Topic: Gherkins

[vitruvius8]

ha sanyone grown these before? I have just had some "Piccolo Di Parigi" seeds given me and wondered if i can plant them outside or do they have to go in the polytunnel? also are there any peculiarties with them?
Thanks.  :)

[chriscross1966]

OUtside is fine, pick over regularly, hunt down the monsters lurking in the shadows, grow several, don't grow near all-female cucumbers...

[goodlife]

I haven't grown that exact variaty.. but generally yes, you can grow gherkins outside.
If you going to pickle some...you will need quite few plants as usually you don't get many fruit ready in same time..it is fustrating to wait to get several cumbers so they are worth it start the pickling job..unless if you are happy with very different sizes of fruit.
Of course in tunnel things are more sheltered, so if we get bad summer..your cherkins crop is more reliable there.

[Digeroo]

Could someone tell me the difference between a gherkins and a cucumber.  I was given some Mokican as cucumbers but now am told they are gherkins.  Can you eat them raw.

[goodlife]

Well..there is not difference really..gherkin is cucumber..but the name is just more of 'description' for the way it us 'usually' grown for.
You can eat them raw as 'normal' cucs..but they are little bitter for my liking. My mum loves them 'raw'..just  peeled and sliced, spiced up with little salt and sugad and drop of vinegar. Some reasont it never took on with me..it was most discusting thing ever when I was kid.. ;D ;D

[vitruvius8]

Thanks for the advice guys, got the picture now, just planted some seeds in modules and it looks like that scruffy so called "cut flower" bed needs clearing to make way for something more useful ! ;)

[Jeannine]

Didge, a gherkin is just a type of cucumber,deigned to be small at maturity, usually bush growing, grow outside very well, they are usually a wee bit bumpy and have wee hairs on them, flesh is crisp and dense and the ratio of seeds is less in most varieties. They are especially for pickling, the dill pickles you see in jars are those. Regular cucumbers are too watery even when picked small aqnd they don't get that loively crispness..

Yes you can eat them, I munch on them when in the garden. I couldn't live without my little cukes.

The yeild is usually very good but you should grow a good few plants if you want to pickle them as they need to go from garden to ice water straight away, you can't keep them waiting.

Folks in the US call them Dills (cos they put dill in the jars in some recipes) or some folk call them  just pickles.

Lots of varieties.. I prefer one called Cool Breeze.

XX Jeannine

[chriscross1966]

Could someone tell me the difference between a gherkins and a cucumber.  I was given some Mokican as cucumbers but now am told they are gherkins.  Can you eat them raw.

'll bring you a piccolo di parighi or two along to the SALGA meeting tomorrow night... good as gherkins, decent as cukes but the skins like armour when they're that big, even I peel them.... I've pickled small Marketmores as gherkins and eaten big PdP..... they're all good.... it's just the cuke varieties throw a fruit or two and then build them up then throw another one or two..... gherkins tend to throw a fair bunch in a go .... I find that I can keep a salt box going in the fridge, gherkins go in on a twice a week harvest, then when each new batch turns up put the ones coming out in full-strenght spirit vinegar.... each time you get a jar or two, boil up some 1/3rd strenght spirit vinegar with a dash of sugar, some mustard seeds and some dill and hot-pickle the lot that are waiting ..... family ate loads at christmas this year....

chrisc

[boydzfish]

Grew some the first year and they were prolific we got around 5 jars to pickle, but they didn't pickle at all well and were very sour. Now I get the Polish ones from the supermarket!!  :P

[mpdjulie]

I haven't grown that exact variaty.. but generally yes, you can grow gherkins outside.
If you going to pickle some...you will need quite few plants as usually you don't get many fruit ready in same time..it is fustrating to wait to get several cumbers so they are worth it start the pickling job..unless if you are happy with very different sizes of fruit.
Of course in tunnel things are more sheltered, so if we get bad summer..your cherkins crop is more reliable there.

I grew 4 plants of gherkin national last season and I still have 4 large kilner jars of pickled gherkins despite giving plenty to family.
 :)

[Digeroo]

Many thanks for the cues Chris.  They got a drink and were tucked up into my mini greenhouse last night and and looking very bonn.

[Jeannine]

Boydfish, I can help you with your pickled cuke problem if you wish. I make quite a few types, some quick cure, some fermented  etc etc. Most of the problems encountered with pickled cukes have an easy solution. If you tell mw how you made them I can probably tell you where the problem was.

I do have recipes for picking a few at a time and waiting till you have a full batch to put up but they are differnt to the ones I do all at once and would only use that recipe in desperation.

Mine are picked , gently rubbed to remove dirt and hairs, put in ice water overnight, then processed the next day. Grape leaves help the crispness. the blossom end has to be removed as it has a concentration of enzymes which affects the flavour when pickled if left on.

 XX Jeannine

[chriscross1966]

Many thanks for the cues Chris.  They got a drink and were tucked up into my mini greenhouse last night and and looking very bonn.

Hurrah.... giev them a week in those pots, use it to harden them off, then plant them out, protect form slugs, they're partial to young cucurbits of all descriptions.....

chrisc