Homemade Gherkins Pickles

Does anyone else find Gherkins pickles absolutely delicious and somewhat addicting?

I am not sure if it is because of their small shape, or their unique flavor, but I could eat a half of a jar of these tiny pickles in just one sitting.

So when I decided that I had to make them myself, I started to do some research.

What exactly is a Gherkin?

In my simple mind, I always thought that a Gherkin was a baby cucumber.

Although that is exactly what they look like, that isn’t quite true. At least not for all Gherkins.

Technically, they aren’t even considered a cucumber. However, they do belong to the same gourd family.

But they are from a different cultivator group. They produce fruit that is between 1-3 inches in length. And when Gherkins are pickled they are much more crisp and crunchy than a cucumber pickle.

However, instead of going through all of the genealogy and differences between Gherkins and cucumbers, we will concentrate on how to make Gherkins pickles.

Gherkins Pickles

In several countries, Gherkins pickles are also made from baby cucumbers.

Although not true Gherkins, small, early onset cucumbers can also be used in this recipe.

In fact, we were too late in ordering our Gherkin seeds this year, so we had to plant bush variety pickling cucumbers instead.

For our Classic Crispy Dill Pickle recipe, we let the cucumbers get as big as 3-5 inches.

But in order to make this recipe, we picked them when they were about 2-3 inches in length.

The key to making the Gherkins pickles crisp is to soak them in a salt water brine overnight. The salt penetrates through the skin and actually begins the pickling process immediately.

After being soaked, it is time to add spices to the Gherkins. The choice on what flavors that you want to use is up to you.

We prefer to use pickling spice along with a few extra peppercorns. But fill free to add in a little fresh garlic or dill as well.

The Waiting Period

The hardest part about this recipe is waiting at least 2 weeks before eating them!

Yes, 2 full weeks that equal 14 long days!

This will allow enough time for the brine and spices to adequately penetrate into the gherkins.

Of course you can sneak a bite any time after day 2. However, you are going to be amazed at the flavor of the gherkins pickles after week 2!

Can You Can Gherkins Pickles?

Unlike our Spicy Garlic Dill Pickles, we prefer to store these pickles in the refrigerator.

Because we have so many pickling cucumber plants we are able to make a fresh batch every couple of days throughout the summer.

That is plenty enough to get us through most of the year!

However, if you prefer to can your Gherkins pickles, it is easy to do so!

Simply follow the instructions below to cold pack the pickles. Then pour the hot brine over the top, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.

Finally, process in a hot water canning bath for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude accordingly.

That is all there is to it! Besides, of course, making sure the jars sealed properly the next day.

Enjoy!

Mary and Jim

Jim and Mary Competti have been writing gardening, DIY and recipe articles and books for over 15 years from their 46 acre Ohio farm. The two are frequent speakers on all things gardening and love to travel in their spare time.

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