[Scribbler]

Hello – haven't been on here for a while. Life happens!!

Anyway, long story short, I find myself with half a dozen gherkins which are as fat as cucumbers, but about a third  of the length. They were originally bought as gherkin seed, not cucumbers, and have thick spiny skin.

I want to slice these and pickle them, but can't find a recipe in Val's book. Can anyone recommend pickling ideas please? I know the internet tells you everything these days, but sometimes not very reliably, to say the least.

Life's been complicated lately. I'm in plaster following ankle fusion surgery, and my daughter has just separated from her husband and moved in with us with her two daughters.

I sometimes think by head is going to explode.

Any thoughts on the gherkins welcome, although I may have left it too late. However you can buy them this size sliced and pickled in supermarkets.

[snowdrops]

I just slice, salt in layers, drain well & mix up some vinegar with a bit of sugar, peppercorns,bay leaf, mustard seed & turmeric, sometimes coriander seeds, bring to the boil until the sugar is dissolved. Pack the gherkin slices in sterilised jars, pour over the hot vinegar & pop a sterilised lid on, put away for a couple of months. Lots of recipes include dill, but I never have any & also I’m not that keen on it which is why I probably didn’t like gherkins on anything I bought (burgers etc) but I love them this way. Sorry no precise measurements as I make it up as I go along following a bread & pickle recipe I was given & have adapted to my tastes.

[Yorkie]

No idea, but nice to see you Scribbler! Good luck with your recovery and the new household arrangements 

[Aunt Sally]

Nice to see you back, Scribbler. 

[Scribbler]

It's lovely to be back! Thanks for the advice.

The garden has been completely ignored, so lots of catching up to do. This may have to wait until next year now.

But the good news is that I'll be out of plaster in a couple of weeks, so things will return to something approaching normal.

Lots of cherry tomatoes in the greenhouse, but not a great year for courgettes!

All the best.