Am I the only one who buys delicious gherkins

[artichoke]

and cannot bear to throw away the vinegar and spices when I have eaten all the gherkins?

For the last three weeks I have been slicing cucumbers (nasty tastless winter supermarket cucumbers) into the jar and putting it in the fridge.

The reward is crisp cool tasty slices to go with salads. I have added a little wine vinegar in case the water from the cucumber dilutes the flavour.

I have just finished the latest jarful......dare I do it again?

[artichoke]

[gazza1960]

Great idea artichoke,I must get more thrifty with used fluids of this nature.

Im hoping somebody with a decent foolproof Gherkin Recipe will stumble over this thread and mail me their
version as my this years are not what I hoped.
......ie.......not crisp enough.... ::)

Gazza

[Jeannine]

The water from the cukes dilutes the vinegar so re using is a wee bit iffy. I use mine in sweet and sour dishes, especially beet jiuces which go gteat is borsch or sweet and sour sauce recipes

[goodlife]

Great idea artichoke,I must get more thrifty with used fluids of this nature.

Im hoping somebody with a decent foolproof Gherkin Recipe will stumble over this thread and mail me their
version as my this years are not what I hoped.
......ie.......not crisp enough.... ::)
Gazza

Gazza...it not so much down to 'recipe' but how do them..secret for getting 'crispy' gherkins is..
1. Fresly picked pickling cucumbers..and not too big
2. Put them into cold water for hour or two..so they 'crisp up'..get really hydrated
3. and when you pickle them..don't 'cook' them..you lay then into jars and pour boiled pickling liquid over and thats it..while they cool down..they 'cook' in that..and quicker they cool..less 'mushy' they get. I take my hot jars outside where air circulate around the jars and cool them down better than inside.

[gazza1960]

I pretty much do as you said,the only difference is a 3 day salt brine where the water gets changed after each 24 hour period then the gurks are soaked in the brine twice more before cleaning them off and putting in a clean jar then pore on the hot vinny....all that said,.....they were bluddy useless this year...so dunno at what stage I messed up.....im growing loads of gerks this season small and medium so wanted to get the recipe right.

Gazza

[Jeannine]

Putting grape leaves in the jars crips'em XX Jeannine

[goodlife]

I pretty much do as you said,the only difference is a 3 day salt brine where the water gets changed after each 24 hour period then the gurks are soaked in the brine twice more before cleaning them off and putting in a clean jar then pore on the hot vinny....all that said,.....they were bluddy useless this year...so dunno at what stage I messed up.....im growing loads of gerks this season small and medium so wanted to get the recipe right.

Gazza

I haven't heard that '3 day' job before..sounds like too much handling to me..and it could well be that over handling makes them mushy.

[Jeannine]

 reasons for poor pickles.

Hard water. it can coounteract the acid
Hollow , usually floaters when you wash them, discard or use in chopped relish. often caused by picking them too soon before processing, no more than 24 hours and that is pushing it.
Shrivelles,putting themm in too strong a solution, which is why some recipes get you to add salt over a few day period
»Dark, also hard water or ground spices
Bleached, generally jars exposed to light
Using regular salt or sea salt


all the above are edible but annoying


...
other probelms

seeping round seal.mold even 1 fleck,gassiness,spurting liquid,mushy or slippery, cloudy or yeasty liquid,off odour.  DISCARD in a way that cannot be eaten by people or animals . Al, of these could be very dangerous.