The Gherkin
Created | Updated Jan 28, 2002
The GherkinNutritional Data:
1 cup: kcal = 61; Protein = 2g; Carbohydrates = 14g; Fibre = 3g; Fat = 1g
The Gherkin is commonly found in slices littering an area of roughly one mile surrounding any fast food restaurant. However, this is not their natural state. Nor is it their natural state to be in fast food chains. The Pickled Gherkin is in fact a pickled Cucumber, and not a Gherkin at all. In fact, Gherkins never existed to be pickled! But, never the less, if you take a young Cucumber and preserve in a jar of vinegar it becomes a Gherkin.
Gherkins are believed to be the first ever pickle and were first enjoyed 4,500 years ago in Mesopotamia. Cleopatra was in fact a fan of pickles, as she believed that they would enhance her beauty. Caesars and Napoleons troops all enjoyed their pickles too, and during the war 40% of all pickles produced in the U.S during WWII were earmarked for the Armed Forces therefore it would seem that the humble Gherkin is a serious aid to warfare!
The perfect Gherkin should have a length to diameter ratio of 3:1 and the perfect size is two to four inches; this way you can store more in a typical canning jar. The perfect Gherkin should also exhibit seven warts per square inch if you are serving them in North America. Europeans actually prefer them without any warts at all. When pickling a cucumber to make a Gherkin you should prick them once or twice so that all the flavours penetrate the said cucumber. You could even experiment by adding garlic or whole chillies to get more flavours!
If you would like to try your hand at making Gherkins, why not try this recipe:
Utensils Needed:
Your pickles will be ready to eat the next day!
Nowadays, the most likely place to come across a gherkin is in any fast food chain. More specifically, they are found in the burgers. Some people do claim to like them but most will just discard them almost immediately. Burger Star however, supply gherkins but they are found on the side with all the other relishes, which is a good compromise!
Gherkins, along with any other pickle, have a strange property. If you were to connect two electrodes to a gherkin and pass an electrical current through it, it will glow. Experiments have been tested and the results show that this is indeed true!
However, gherkins are not the new light bulb! Initial experiments with gherkins were disappointing as they only glowed in a localised area around one electrode. Other more spherical pickles were found to be better and glowed more, probably due to their shape. A full write up on this experiment can be found here.On a final note it's worth mentioning that May is International Pickle Month! So make a point in May and enjoy a gherkin!
1 cup: kcal = 61; Protein = 2g; Carbohydrates = 14g; Fibre = 3g; Fat = 1g
A Little Bit of History
The Gherkin is commonly found in slices littering an area of roughly one mile surrounding any fast food restaurant. However, this is not their natural state. Nor is it their natural state to be in fast food chains. The Pickled Gherkin is in fact a pickled Cucumber, and not a Gherkin at all. In fact, Gherkins never existed to be pickled! But, never the less, if you take a young Cucumber and preserve in a jar of vinegar it becomes a Gherkin.
Gherkins are believed to be the first ever pickle and were first enjoyed 4,500 years ago in Mesopotamia. Cleopatra was in fact a fan of pickles, as she believed that they would enhance her beauty. Caesars and Napoleons troops all enjoyed their pickles too, and during the war 40% of all pickles produced in the U.S during WWII were earmarked for the Armed Forces therefore it would seem that the humble Gherkin is a serious aid to warfare!
The Perfect Gherkin
The perfect Gherkin should have a length to diameter ratio of 3:1 and the perfect size is two to four inches; this way you can store more in a typical canning jar. The perfect Gherkin should also exhibit seven warts per square inch if you are serving them in North America. Europeans actually prefer them without any warts at all. When pickling a cucumber to make a Gherkin you should prick them once or twice so that all the flavours penetrate the said cucumber. You could even experiment by adding garlic or whole chillies to get more flavours!
A Recipe
If you would like to try your hand at making Gherkins, why not try this recipe:
Home style Brine Recipe:
Utensils Needed:- 12 quart pot
1L mason jars
1L measuring cup and measuring spoon
- Salt, Garlic, Dill, (Hot Banana Peppers)
White Distilled Vinegar (6% Acid)
Fresh Pickling Cucumbers
- Add 4 cloves of peeled chopped garlic
Add 2 tbls chopped dill
(Add 1/4 cup sliced Hot Banana Peppers)optional
Pack cucumbers tightly into the jar.(Whole or sliced)
Add brine mixture to jars and fill to 1/4 inch from the rim of the jar.
Close cap tightly and place jars upright into the pot. (Do not stack jars)
Fill pot with tap water to cover bottles and bring to a slow boil.
Continue boiling for 5 minutes then remove pot from burner.
Begin adding tap water slowly so the pot over flows slowly. Adding water too quickly may crack the jars!
Continue until jars are cool enough to hold.
Store in a dark cool place.
Your pickles will be ready to eat the next day!
Nowadays, the most likely place to come across a gherkin is in any fast food chain. More specifically, they are found in the burgers. Some people do claim to like them but most will just discard them almost immediately. Burger Star however, supply gherkins but they are found on the side with all the other relishes, which is a good compromise!
Not Just For Eating
Gherkins, along with any other pickle, have a strange property. If you were to connect two electrodes to a gherkin and pass an electrical current through it, it will glow. Experiments have been tested and the results show that this is indeed true!
However, gherkins are not the new light bulb! Initial experiments with gherkins were disappointing as they only glowed in a localised area around one electrode. Other more spherical pickles were found to be better and glowed more, probably due to their shape. A full write up on this experiment can be found here.On a final note it's worth mentioning that May is International Pickle Month! So make a point in May and enjoy a gherkin!
