Cucumbers and Pickles
All of those cucumbers I planted about six weeks ago have started producing. The Monticello inspired teepees have been working well for supporting the vines, they look really lovely now that they’re lush with cucumber and pole bean vines. I have had to train the cucumber vines to grow up the supports. I’m trying to think of a way to improve on this design next year. Last week I started harvesting cucumbers from all three varieties that I’m growing this season. I planted 12 vines of each in hopes of having a large flush of cucumbers for all those pickling recipes that call for pounds and pounds of cucumbers.
So far the ‘Boston Pickling’ are the largest and most productive. One day I harvested enough cucumbers to make a gallon of fermented full-sour dills. I have grown this variety of cucumber from the very beginning of my gardening career. I have always had great luck with them. They even produce a decent harvest is less than ideal conditions, like my shady back garden.
The ‘Solly Beiler’ have been less productive than the Boston Pickling, but the descriptions say they are heavy producers so I’m guessing they just haven’t hit their stride yet. They’re a much fatter cucumber than I expected, even when picked at the recommended small size.
The ‘Fin de Meaux’ seem to be producing nicely, although they’re a tiny cucumber so it takes a lot more to get enough for a batch of pickles (the one in the photo was picked a little big, most of them are much smaller). I’m looking forward to using my recipe for French Cornichon pickles from The Joy of Pickling:. I’m hoping to get enough to to give away small jars of these tiny cucumbers to friends this Christmas. If you have space I’d recommend a few of these as they’re wonderful little cucumbers. I think kids would especially love to eat pickles made with these tiny cukes.
I’ve already been making pickles with my harvests. I have a gallon of full-sour dills fermenting on the counter right now (they smell fantastic). Traditionally fermented pickles are a great way to get probiotics to enhance digestion and nutrient absorption of your meals.
I also have one jar of quick refrigerator pickles in the fridge, they’ll be ready to eat this weekend. They’re always the first kind of pickle I make so I can have pickles to eat right away. My recipe for these quick small batch pickles is posted over on the Your Day blog at Ethel so head on over there if you’re interested. My next batch of cucumbers will be some Crisp Pickles that are a favorite of everyone that tries them, I found the recipe in an old Farm Journal Cookbook given to me by Mr Chiot’s step mom. I’ll post the recipe with photos sometime soon.
I’m hoping that my cucumber vines will keep producing well for the next few weeks, then they’ll be replanted with hopes of another flush of cucumbers come fall. I want to make sure I have plenty of pickles in the pantry for winter as we love eating them with most meals.
Are you a pickle lover? what kind is your favorite: dill, sweet, bread & butter, mustard?
For more detailed descriptions of each of the cucumbers listed above head on over and read this post.
Filed under Harvest Keepers Challenge | Comments (26)
I love quick refrigerator pickles, so I’m off to check out your recipe!
to pam's comment
I enjoyed this post today!! I can’t keep up with mine this year!!
I’ve canned a dill relish and am finishing up some bread and butter chunks this morning. I still want to make a sweet relish when I pick the next bunch.
My son loves for me to just peel one and hand it over :) He loves them!
I grew Boston pickling and Japanese Long, which I really like as well. A couple I don’t care for that I am growing are varieties called Parisian Pickling and Beit Alpha.
I didn’t have any volunteers this year, but for the past several years we have had a variety called Sour Mexican Gherkins. We love them!! So, they will be on the list for next year.
to Andrea's comment
Question: We harvested our first cucumber yesterday… small pickler… and it was very bitter. Yours look so round and plump and ours not so much. Is it that I haven’t been watering enough. How often/how much are you watering yours?
Thanks!
to Shannon's comment
Most likely not enough water. Cucumbers like a lot of water. Since mine are planted close together I’ve been watering twice a week.
to Susy's comment
Refrigerator dills, all the way. With garlic. I was late getting the cucumbers in this year, and they were veeerrrry slow to germinate, so no pickles for me yet. Soon, though, I hope.
to kristin @ going country's comment
Your cucumbers and pickles look lovely!
After fermenting, how long do the full sours usually last in the fridge? I’m the sole pickle eater in my house and won’t necessarily go through them quickly.
For long-term pickles, do you typically ferment or can or both?
