Has anyone grown gherkins?

[Smithagain]

We are growing gherkins in our veg plot this year, as an experiment and because DH and both children are strangely addicted to pickled gherkins.

We have a few that are big enough to pick and pickle. But not enough for a whole jar.

Anyone know whether you can pick a few at a time, pickle them, and then keep adding more as and when they are ready?

[LazyLinePainterJane]

I'm not sure but I would imagine so, I think that they are easy to pickle. You could at least pickle them, then pickle the next lot in a new jar and then mix them all together when they are done, in case you are worries about some being more pickled than others, IYSWIM.

[Mung]

Now, I always thought a gherkin was a pickled little cucumber...

[Smithagain]

I think it is, more or less. The plants are indistinguishable from cucumber plants (also growing them). Maybe it's just a different variety that pickles well??

[LazyLinePainterJane]

Well, a gherkin is only a pickled cucumber, you don't grow gherkins as such, they are small cucumbers and it becomes a gherkin when pickled.

It must be a variety good for pickling that has been rebranded a gherkin.

[Smithagain]

Think you're right, Lazyline... The seeds were labelled gherkin, but we've certainly had some difficultly distinguishing them from the cucumbers which we are aiming to grow for salad.

Think we'll try doing them as you suggest and see how we get on. To be honest, the rest of the family eats them so fast, it's not going to matter if the pickling isn't perfect. Not much chance of them lasting for weeks!