5oz of gherkins/cornichons* and 10 oz of gooseberries isn't anywhere near self sufficiency but better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick!
The gherkins were from the tray of 6 small plants that I bought at a boot sale in the spring even though I really didn't have room for them They were planted in a big tub with a plant climbing frame thing for them. I have a slight memory of trying to grow some from seed a few years ago and having a fail although I can't find any mention on the blog, but these have grown quite well - probably not as well as they would have done in the ground.
I searched the recipe books for how to pickle these few gherkins and found three different recipes. One involved putting the gherkins to soak in salty water for 3 days so that's how I started but only left them for a day and a half.
Then on searching google I came across a very young Jonathon Wallace who has been writing a blog and website called "Self-Sufficient in Suburbia" for years. A video from 12 years ago.
So I used his recipe to finish them off.
I've made 1 small jar full. There might be more to use later.
*Also found this description of the difference between gherkins and cornichons. Now I know!?
Q. Are cornichons the same as gherkins?
A. Cornichons are dilled gherkins, not sweet gherkins. If a recipe calls for cornichons, it is referring to the dilled variety of gherkins. If a recipe calls for cornichons and you don't have any, substitute small slivers of dill pickles. Remember all cornichons are gherkins, not all gherkins are cornichons.
Back Tomorrow
Sue
Is a gherkin a small cucumber?
ReplyDeleteYes and no (and I hadn't read the short story winter crime)
DeleteI always think that anything you can grow and preserve yourself is a little step of self-sufficiency and just knowing how to do it is a very handy skill to have. That little jar of gherkins would have cost you over a pound in the shop, so you have saved. Perhaps keep a tally of all that you harvest out of your garden this year.
ReplyDeleteAs they say in the Ad - every little helps!
DeleteSmall but special harvests are the best.
ReplyDeleteA very small treat.
DeleteSue I do admire your perseverance with such a small quantity. They look good in the jar - hope they taste good too.
ReplyDeleteHopefully there will be enough for another jar full later. This is the sort of fiddling about in the kitchen that I like
DeleteGherkins? No thanks! Gooseberries on the other hand, yes please! My husband would complain that you can't buy goosberries anywhere, so when I saw that Tesco were selling the bushes I bought one for him. Not blessed with patience, he was all for wanting to dig it up after a couple of months saying it was dead, but I persuaded him to give it a chance. I was the one who planted and grew things i the past so knew they needed time. Last year it bore fruit and so far this year we have 6ozs. Not bad for a dead bush, eh?
ReplyDeleteI foolishly planted the gooseberry bush in a very small space and now it's blocked by the oil tank. I'm going to move it during the winter
DeleteI love any pickle. I have never grown any gherkins.
ReplyDeleteCathy
This is my first gherkin harvest too - after 40+ years of growing
DeleteI love your approach! Small batches rule.
ReplyDeleteSmall garden = small treats!
DeleteDill pickles are wonderful and homemade is the best. I'm buying Bubbles Kosher dill pickles and loving them. They are tasty for bought pickles.
ReplyDeleteThe next jar I make will have fennel (same as Dill) in, as there is some growing in the shingle of the front drive.
DeleteThat’s a lovely treat from your homegrown gherkins. I love gooseberries but can never see any for sale near us. Catriona
ReplyDeletePeople were always so pleased to find our gooseberries for sale in the smallholding years when I was picking 100lb plus to sell each year. I've never seen any for sale anywhere now though
DeleteI got some marionberries on Tuesday as they are in a short time right now. Cherries 🍒 are available and so are peaches. No gooseberries here either. I'm not growing anything food wise yet. I should grow lettuce though as we use it quie often.
ReplyDeleteNectarines are the fruit I enjoy at this time of year along with my home-grown raspberries
DeleteGrowing gherkins is something I've never thought of doing. Maybe next year.
ReplyDeleteThe joy of growing is that there is always next year!
Delete10oz isn’t bad for a first year crop. I have picked around 2kg from my two red gooseberry bushes this year (no watering, no feeding and jostling for space in the fruit cage alongside the raspberries). It is very easy to propagate gooseberry by layering, but you probably already knew that. My first bush here was layered from my original red gooseberry at the allotment. My raspberry canes also came with me from the allotment. Homemade wholemeal bread with Baron Bigod and red gooseberry and thyme jelly and a salad of sown from seed rocket leaves dressed with olive oil, cider vinegar, local honey, Dijon mustard and Maldon salt was our lunch today. I just love growing and preserving my own too. Are you watching the tennis, second set just starting and we’ve just had the most almighty downpour too. Sarah in Sussex
ReplyDeleteI've got to move the gooseberry bush when it's dormant because with the heating oil tank being moved the gooseberry is almost in the dark. I had more and bigger from it last year which was it's first year and I could see it to remember to water it.
DeleteNo rain in Suffolk today - just dark skies all round.
Not a bad little crop. As you say, it's better than nothing!
ReplyDeleteQuick question, Sue. Do you rinse the salt off the gherkins after the 24 hours?
ReplyDelete