My favorite is garlic dill but my sweet tooth sneaks in now and again and begs me for bread and butter!
to Cam's comment
We were still eating up the last of our full sours in February of this past year. If you think about it in the olden days people simply left them in crocks in the cool cellars and didn’t even refrigerate. The probiotics keep them from going bad.
to Susy's comment
Does anyone have tips on how to can pickles without them getting all mushy? Or is fermenting the way to go for long-term storage?
to Courtney's comment
Partly it depends on when the cucumbers are picked. You don’t want them to get too big and overgrown or they aren’t as crisp. You can also add some sour cherry leaves or grape leaves to them when you ferment/process. Processing time has a lot to do with it when canning. When I’m canning pickles I only process of 5 minutes like the old canning books say not the 10 or 15 that the newer books recommend. I have a recipe in which you cover cucumbers with boiling water every day, drain the next morning and recover with boiling water for like 10 days. These pickles always turn out really crisp. I’ll be posting the recipe later.
to Susy's comment
Other tips for crisp pickles are to be sure to cut off the blossom end when slicing (if you aren’t sure which end that is, you can cut off both ends), and to use a product like pickle crisp (made by Ball) or alum (1/4 teaspoon per quart jar). I have had good luck with crunchy pickles doing these things.
to Corrie's comment
Oh my word, those cukes look fantastic! This is my first year growing cucumbers and as we aren’t big pickle eaters, I’m only growing long english for fresh eating. My mouth actually watered though when I saw that picture of your pickles fermenting! I will buy some pickling cucumbers at the farmer’s market and give it a go – I bet homemade tastes nothing like store bought (which is all I’ve ever had).
to Sherri's comment
I just noticed yesterday I have 2 Fin de Meaux ready to be picked. I usually make a dill, but this year I am hoping to have an abundance of pickels so I can make some bread and butters and possibly try some of the recipes you have mentioned :)
to Allison's comment
I love seeing pickling in progress like this. Our cucumber harvest was pathetic this year, but the pattypans are still going crazy. I have a recipe for pickled pattypans that I am looking forward to trying next week!
to Barefeet In The Kitchen's comment
I do not like pickles. In fact, I will request that no pickles be put on my plate at a diner. The flavor just permiates everything. I must be super sensitive to pickles. Weird.
to MAYBELLINE's comment
Perhaps you just haven’t found a pickle you like yet. I’m that way about the pickles that come from the store – I find them a bit cloying in all thing pickle. I find that fermented traditional ones are far superior and actually quite good and not overpowering. That’s the beauty of making them yourself – you can make them however you like them!
to Susy's comment
Thanks for the recipe! I have about a dozen pickling cucumbers ready and was looking for a small batch recipe for refridgerator pickles and couldn’t find one on line that didn’t require a huge amt of pickles. Can’t wait to try it. Next year will try the boston pickle.
to Kathi's comment
I was late getting my cukes planted this year and I may end up paying for it. They are struggling in the heat and not producing nearly as many as they have in years past.
We don’t love pickles that much and so go through them very slowly. I wanted to try new recipes this year now that I have discovered fermenting. I still have plenty of bread and butter pickles and sweet relish put up from last year.
What we do LOVE is fresh cucumbers straight from the garden. I love them on salads, but have been known to just peel them and eat them one right after another. Fresh cukes and tomatoes just scream summer to me.
to Seren Dippity's comment
This is my first year planting pickles and I have great intentions for jars and jars of bread and butter pickles as well as dill in my pantry. I need to find some really good recipes for these – I have no clue what I’m doing. But I figure if I could tackle salsa for the first time with success last year, how hard can pickling be? (Don’t answer that!!!)
:)
to Kristen @ More Than Mulberries's comment
Sounds great. I’d love to see your other favorite pickle recipe for the ones that you want to water-bath can.
I’m going to make the quick batch recipe today that you posted on your Ethel Gloves blog.
Thanks as always!
to Tommy's comment
Would you share your recipe for the full-sour fermented dills? They look wonderful! I have never heard of these or had any. Sounds like something I would like to try when the cukes start coming.
to VivLyn's comment
I’ll try to get that done in the next week or two.
to Susy's comment
My wife and I have noticed our garden in the last week or so is taking off.We have had so much rain here on the east coast but this warm spell we are getting has done wonders for the garden.
to jim's comment
Yes I am definitely a pickle lover! :) Though I prefer it plain and salted or with vinegar with some pepper. Anyway, I adore your backyard garden. The harvest is good. I really wanted to have a garden like that.
to Sarah@Espresso Makers and Machines's comment
I planted the ‘Fin de Mieux’ for the first time this year. Looking forward to trying the cornichon recipe!
to Mary S.'s comment
is that a pampered chef strainer in the picture??
to Casey's comment
I think I got it at Target a long time ago.
to Susy's comment