Gherkin

Cucumis sativus

vegetable

A young cucumber picked small, the same species as the cucumber, steeped for at least two weeks: in vinegar it is merely sour; lacto-fermented in salt, it stays alive.

Origin

India, acclimatized in Europe

Season (United States)

June to September · grows in your region

Preparation

A garden gherkin that is truly bitter goes in the bin: that is cucurbitacin, which makes you seriously ill, and vinegar does not remove it.

Did you know?

The French word cornichon appears in 1651 for a cucumber picked young and kept in vinegar; gherkin, Gurke or ogurets are said to come from the Greek for “green, unripe”.