Gershwin cucumbers fresh from the garden

Pickling Cucumbers

Pickling cucumbers are short, blocky, and firm, with thin skin that soaks up brine. Gershwin, Chaperon, Excelsior, and Super Max are productive hybrids, and H-19 Little Leaf is a compact, open-pollinated type that sets fruit without pollinators. Several resist powdery mildew and scab. Pick them small, at 3 to 5 in., and pick often to keep plants producing. Fresh, they make crunchy snacking cucumbers too.

What makes a pickler

Pickling cucumbers are bred to stay crisp after brining. They have thinner skin, smaller seed cavities, and denser flesh than slicers, and they are typically picked at 3 to 5 in. long. American types tend to have fewer, larger spines and a lighter green color. European types like cornichons are smaller with fine spines and are picked very young.

For crisp pickles, harvest early in the morning, keep the fruit cool, and process them within a day. Trim the blossom end, which holds enzymes that can soften pickles. Check plants every day or two at peak season, since fruit sizes up fast. Oversized cucumbers turn seedy and hollow, so pull them off the vine even if you don't use them. A trellis keeps fruit clean and makes daily picking much quicker in a busy summer.

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