Here are some general guidelines:
Canning cucumbers is a traditional method of preserving them over a longer period of time, and both the stone pot and the screw-top jar each offer their own advantages and disadvantages. We explain what these are in the respective sections. You can find out more about the right containers for preserving in our article Preserving jars.
Pickling in a stone pot is an old method that is often used to ferment cucumbers. The stone pot keeps the cucumbers cool and dark. Due to its heavy and impermeable structure, it provides an ideal environment for fermentation, which can lead to a deeper flavor and a longer shelf life. It is particularly suitable for larger quantities and keeps the contents cool and protected from light, which aids fermentation. One disadvantage could be its size and weight, which makes it less handy and difficult to store. In addition, not everyone has a stone pot at home, while screw-top jars often accumulate as waste from canning.
The screw-top jar, on the other hand, is perfect for smaller quantities and for those who prefer a more practical, space-saving option. It is easy to seal, which offers easy storage and good protection against contamination. However, screw-top jars offer less insulation against temperature fluctuations. Both methods have their own merits, and the choice ultimately depends on your personal preferences and requirements.
After pickling, the cucumbers should be stored in a cool, dark place, preferably in a cellar or a cool cupboard. If you pickle your cucumbers properly and store them correctly, the pickled cucumbers will keep for around 12-18 months or even longer. These factors influence the shelf life of your cucumbers:
It is always a good idea to mark the canning date on the jars and to check the jars regularly for signs of spoilage, such as cloudy liquid, unpleasant odor or mold. If there are signs of spoilage, the cucumbers should not be consumed.
Want to learn even more about canning, check out our Fruit & Vegetable Preserving article.
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Cover picture by Kasjan Farbisz on Pixabay.
Marielena studies agricultural and environmental sciences. She gardens at home and at an allotment and likes to try out new things.
Learn moreWhy pickle cucumbers in salt water overnight?
Pickling in salt water removes water from the cucumbers and strengthens their cell structure, making them crunchier and less likely to absorb liquid when pickled later.
How do home-pickled cucumbers stay crunchy?
To keep the cucumbers crunchy, first place them in salted water, add calcium-rich leaves (e.g. vine or cherry leaves) to the pickling process and quickly heat the pickling liquid to blanch the cucumbers briefly.
How can you preserve green cucumbers?
Green cucumbers can be preserved by soaking them in a vinegar-salt solution and then boiling them in sterilized jars. The high acidity of the solution and the airtight seal preserve them.
Yes, country cucumbers can also be pickled. They often have a firmer skin, which may need to be peeled, and a more intense flavor that lends itself well to spicy pickling solutions.