Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: brokenglass on July 22, 2011, 11:30

Title: Gherkins
Post by: brokenglass on July 22, 2011, 11:30

Gherkins: Are they always bitter?     If not then how do you prevent the bitter taste e.g. do you harvest them at a particular size?

Look forward to any comments advice or funny remarks, but they should be funny!!!!

Modified to correct spelling of "gherkin" for search purposes

Title: Re: Gerkins
Post by: arugula on July 22, 2011, 11:38

Sorry not funny :(, but I don't think they should be bitter...  :unsure: .... and I'll be interested in the answer as our Crystal Lemon skins are on the bitter side, whilst our Marketmores don't get bitter.

:)

Title: Re: Gherkins
Post by: nilsatis1964 on July 22, 2011, 13:34

Gherkins are just small cucumbers aren't they so it will be male fruits that are bitter and the female fruit should be OK.  Off course I could as usual be completely wrong.

Title: Re: Gherkins
Post by: DD. on July 22, 2011, 13:39

You are completely wrong!  :lol:

There's no such thing as a male fruit.

At least not in this sense, anyway.  :tongue2:

Title: Re: Gherkins
Post by: stompy on July 22, 2011, 13:43

Quote

There's no such thing as a male fruit.

At least not in this sense, anyway

 :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:

Title: Re: Gherkins
Post by: DD. on July 22, 2011, 13:43

Finally....... someone got one one my jokes!  :tongue2:

Title: Re: Gherkins
Post by: brokenglass on July 22, 2011, 13:50

Well at least there was one funny comment!

Title: Re: Gherkins
Post by: DD. on July 22, 2011, 13:52

We're still puzzling over the real answer!

Title: Re: Gherkins
Post by: totalnovice on July 22, 2011, 18:02

Could it be that you have a variety that does not need to be polinated? Some varieties need to have the male flowers removed before they polinate the femal flowers as the polinated fruit are bitter.

I think its true for gherkins, as it is for some cucumber varities. (i think, please don't rip me apart DD ;) )

Title: Re: Gherkins
Post by: DD. on July 22, 2011, 18:48

Moi?  :ohmy:

Title: Re: Gherkins
Post by: brokenglass on July 24, 2011, 02:17

Not even any funny remarks now!"!"!!

Title: Re: Gherkins
Post by: DD. on July 24, 2011, 05:29

Would appear that we don't really know!

Title: Re: Gherkins
Post by: sunshineband on July 24, 2011, 09:51

Totalnovice seemed to have had a sensible answer in amongst al your hilarity (what are you like  :lol:)

Take off the male flowers (the ones with no baby fruit behind them) and then the female ones (the ones with a baby fruit) will not be pollinated and hey presto!

Sweet tasting gerkins  :lol: :lol:

Title: Re: Gherkins
Post by: mumofstig on July 24, 2011, 09:57

Mmmmm.................... I thought gherkins, like ridge cukes, had to be pollinated  :dry

the packet for mine doesn't tell me to remove flowers  :blink:

Title: Re: Gherkins
Post by: totalnovice on July 24, 2011, 11:50

Thank you sunshine! i'm just impressed that i dragged that bit of knowledge out of my thick skull!  :tongue2:

MOS, mine doesn't either i have to admit, but the flower thing popped into my head when i was thinking reading the post. Not that i am a cuke expert, in fact mine are seriously sulking this year >:( blooming tempremental things.  ;)

Title: Re: Gherkins
Post by: DD. on July 24, 2011, 12:43

I'm with mos on this.

Never removed mine - there's way to many anyway!