Gherkins

[shirlton]

I have added gherkins to my seed list from Real Seeds this year. Has anyone grown them and if so what advice could you give me.
neither of us eat cucumber but we both like wallys(gherkins)

[shirlton]

[goodlife]

You don't need to grow them upright as 'normal' cucumber..but let them crawl around and they'll be fine. Usually gherkin cucumbers are worth while crop outdoors, but to get enough fruit to pic in one go for pickling..you will need to grow several plants. Good thing is that you can grow them in closer spacing than than 'normal' cuces.

[Melbourne12]

We've grown them the last couple of years.  They go in at one end of the bed that's allocated to courgettes and squash, and are treated much the same.  They're very undemanding except of space.

We bought our plants in a French street market last year, but I've also grown nice plants from Lidl's pickling cucumber seeds.

I did a blog entry about it, including a recipe, if that's of interest: http://johnnorman.wordpress.com/2011/08/27/amora-nest-plus-mon-amour/

[galina]

I find them quite tricky.  Don't get me wrong, there is always a harvest, but the quantities can be very small or they can be super abundant.  This varies from year to year for me.  The best crop ever was a follow-on after the garlic came out in July.  Well-grown seedlings went in, took off and produced masses.  This was an experiment (and I had forgotten to sow them in a timely manner).  The following year I tried to replicate this success and got very little. And I often get little from a May sowing too.  The main difference in good years is heat - I think.  They like warmth,  regular watering and feeding.  I also find the small flowers quite difficult to handpollinate for saving pure seeds and I cannot see their pollen (unlike squashes), but that is a bit off topic, sorry.

As my results are so variable, I am keen to pick up any growing tips from others who have 'cracked' it.  Timing, care, varieties, cloche/frame or not etc.

What better place to ask than here  :)  off to read your blog, Melbourne, thank you  :)

PS as far as preserving goes, there are lots of recipes on www.  Bread and butter pickle (but with a lot less sugar than most recipes state for our tastebuds) and also dill pickle recipes.
 

[Jeannine]

I grow them every year, well pickling cukes we call them. I haver grown them for decades and have to admit variety is very variable, some romp away with loads of fruit while others just have a few. I never trellis them. They have an area to them selves and once they are going I just  they do fine, watering is very important, the plants will grow if the soil is drier but they won`t  flourish, rich soil, water and strong healthy transplants  going out at the right time and you should be OK.

I have never personally experienced highs and lows as Galina has but it may be the climate in the UK.I didn`t grow so many when there so am not in a position to really know as I didn`t have the time to keep up with the pickling, but here I have never had fluctuations.

You do need a good ampunt of plants though because if you are pickling them you need to do it when they are all the same size and ideally straight from the plant, so it can be a hectic time if you want them at their best. I usually have a bed with about 18 or 20 in.

XX Jeannine

[shirlton]

Thanks for the info. I think I will put them on Tony's plot ;D(I see a take over bid)

[gazza1960]

Been using "Parisian Pickling " cucumber from Real seed Co Shirlton,it produces a plentyful supply of medium Gherkins and you can grow em on for larger Gherks that I then Quarter in a sweeter brine.

Open cloche in direct sun,but I protect ours behind the GH from strong cold winds and basically let em run rampant along the floor I create 1 foot trellis pieces in the dirt and let them clamber up and over so they get a bit extra sun during the day,that said this is my 3rd season using them and they seem to thrive without too much sun and well into autumn.

http://www.realseeds.co.uk/cucumbers.html

Good Luck

Gazza

[goodlife]

My sweet pickling mix has..white and black peppercorns, mustard seeds, horseradish pieces, garlic, chilli, dill flower heads and I always put couple of small blackcurrant bush leaves into jar as well..it gives lovely flavour to the gherkins. Black currant leaves and dill flowers heads are 'Finnish recipe'.

This year I'm growing my plants in buiders bags that I've stuffed with straw..they are nicely 'cooking' with added ammonia and compost on top and in couple of months time should be ready for planting.
Plan is plant them in close spacing and let the plants tumble down the sides of the bags..hopefully with tons of fruit on too.
I too seem to have problem with variable success with cropping..some years just odd fruit and others you cant keep up with them. When I don't get worth while amount of cuces for to start pickling process I subtitute them with small courgettes..and its worked as well and you can't really tell much difference once they've been 'swimming' in brine for a while.  ;D

[BarriedaleNick]

Bimbostar are supposedly a good prolific variety and I plan on getting some done this year - ran out of space last time and they didn't do to well being shoe-horned into a corner!

[shirlton]

Its the Parisienne that I have ordered from Real Seeds.Granny Janny is also sending me some of hers.

[small]

Goodlife, could you give some more detail on that pickling mix? Specifically, what size chunks of horseradish, and in what proportion? Have you ever tried pickling 'all' small courgettes as gherkins? I always get more courgettes than I want but I've never thought of trying this.
And I was going to have a quiet, consolidation-type season.....

[goodlife]

Yes, I've done all courgette 'cherkins' but you do need to use quite young ones as bigger ones does tend to go bit too soft when pickled.
For 2kg of cucumbers/courgettes I make pickling mixture of;
aprox 2 L water
50 ml coarse salt
100 ml sugar
100 ml clear vinegar
(10 small picling onions optional)
10 cloves of garlic
=chop garlic and onion and put all incredient into pan and gently boil for 10 mins

I soak cucumbers in really cold water for an hour or so to make them 'hard and crispy'..they are layed into (clean) jars with few black currant leaves and dill flowerheads..drop few black & white peppercorns, few pieces of chilli and shavings (with potato peeler) in to each jar and pour over the hot pickling mixture and seal.

This is out of one of my books..but when I do them..the measurements are never so exact..I actually like bit more vinegar in mine and ofter use double amount but do half with malt vinegar. I like mine with plenty of heat from chilli so often I do some extra hot 'jars' for me and without chillies for others. You just have to play with it and taste what suits you. I don't eat anything else from the jar other than the cumbers/courgettes..everything else is just to give flavour. 
You can pack the cumbers whole or chop/slice them what ever takes your fancy...courgettes are better if done whole.

[goodlife]

sorry...this really should be on recipe thread..just one more variation for you..
Second one is much sweeter and really strong pickle.
To boil:
2 L water
400 ml sugar
2 tbsp salt
600 ml vinegar
1/2 tbsp black peppercorns
1/2 tbsp mustard seeds
Otherwise same process as above but every other flavouring bits are layered into jars with cucumbers.
This recipe having so much more vinegar is better for keeping longer in storage.

[small]

thanks goodlife, am I just dim or are the few shavings where the horseradish came in? I could just eat some pickle now....

[goodlife]

thanks goodlife, am I just dim or are the few shavings where the horseradish came in? I could just eat some pickle now....

I'm the dim one.. ::)...but yes, you got it right..I missed the important word 'horseradish'.. ::)

[small]

Thankyou!