gherkins

[POTHEAD]

can i use small cucumbers or courgettes to pickle as gherkins?,or do i need to grow gherkins.any recipes for same will be gratefully accepted.i have created a monster,i have a cucumber which has taken over half of my g/house,there must be 30+ at the moment ,that many cannot help my carbon footprint.REGARDS POTHEAD

[Lesley Jay]

Good question!! I'm on the search for a recipe for you Pothead. Up to now every recipe for pickled cucumber that I have read says to slice the cucumber. I'll find one for whole baby cucumbers though!

What variety of cucumber is the monster?

[POTHEAD]

Hi lesley,thanks for the reply.not really sure,there was no label on it in the nursery so i bought it for 20p.i dont mind slicing, chopping or whatever ,just dont want to waste it
RTEGARDS POTHEAD

[Lesley Jay]

Here is a really easy one Pothead. Wash the cucumbers and slice them. (I think I would leave them chunky.) In a bowl put layers of cucumber and cover each layer in salt. Make the top layer salt. Leave for 24 hours then thoroughly wash all the salt off under cold running water. Pack the cucumber into sterilised jars and pour over cold spiced vinegar. You can buy ready spiced vinegar in the supermarkets.

There is also this recipe which seems even quicker to make by Darina Allen of the Ballymaloe cookery school.

http://uktv.co.uk/food/recipe/aid/516747