All about gherkins

The gherkin (Cucumis sativus) - like the cucumber - originally comes from India. It is not possible to say exactly when the popular gherkins first landed on European plates. However, it is known that pickled gherkins were already appreciated in Roman antiquity - precisely because of their long shelf life, but certainly due to their taste. Some sources claim that even the Egyptian queen Cleopatra was very fond of the small, crunchy gherkins. 

In fact, there are different types of pickled gherkins, which vary significantly in their preparation.

•  The first type, our classic gherkins, are made with an infusion of vinegar, water and spices. Because they are pasteurised, i.e. strongly heated, they have a long shelf life.
•  The second option, which is also very common all over the world, is often called sour pickles or salted gherkins: These, on the other hand, are fermented using lactic acid - similar to sauerkraut. They are usually pickled in a salt brine and thus preserved.

The gherkins differ in taste: The vinegar infused gherkins taste sweet & sour, while gherkins in salt brine taste more salty & sour.

The gherkin, which is much smaller than the cucumber, usually grows outdoors without a trellis. Gherkin plants produce both male and female flowers. Once the flower has been pollinated, fruits will grow. With more modern breeds, pollination is not necessary because the plants produce purely female fruits. Exactly, fruits - because the gherkin, like the tomato, is a fruit. But how does the fruit get from the field into the jar?

The gherkin seeds arrive in the fields as early as mid-April, where they can grow and flourish in the open air. It takes about 50 days for a small seed to grow into a crunchy gherkin. 

Most of our contract farmers grow their gherkins close to the factory - for us, this means that there is a distance of around 20 kilometres between the field and the factory. This is how we fulfil our motto "Fresh from the field into the jar". These short distances are important to us. Because this way we can produce sustainably, the gherkins get freshly pickled and absorb the flavour of the vinegar infusion intensively.

The harvest season of gherkins usually starts during the month of June. Of course, the climate is largely responsible for the timing.

Depending on the weather conditions, our farmers have a lot to do: Warm temperatures make the small fruits grow quickly. For this reason, the gherkins must be harvested fast, so they do not grow too big. Especially with the precious cornichons, timing plays a major role.

At Hengstenberg, the gherkin season usually ends by the end of August. Until then, the entire year's supply - until the next harvest in the following year - is produced.

So, while for many people summer is a rather relaxed time, gherkin production is running at full speed at Hengstenberg.

Just as Americans love their pickles, Poles love their salted fermented gherkins. Polish pickled gherkins are often seasoned with dill, coriander and refined with a subtle hint of garlic. Gherkins taste particularly good in a Polish potato salad, mainly because of their aromatic garlic flavour, along with potatoes, onions, peas, apples, celery, carrots, eggs, mayo, mustard and pepper.

Cornichon is French and basically means little horn, best describing their shape. Cornichons are smaller than conventional gherkins - but are comparable in taste.

When the jar of cornichons is nearing its end, people in Germany poke around with a fork or reach deep into it with their fingers. The French help themselves in a more elegant way: with an “ascenseur de cornichons”, a gherkin lift. It is a stick on a plastic disc with holes. The disc is under the cornichons, while the stick is at the opening of the jar. They can now easily lift their cornichons to the top and enjoy to the last bite. 

Let's start with a classic example: potato salad. The best potato salad is usually made by grandma. And many Germans eat potato salad on Christmas Eve. And yet no one would ever think of making a mayonnaise-based potato salad without tangy, crunchy gherkins.

Our opinion: Anyone who picks the pickle off a burger (or avoids it from the start) is not a real burger lover. It is simply a must on a good burger. By the way: The restaurant Louis' Lunch in New Haven in the US state of Connecticut claims to be the oldest hamburger restaurant. It was founded in 1895 by immigrant Louis Lassen and has been serving hamburgers ever since.

Lobscouse is a potato dish with beef, rollmops (pickled herring fillets) and beetroot. It was first mentioned by the British author Ned Ward in 1706 and originally made of cured meat. Sailors often suffered from scurvy and could not eat their ration of meat because of their aching teeth. So, they came up with the idea of mashing it. Beetroot and gherkins are rich in vitamin C, which prevents scurvy. This is how the Lobscouse was born, which includes fried egg and pickled gherkins. The pickled gherkins harmonize wonderfully with the flavour of the beetroot and make the lobscouse a very special dish.

Another speciality that is very popular in southern Germany, Alsace, Switzerland and Austria: the “Wurstsalat” (literally sausage salad). And of course, gherkins are a must-have ingredient. The sliced sausage is mixed with vinegar, oil and onions. The aromatic pickled gherkins perfectly round off the taste of this traditional meal, which is often eaten as a main course with just a slice of good bread.

Even if the Swedish furniture giant might make you think so, hot dogs are not from Sweden. The soft bun, which contains a sausage (bockwurst), sweet and sour gherkins, fried onions, mayonnaise, mustard and ketchup, actually comes from Germany – namely Frankfurt am Main. The butcher Johann Georg Hehner is said to have invented a precursor to the hot dog in 1847.

Roast or roulades are a dish for special occasions in Germany. They are served with potatoes and red cabbage or sauerkraut. Roulades come from the 18th/19th century, and the word comes from the French “roulade” from the verb “rouler”, which means to roll. And that's exactly what roulades are all about: spread thinly sliced beef with mustard, put bacon and gherkins on top and roll up, fry, cook - and enjoy.

A delicious snack or sandwich is often hearty, particularly tasty and simply comforting. Whether during breaks, as breakfast or in the evening, on their own or on a tasty cheese or sausage sandwich, pickled gherkins add just the right amount of extra flavour and perfect balance.

...you should never throw away the pickle juice. You can not only pickle new gherkins with it, but also use it for other things.

Need some examples?

• For sports enthusiasts: Gherkin infusion helps against cramps.
• Cooking: Refine dressings, dips or marinate/tenderize meat with it.
• Cleaning: Makes copper shine again and great for descaling.
• Gardening: To fertilise lilies, primrose or lupines (they love acidic soil) or as a weed killer

No, it is a myth. Pregnant women eat just as many gherkins as non-pregnant women. According to a Dutch study, only 8% of the pregnant women surveyed had cravings for gherkins. The fact that women suddenly eat foods during pregnancy that they didn't like before - or suddenly don't like their favourite food - is due to hormonal changes. So, it can sometimes happen that a pregnant woman suddenly feels a craving for gherkins.

If you've had too many drinks at a party, it can help to eat gherkins for your hangover breakfast the next morning. After drinking alcohol, the body craves acidity, salt and spiciness. All these components are combined in gherkins.

Did you got a craving for gherkins and want to try some recipes with them? Feel free to stop by our recipe section and inspire yourself.