There's nothing quite like a fresh, crunchy and slightly sour pickled gherkin in the middle of a summer afternoon. Good on sandwiches or as a quick snack, nothing feels more like a classic old-fashioned kitchen than a shelf full of homemade pickled gherkins. Many people, from DIY lovers to grandmothers, store gherkins with acid and salt, keeping the kitchen stocked and the family happy. Here's how to make them yourself.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Prepare the Gherkins
Step 1. Get some cucumbers
Kirby cucumbers are the most commonly used for this purpose, and are recommended for making a sweet, crunchy pickle. Usually, to make a batch of pickles, you'll want to buy between 1 and 1.5kg.
Step 2. Wash and prepare the cucumbers
Rinse them thoroughly and cut them into the shape you want. You can make them into slices, flakes or sticks, and leave them whole to pickle them. If you choose to leave them whole, cut the end off the flower side.
Step 3. Pick them up
To make sure you have crunchy gherkins, put them away, whole or sliced, with salt and ice and leave them in the fridge for up to 24 hours before picking them.
In a bowl, pour 3-4 tablespoons of salt, cucumbers, and an equal amount of ice. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth or plastic and keep it in the fridge while you prepare the other ingredients
Step 4. Mix the pickle solution
To put the gherkins in a jar, you'll want to have a 1: 1 ratio of vinegar to water to make the "juice". Depending on the number of gherkins, a quarter should be enough. You can always add them at the moment. Normal white vinegar is fine, or you can use cider vinegar or other types based on your preference. To this, add 1.5 tablespoons of salt.
- Mix in a skillet or saucepan. Heat the mixture on the stove until it boils. Lower the heat and keep it at a regular temperature. It must be at boiling temperature for the gherkins to be "processed."
- The "pickle crisp" is a commercial product to prepare pickles and keep them crunchy. It is basically calcium chloride. A natural alternative is to put grape leaves in the jars, which has always been the traditional method of preventing the gherkins from softening.
Step 5. Prepare the spices
How to flavor pickles depends on your taste, but a typical mix includes black peppercorns, dill seeds, crushed or sliced garlic cloves, and chili if you like them stronger.
You can choose to pour the dried spices into the pickle solution, or you can put them in jars after preparing them, before adding the gherkins. Both are effective methods, but putting a certain amount in each jar ensures a more homogeneous final result
Part 2 of 3: Prepare the Jars
Step 1. Decide how many jars you will use
Those with large openings are the easiest to fill even with a ladle. The rule would be that a one-liter jar contains four cucumbers. Consider a few extra jars, in case you need them. While glass jars and zip ties can be reused, lids cannot. Usually a pack of new lids costs a few euros.
Place all jars, lids, zip ties and pressure cooker in the dishwasher to remove any residue. Make sure there are no cracks or other problems
Step 2. In a large pot, boil enough water to completely cover the jars
Place a metal trivet on the bottom of the pan to prevent them from coming into contact with the bottom of the ultra-hot pan, which could cause them to break. Put the jars in it. Boil them for at least five minutes.
Do not boil the lids. The gum of the lids would be spoiled if boiled. On the stove or in the microwave, you can heat the water just below the boiling point and sterilize them this way
Step 3. Remove the jars with a jar lifter and lay them on a tea towel
Place each jar up on the tea towel on your work surface, making sure everything is within easy reach - jars, lids, metal straps for the lids, and the pickle solution. It can be a quick process, so sometimes you need a helper at this point.
Step 4. Wash your hands, then fill the jar well with the gherkins
Remove the cucumbers from the salt and ice mix, dry them well, then fill the jars leaving at least an inch of space from where the mouth of the jar narrows
Again, you can put the spices on the bottom of the jar or include them in the pickle solution. Either way, this is the time you can choose to include any other fresh spice you like as well, such as chopped garlic, fresh dill leaves, or grape leaves to keep the gherkins crunchy
Part 3 of 3: Fill the Jars
Step 1. Pour the hot pickle solution over the gherkins
If you want, you can use a small funnel and place it on the rim of the jar, or pour directly inside if you trust your skills. Fill to about an inch from the top of the jar.
Make sure the gherkins are completely submerged in the solution. Anyone exposed to the air will spoil, likely ruining everything else. Grape leaves can be useful for this purpose; use them to push the gherkins down and leave them on top
Step 2. Close with a lid and screw in the metal clamp
Clean the mouth of the jar of any drop of pickled solution before doing so, using a rag dipped in boiling water to sterilize. Screw the lid tightly.
Step 3. Once all the jars are filled, put them to boil in the sterilization pot
Keep the jars upright and make sure they are covered with a few inches of water. If there is not enough water left from the previous sterilization of the jars, add more. Cover and let it boil over high heat.
- Let it boil for 5-15 minutes, then turn off the heat and let the jars sit until the water stops boiling and cools down a bit. Take the jar lifter and remove them from the water to place them on a tea towel. Let it rest for 24 hours.
- Do not remove or try to tighten the covers. If you hear a clear "pop". It means that the jars are tightly closed
Step 4. Write the date of manufacture on a label and attach it to the lid
If closed tightly, the jars should last on the shelf at least a year. Keep them in a cool, dry place away from sunlight.
