In summer, the cucumber plants are particularly busy. That's the way it has to be, because we don't just need your fruit for a fresh salad. The mustard is waiting for a few specimens to share a jar with them for weeks.

Mustard seeds give the cucumbers the finishing touch

Which speaks for self-pickled gherkins

The taste of mustard cucumbers goes well with many meals, but they are also delicious as a pure snack in between. If you always have a pickle jar to hand, you can always pull a few pieces out of it if necessary. You can also use store-bought pickles, but they taste better and are healthier when you make them yourself.

Industrially manufactured goods usually contain a number of additives. These should keep the cucumbers fresh, crunchy and with a nice green color for longer. Artificial flavorings are added to enhance the taste. You can easily do without that with homemade mustard pickles without the result suffering as a result. Make sure that only natural ingredients are used in the recipe. And of course only as many as absolutely necessary.

Lettuce cucumbers become mustard cucumbers

Large cucumbers are used for this type of pickled cucumber. These are often allowed to stay on the plant for a long time and are only harvested when ripe and processed into mustard gherkins. Then they also increased in thickness and formed plenty of large nuclei inside. The shell has changed from green to yellow. In this ripe state, the cucumber flesh has the optimal consistency. The small, hard gherkins are not suitable for mustard gherkins.

Shell and kernels have to give way

Mustard cucumbers consist of pure cucumber pulp. Before the cucumbers go into the jar, they must first be washed and then peeled. The peeled cucumber is halved lengthwise and then scraped out all the seeds with a spoon. Depending on the recipe, the pulp is divided into coarse or fine pieces.

tips

Fine cucumbers that have not matured long on the plant have hardly any seeds, so the inside of the cucumber does not necessarily have to be scraped off.

Mustard seeds bring the typical taste

Mustard gherkins don't get their typical taste from the mustard tube.
It is the small yellow grains that give off their fine aroma to the cucumber stock and ultimately reach the cucumber pieces. There is also vinegar, which makes the cucumbers last longer thanks to its acidity. Salt and sugar complete the taste. But other ingredients can also be used for the mustard gherkins, as long as the typical taste is only enriched but not covered.

Other possible ingredients

  • onion
  • horseradish
  • fresh dill
  • bay leaves
  • peppercorns
  • garlic
  • chili
  • and other spices and herbs

Don't just look for freshness with cucumbers, dill and co. shouldn't come from the freezer or tin either. You can only achieve a good taste composition with the best ingredients.

Clean and sterilize pickle jars beforehand

Feel free to use old pickle jars for mustard pickles. However, these should be thoroughly cleaned and then sterilized at high temperatures. Boiling water is hot enough to kill harmful germs on the glasses after 10 minutes. Alternatively, the glasses can be heated in the oven for 10 minutes at 140 degrees Celsius.

Recipe for mustard pickles

Below is a recipe for about 8 to 10 medium sized glasses. Once you put it in, you're ready for the whole winter. Plan some time for the preparation, because it doesn't work without cooking.

  • 5 kg of cucumbers
  • 8 tbsp mustard seeds
  • 2 tbsp peppercorns
  • 4 bay leaves
  • 4 tbsp salt
  • 8 tbsp sugar
  • 2 liters of white vinegar
  • 2 liters of water

If the quantities given exceed your needs, you are welcome to deviate from them and halve them.

Preparation of the mustard pickles

  1. Cut the peeled and seeded cucumbers into pieces of about 5 cm.
  2. Place the pieces in a large bowl and sprinkle salt over them.
  3. Pour in water until the cucumber pieces are completely covered.
  4. Put the mixture in the refrigerator for 24 hours, where the cucumbers can steep.
  5. After that, pour off the liquid and rinse the cucumbers thoroughly under running water.
  6. Boil the remaining ingredients and add the cucumbers.
  7. Cook the cucumbers in it for a few minutes, but they should still retain some bite.
  8. Fill everything into jars that you immediately seal airtight.

durability

Stored cool, cucumbers can be kept for several weeks in tightly sealed jars.

Conclusion for fast readers:

  • Pros: Even pickled gherkins taste better, are free of unnecessary preservatives and artificial flavors
  • Suitable cucumbers: Salad cucumbers are used for mustard cucumbers; preferably ripe, yellow specimens
  • Preparation: Cucumbers are peeled and seeded and cut into coarse or fine pieces depending on the recipe
  • Tip: Green and unripe cucumbers have hardly formed any seeds, they do not necessarily have to be seeded
  • Mustard seeds: They are used in abundance and give the gherkins their typical taste
  • Basic ingredients: vinegar gives the cucumbers a long shelf life; Salt and sugar refine the taste
  • Other ingredients: onions, horseradish, fresh dill, bay leaves, peppercorns, garlic, chili and Co.
  • Pickle Jars: Old pickle jars can be reused; must be cleaned and sterilized beforehand
  • Recipe for 8 to 10 glasses: 5 kg of cucumbers, 2 liters of water, 2 liters of vinegar, 8 tablespoons of mustard seeds, 2 tablespoons of peppercorns
  • Recipe for 8 to 10 glasses: 4 bay leaves, 4 tablespoons salt, 8 tablespoons sugar
  • Modification: The recipe quantity is sufficient for the winter supply; but can be adjusted to individual needs
  • Step 1: Cut the peeled and seeded cucumbers into 5 cm pieces; put in a large bowl
  • Step 2: Sprinkle cucumbers with salt and cover with water; Leave in the fridge for 24 hours
  • Step 3: Drain the water and rinse the cucumber pieces with water
  • Step 4: Boil remaining ingredients; Add cucumbers and cook al dente; Pour the mixture into the glasses
  • Step 5: Seal jars airtight and place in a cool place
  • Shelf life: Pickled cucumbers can be kept for several weeks

The garden journal freshness ABC

How can fruit and vegetables be stored correctly so that they stay fresh for as long as possible?

The garden journal freshness ABC as a poster:

  • as a free PDF file to print out yourself

Category:

Vegetable garden