Give Your Pickles a French Twist With This Classic Cornichon Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What makes a pickle a cornichon? ›

Cornichons are small pickles, usually about the length of one finger. You can differentiate them from mini dill pickles by the bumpy skins, a natural feature of the cucumber varieties from which cornichons are made. Aside from the vegetable variety, the defining trait of cornichons is how they are pickled.

Those pickles are called cornichons (pronounced "KOR-nee-shons"), and they are exactly what they seem to be: tiny pickles, or, as the English call them, gherkins. Their tart, mildly sweet flavor makes them the ideal garnish to serve with classic charcuterie items such as pâtés, terrines, cured sausages, and the like.

The best way to keep your pickles crisp is by taking an extra moment to remove the blossom from the end of the cucumber. By adding this extra cut, you have a crisper pickle. Other ways to ensure a crisp pickle is by adding grape leaves to your jar. I tend to cut off both ends of the cucumber as I quickly process them.

While basically any vegetable can be pickled, when we talk about “pickles,” we're generally referring to pickled cucumbers. So, the answer to the question, “what are cornichons?” is pretty simple: They're very small pickles. That is to say, they're a variety of small cucumbers that have been cured in brine and spices.

Yes, fermented pickles and vegetables are loaded with healthy bacteria that your body will love you for adding to your diet. Shop bought options can be very high in salt though, so that's something to be aware of if you're planning on buying yours from the supermarket.

The problem with the cornichon cucumber is that it is not a hardy crop, it is expensive to grow, and it is harvested only once a year in France, compared with three times a year in India.

Cornichons are pickled French gherkin cucumbers—small in size but big in crunch and tart flavor. Organic Capers (the edible flower buds of the Capparis shrub) are found in countries surrounding the Mediterranean. They are handpicked and preserved in salt or brine.

If a recipe calls for cornichons and you don't have any, substitute small slivers of dill pickles. Remember, all cornichons are gherkins, not all gherkins are cornichons.

You can eat gherkins raw, although they can be bitter; you can cook them, too, if you fancy. When it comes to pickling, salt them overnight, rinse, pack into a sterilised jar and cover with spiced vinegar.

Quick pickling is simply the act of storing fresh produce in a brine of vinegar, salt, water, and sometimes sugar, in the refrigerator. These pickles are not canned and are ready to eat mere hours after making, though I usually wait at least a day or two.

What additive keeps pickles crisp? ›

Calcium chloride (CaCl2), sometimes known as “pickle crisp”, is a type of salt that helps preserve the crunchiness of food. It is used in the food industry to help preserve the texture of canned fruit and vegetables.

Tasting the stem end can give you a sense of whether the pickle will be bitter since that's the end where bitterness concentrates. Soaking your cucumbers in ice water 30-60 minutes before fermenting seems to help keep crispness.

The French call them cornichons, and they're sold under the same name in the US, but the English call them gherkins. These delicious little pickles are great on an appetizer plate, chopped up in deviled eggs, and added to sandwiches.

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And then there's the flavor: Cornichons are typically seasoned with mustard and tarragon. Tarragon, while not as versatile as some herbs, is powerfully aromatic, making whatever it's added to seem like a fully realized food. Pearl onions are the guest stars, adding another layer of taste and texture.

Gherkins and cucumbers belong to the same species, but are from different cultivar groups. However, cornichons are tiny baby gherkins, and have more flavor. Cornichons are about the size of your pinky finger that are about an inch and half in length. They're nubby and bumpy, tart and crunchy.

The name Cornichon roughly translates from French to mean “l*ttle horn” and can be used to describe both the fresh, small cucumbers sold in local markets and also the pickled, preserved versions.

Cornichons are pickled French gherkin cucumbers—small in size but big in crunch and tart flavor. Organic Capers (the edible flower buds of the Capparis shrub) are found in countries surrounding the Mediterranean.

Vorgebirgstrauben. Like Cornichon de Bourbonne, this German pickling cucumber is covered with tiny prickles that rub off easily. But 'Vorgebirgstrauben' is much thicker than its French cousin and so is best used at no more than four inches long. The only current American source I've found is Reimer Seeds.