How do i pickle gherkins?!
How do i pickle gherkins?
I am currently growing lots of baby cucumbers better known as gerkins and i want to know the best and easiest way to go about pickling them.
Answers:
Warm some vinegar add some pickling spice and pour over gherkin in a sterilised jar, cap and invert.
The hot liquid will sterile the lid and you will see if the lid is tight.
1 gallon cider vinegar
1 quart water
1 cup salt (use Kosher salt...it doesn't have iodine or other things in it that will change the taste)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup white mustard seeds
3 small hot red peppers - Jalepeno’s that have turned red or Asian red peppers work okay, too - as do the dried red peppers sold in specialty stores.
1 bulb of fresh garlic, cloves peeled and cut in half
1 bunch of dill, discard any sprays or stems that are discolored or damaged
HOW
Start with cucumbers that are as uniform in size as possible. Wash them lightly to remove any dirt and prickly spines. Cut the stems no closer than a half inch from the cucumber itself. Pack the cucumbers into sterilized jars. Well, at least you can sanitize them, Susan: mix a capful of clear bleach into a gallon of water and rinse the jars inside and out…do not rinse again with plain water or dry with a hand towel.
Bring the ingredients that comprise the brine to a simmer and keep it there for 30 minutes. Then raise the temperature quickly to bring the liquid to a boil. (This is pretty potent stuff, Uncle Billy, so don't be standing over the pot and taking deep breaths holding a towel over your head.) When the brine comes to a boil, pour the hot solution into the jars to cover the cucumbers. Seal immediately -or cover with the jars with plastic wrap and roll an elastic band over the plastic wrap at the top of the neck of the jar to keep it in place. (Be careful to use heat resistant jars or sanitize an iced tea spoon at the same time and leave the spoon in the jar when you pour in the brine. Remove the spoon before covering the jar.)
Set the jars aside on a rack with enough space between them so that air can circulate beneath, around and above the jars as they cool. When they are room temperature, bring the jars into a dark, cool place where the cucumbers can marinate for a few days without being disturbed. Wait a day and begin tasting the cucumbers (eat one every 24 hours or so) for a few days until you get 'em the way you like 'em. Then refrigerate the rest.
Original recipe yield:
8 - 1 quart jars
PREP TIME 2 Hrs
COOK TIME 15 Min
READY IN 2 Hrs 15 Min
INGREDIENTS
8 pounds 3 to 4 inch long pickling cucumbers
4 cups white vinegar
12 cups water
2/3 cup pickling salt
16 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
8 sprigs fresh dill weed
8 heads fresh dill weed
DIRECTIONS
Wash cucumbers, and place in the sink ( I use the bathtub!) with cold water and lots of ice cubes. Soak in ice water for at least 2 hours but no more than 8 hours. Refresh ice as required. Sterilize 8 (1 quart ) canning jars and lids in boiling water for at least 10 minutes.
In a large pot over medium-high heat, combine the vinegar, water, and pickling salt. Bring the brine to a rapid boil.
In each jar, place 2 half-cloves of garlic, one head of dill, then enough cucumbers to fill the jar (about 1 pound). Then add 2 more garlic halves, and 1 sprig of dill. Fill jars with hot brine. Seal jars, making sure you have cleaned the jar's rims of any residue.
Process sealed jars in a boiling water bath. Process quart jars for 15 minutes.
Store pickles for a minimum of 8 weeks before eating. Refrigerate after opening. Pickles will keep for up to 2 years if stored in a cool dry place.
put them in a jar of bransons vinegar especially made for pickling morrisons sells it
pickling can be done by preserving in oil by cooking in sunlight or by heating oil. Viniger,salt and sugar can also be used as preservatives.