Topic: pickling cucumbers

[kingkano]

I have pickling cucumber Conda F1.  Does anybody know how bushy these become if trained up canes??  Will it block light to the next row???  It doesnt mention pinching out on the pack either, do you pinch out picklers?

Any idea how many per plant? lol

cheers in advance

ken

[john_miller]

Assuming that pickling cucumber is the same in the U.K. as in the U.S. then the plants will get to be the same size as any outdoor cucumber. They are selected for pickling because their flesh is firmer fresh and remains firmer in brine.
I've never bothered counting how many each plant will produce as the count will depend upon the size the fruit are picked. If the fruit are picked regularly when they are small then production will be higher than if fruit are allowed to get big (more of the plants energy will go into seed maturation rather than more fruits in this case). How you pick them will depend upon your intended use for them- for 'dill' pickles or fresh consumption they are ideally harvested about 15cm long and 4cm diameter. 'Bread and butter' pickles generally use larger fruit (it is a way of using up fruit that was missed when it was small) that are perhaps 10cm in diameter. 'Pickles' are my (and many others) preferred cucumber for eating fresh as they are crispier than regular cucumbers.  

[kingkano]

Thanks John.

I think they wont block the squashes in next row then.  I was going to do 4 plants, so will I get enuff at 1 picking to pickle?  Or should I freeze them or something???

thanks for the info tho.

ken

[john_miller]

Probably not, even at the smaller size you would probably only get one fruit (at most two) per plant per day. Rate of harvesting is, of course, temperature dependent.They don't freeze but are amenable to short term refrigeration.
I just googled this variety and found them only at D.T. Brown. Is this where you got yours? Not cheap are they? Judging by the picture there these are indeed the same as pickling cucumbers in the U.S.. You have to eat at least one fresh, incidentally.

[kingkano]

Yeah my allotments do DT Browns orders.  so I got them half the price you saw, probably the same as other pickling cucumbers?

I will definitely be trying some fresh, but I love gherkins so was going to use them to make those.  1 or 2 per day would be alright, after a week from 4 plants would have enuff for a couple small jars.

thanks again

[john_miller]

As gherkins they will be even more prolific. It may mean the plants will be extremely vigorous too. You may want to see if someone didn't use seeds they obtained and do a repeat sowing, I do a couple a year.

[kingkano]

Oh really?? I am not sure our summer would be long enuff! ha!  but I will hvae a few seeds left over so I can always try in a bit of spare space.

Thats what I was wondering about the vigorousness lol.  Maybe I will stick them at the edge of this plot then, just so they dont overshadow anything else.  Be on the safe side.

Sadly nobody else has bothered at my allotments, just sticking with normal cues.  Gherkins arent a big favourite :(  dont know what they are missing!

[budgiebreeder]

I just love pickled Gherkins.My mouth was actually watering reading your post  MMMMmmm.Bit of a faff to make but well worth the effort.

[Derekthefox]

4 plants sounds enough to me.
I agree that picking the fruits small will increase the yield, and this may mean picking a few each day.
I prepared my jars with a few inches of vinegar (the large pickle jars from chip shops are ideal), then just dropped the gherkins in. As the jars filled so I added more vinegar. They will last for years if not scoffed, I am the only one in our house who eats them. Of course, with smaller jars, they are perfect presents for Christmas etc, just decant them from your large storage jars as required. Good luck.!

[kingkano]

Oh right really!! You dont need to boil the vinegar or anything of the sort???

The recipe I did last year with some small cues quartered you had to boil all the vinegar and spices then tip over the cues and seal while hot.  I love dill gherkins or sweet gherkins.  There is alot you can do really ;)

[john_miller]

When I said that as gherkins the plants will be even more vigorous I was visualising cornichons. Gherkins, as I remember them, are a little smaller than 'pickles' here but they shouldn't make the plants run rampant.

[Derekthefox]

Vinegar is a 'sterile' liquid, which is why it is used for preserves. Boiling it allows the additives, ie ,spices, to impart their flavour. I just drop the spices in as they are going to be in the vinegar for a very long time, and so have adequate opportunity to slowly release their flavour.