Homemade Sweet Gherkins (Canned Pickles) (2024)

Homemade gherkins are a fun way to add a bit of extra tangy flavour to your favourite foods! I mean, a slice of gherkin in your burger is the best part, right? The process is quite simple, and the best part? You know exactly what ingredients went into making these sweet gherkins. Gherkins, also known as Canned Pickles in many parts of the world, are a great way to preserve your summer cucumber harvest and enjoy them all year long!

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Gherkin or Pickle? Wait, What About Cornichon?

You Say Tomato, I SayTomahto. You Say Pickle, I Say Gherkin. At the end of the day, these two terms can mean exactly the same thing (if we’re not getting too technical). In the UK, the word gherkin typically refers to a small pickled cucumber. It can also mean a small fresh cucumber that is used for pickling. On the other side of the word, in the US, a gherkin is typically called a pickle. However, the term pickle can also refer to a variety of other vegetables preserved in vinegar or brine.

What is a cornichon then, you ask? Whilst it is typically defined as a small pickled cucumber as well, cornichons are normally a lot smaller than gherkins (you can eat them in one or two bites) and have a much more sour vinegary flavour.

Why You’ll Love Canned Pickles (Gherkins)?

• If you have an abundance of cucumbers growing in your garden over the summer months, there is no better way to preserve them for months to come.
• Canning pickles in a water bath means that you don’t need to keep them in the fridge.
• Homemade gherkins are deliciously sweet and savoury at the same time.
• There are about a hundred uses for homemade gherkins that will make your dishes incredibly flavoursome.

How To Sterilize Jars?

Cleansterilizedjars are crucial to the success and longevity of anyjamsand other preserves you make.Sterilizingis an important part of preserving to remove bacteria, yeasts or fungi, therefore your jams and preserved are protected and safe to eat for longer.

To sterilise your jars, preheat the oven to 120°C Fan. Pour boiling water right up to the top into your clean jars and metal lids. Pour the water out and place the jars and lids apart in the preheated oven. Heat for 15 minutes. Switch off the oven and leave the jars to cool down before removing them from the oven.

Ingredients

• cucumbers: see notes below.
• water.
• vinegar (5% acidity): see notes below.
• caster sugar or white granulated sugar.
• salt: we love Maldon Sea Salt.
• garlic cloves: each sliced into three.
• pickling mix: use shop-bought mix, or make your own. Details below.

What Cucumbers Are Best For Canning?

Not all cucumbers are suitable for canning or pickling. If you grow your own cucumbers, look for seeds that specifically state that the cucumbers they produce are great for conservation. If you are buying cucumbers for canning, there are a few things to note:

• Do not can salad cucumbers – they will shrink and wrinkle in the vinegary brine.
• Look for cucumbers with skin that has a rich green tint.
• The skin of picking cucumbers is dense with tubercles, pimples and spikes. Black-spiked cucumbers have the best texture after being canned.
• Choose smaller cucumber varieties so you can fit them into the jars easier and they pickle all the way through.

Here are some varieties that work beautifully for canned pickles: Bush F1 Cucumbers, Calypso Cucumber F1, Jersey Pickling Cucumbers and our personal favourite Cucumber Rodnichok F1.

What Vinegar To Use For Canned Pickles?

This recipe calls for 5% acidity vinegar. Any more, and we find the canned pickles to be too sour, with a strong punch that makes you screw up your face when you bite into one. To make our sweet gherkins we always use the most common distilled malt vinegar (5% acidity). We highly recommend using clear vinegar for the best, most appealing colour of canned pickled.

Pickling Mix

You can buy a pre-made pickling mix online if you wish. We found that Old India Pickling Mix and Bread & Butter Pickle Mix are both aromatic and produce very nice-tasting sweet gherkins. However, if you’d like to mix your own, we suggest dehydrating a bunch of things you may grow in your garden to make a beautiful homemade blend:

• Dehydrated carrot cubes
• Coriander seeds
• Dried dill stems
• Bay leaves
• Allspice
• Black Pepper
• Dried horseradish flakes.
• Dehydrated garlic slices.

Experiment with quantities, but go easy on black pepper and horseradish, if you want milder sweet gherkins. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch for advice if you want to make your own pickling spice blend.

Method

Wash small cucumbers and gently scrub off any black/brown spikes with a clean cloth.

Pack cucumbers tightly into sterilised jars.

Add a teaspoon of pickling mix and divide the garlic slices between jars.

To make the pickling liquid, mix the water, vinegar, sugar and salt in a pan and stir until salt and sugar dissolve. Cover with a lid and bring to a gentle boil, then immediately pour the liquid over the cucumbers in the jars, leaving about 1¼ cm of the top unfilled.

Swiftly wipe any spillage off the rims and screw on the lids tightly (ideally, use the lids with tamper proof popper to indicate a good seal).

Place cucumber jars in a canner or large pot (for safety, make sure to place a small wire rack at the bottom, so that the jars do not directly touch the pan).

Pour boiling water over the jars so that the water is at least 2 above the lids of the jars. Bring it to a gentle simmer and carry on simmering for 15 minutes.

Carefully remove jars from the water using a pair of silicone tongs. Leave the canned pickles at room temperature undisturbed for 24 hours. The lids (especially the ones with a tamper-proof feature, will be puffed up to start with, and will pop inwards as the jars cool, indicating proper seal).

After 24 hours, move the jars to a cool dark cupboard and store them for at least 1 month before opening.

Provided your jars are properly sterilised, cucumbers washed well and the jars are fully sealed, these canned picked will keep for over a year!

Storage

After the jars have been sitting for 24 hours undisturbed, take them to a dark cool cupboard or pantry (we store ours in a garage) and leave them for at least 1 month before opening. This time is needed for the flavours to infuse and amalgamate.

Do Pickles Need To Be Refrigerated?

If you’ve used the water bath canning method described in this recipe, there is no need to refrigerate the canned pickles. Only store them in the fridge after opening the jar.

How Long Do Canned Pickles Last?

Provided you cleaned the cucumbers thoroughly, the jars have been properly sterilized and you keep the canned pickles out of direct sunlight, they should keep well for over a year. However, store an opened jar of gherkins in the fridge and consume it within 2 weeks after opening.

What To Do With Homemade Sweet Gherkins?

We absolutely love gherkins, especially when they are mellow (not too acidic) and slightly sweet. Homemade gherkins are the best way to make your dishes stand out. Use them in:

• Homemade Tartar Sauce or 4-Ingredient Tartar Sauce
• Various salads like Tuna Rice Salad with Grapefruit or add to Tuna Nicoise!
• Add to ham or tuna sandwiches, and toasties or use in burgers!
• Slices of sweet gherkins make a perfect pizza topping.
• Eat them directly out of the jar!
• A perfect side dish to grilled meats, like BBQ Pork Tenderloin or Lamb Shashlik!

Other Preserving Recipes To Help You Stock Your Pantry For Winter

The end of summer is a perfect time to stock up for the winter months, and even make some edible gifts for Christmas! If you’re looking for more ideas to preserve your summer harvest, have a look at some of our favourite recipes below:

• Tomato and Chilli Chutney with Ginger
• Vanilla-Scented Rhubard Jam
• Simple Blueberry (Bilberry) Jam
• Plum and Onion Chutney