how to make cornichons

• Posted by gardenguru1950 (My Page) on
  Wed, Aug 23, 06 at 23:26

I can't remember where I originally found these:

CORNICHONS

Recipe 1

Because their thin skins make them quite perishable, the very small cornichons (European gherkins) or American-type pickling cucumbers you will need for this recipe should be processed the same day they are harvested, whether you have grown them yourself or are lucky enough to have found them in a produce market or farmers' market. Recipes for this classic French pickle vary a lot, so don't feel you must follow this one religiously. Common additions are garlic, cloves, and thyme, and I have sometimes added mustard, coriander, allspice, or even cinnamon. The French often use red wine vinegar, which makes for a delicious if less pretty pickle. You can even make "Cornichons a l'Orientale", a pungent, clean-tasting pickle with ginger, hot pepper, garlic, and rice vinegar, to create. Traditionally, these cornichons accompany pâté or sliced on a sandwich of roasted pork with Dijon mayonnaise on a croissant.

About 1-¼ lbs cornichons (1-½ to 2" long)
[or American-type pickling cucumbers (1 to 1-½ ")]
3 tablespoons pickling salt
4 shallots, peeled
1 whole bay leaf
2 sprigs tarragon
10 whole black peppercorns
2 small dried chile peppers
about 2 cups white wine vinegar

Makes 1 Quart

1. Wash the cucumbers gently, rub off the tiny spines if you're using cornichon, and remove the blossom ends. In a bowl, mix the cucumbers with the salt. Let the cucumbers stand 24 hours.
2. Drain the cucumbers. Rinse them in cold water, and pat each one dry with a clean towel. Pack the cucumbers into a sterile 1-quart jar, interspersing among them the shallots, bay leaf, tarragon, peppercorns, and chile peppers, and leaving at least 1 inch headspace. Fill the jar to the brim with vinegar. Cover the jar tightly with a non-reactive cap, preferably one that is all plastic. Store the jar in a cool, dry, dark place.

3. The cornichons will be ready to eat in 1 month, and will keep well, unopened, for about 1 year.

CORNICHONS

Recipe 2

4 to 5 quarts (6 pounds) tiny fresh picked cucumbers (less than 1 inch),
OR small cucumbers up to 3-½ inches long, sliced into ⅓-inch rounds
1 ½ cups coarse (kosher) salt OR 1-¼ cups pickling salt
¼ cup white wine vinegar or distilled white vinegar
18 to 24 sprigs fresh tarragon
6 large shallots, peeled and sliced thin
1 tablespoon mustard seed
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon whole allspice, optional
¼ teaspoon whole cloves, optional
2 quarts white wine vinegar, more if needed

Wash cucumbers in cold water and remove any blossoms. Do not scrub as this tends to brush these small ones. Rinse and drain.

Mix with salt in stainless steel bowl or ceramic bowl. Cover the bowl with a cloth and let stand at room temperature for 24 hours. Stir to keep the brine which forms well mixed.

Next day, drain cucumbers and rinse them in 3 quarts of cold water and ¼ cup white wine vinegar or distilled white vinegar. Let stand 15 minutes. Drain and carefully wipe each cucumber dry with a soft cloth.

Scald and drain two half-gallon or 2 liter jars or crock(s).

Divide all ingredients equally among container(s) by placing one layer of tarragon in the bottom on the jar, followed by a layer of cucumbers or cucumber slices. This should be followed by 1/3 or 1/2 of the spices, depending on how many layers you intend to have. Repeat until all are added (but no higher than 2/3 of the jar).

Pour in enough white wine or distilled vinegar to cover the cucumbers and seasonings by an inch or better yet, by 2 inches.

Cover the containers with airtight lids or two layers of plastic wrap, help in place with rubber bands. The idea here is to keep the brine from rusting the metal jar lid.

Leave the pickles in a cool, dark spot for a month, after which they will be ready to use.

Once the pickling is complete, you may want to pack the cornichons in smaller jars as gifts, or for easier storage. Be sure they are covered with the vinegar and the jar lids are treated the same.

CORNICHONS

Recipe 3

2 lb cornichon cucumbers
1 cup coarse sea salt
several sprigs fresh tarragon and thyme
1 whole bay leaf
4-6 cloves garlic, peeled but left whole
a small handful whole peppercorns
1-2 small hot red peppers
2-3 quarts white vinegar,
enough to cover pickles completely in jars
½ inch slice lemon, one for each jar

Wash cornichons, rubbing briskly a few at a time to remove the furry edges. Put in a large colander and sprinkle liberally with salt. Let sit overnight in the sink or over a bowl to collect the liquid.

Drain & dry the cornichons with a clean dry towel. (Rubbing is preferable to rinsing as some salt remains.)

Place cornichons in any sized clean jars with tight-sealing lids. Place herbs around the pickles, adding slivers of peeled garlic cloves, several peppercorns, and a hot pepper, if desired, per jar.

Fill the jars to the top with cold vinegar straight from the bottle.

Lay a lemon slice on top and close the lid tightly. Shake once or twice and put on the back of a shelf or in the corner of a counter for a week or so. Taste the pickles as often as you like. They change in crunch and piquancy as they absorb the brine. They will be done in about a month or two.

Joe