Pickled cucumbers as a side dish or as a topping on the sandwich are a crunchy delicacy - and they are particularly tasty when everything from cultivation to preparation is done by hand became. You don't even need a bed in the garden for this, the balcony is also sufficient for the cultivation of the plants. In any case, it is important to know the key points of care and of course suitable recipes for delicious preservation.
Tip: A layer of mulch around the plants reduces evaporation, prevents weeds from sprouting and also offers additional protection for the roots.
With sufficient warmth and light, the seeds can quickly become seedlings, so they don't need to be grown or sown too early. A lead time of three to four weeks is sufficient. In fact, pre-breeding should not be done too early, as the young plants could then be too big when planted out. Pre-breeding is still recommended, as cucumber plants are very sensitive to frost. It starts in April so that the plants can be planted out in May. The procedure is as follows:
For this purpose:
In cucumber plants, the cut is also known as pruning. However, the effectiveness of this measure is controversial. There are also various instructions and advice on this topic. A particularly gentle variant is to only remove the stinging instincts. Here shoots that appear in the armpits between the main stem and the side shoots are removed. A sharp knife or clipping with a thumbnail is sufficient for this.
This should make sense, as the plant could invest more power in the formation of fruits than in the growth of leaves. However, there is no evidence of this. However, what experience has shown has an advantage is that the individual cucumbers can be harvested as early as possible. If you remove this very quickly, you will encourage renewed blooms and fruits.
Tip: It is important that the trimming and removal take place in the morning so that the resulting cut surfaces can dry off and close. A nice side effect is that there should be a lot of vitamins in the cucumbers in the morning.
If the pickling cucumbers turn yellow, the harvest has been delayed too long.
Tip: When harvesting, it should also be taken into account that the pickling cucumbers should later fit well into the clay pot or preserving jars. Of course, this works best with small specimens.
The peeled and sliced cucumbers are placed in a mason jar. The remaining ingredients are mixed to taste and taste and poured over the cucumbers. To present the quantities of the spices - half a teaspoon to two teaspoons is usually sufficient for one kilo of cucumber. More can be used for dill. The vinegar should barely cover the pickled cucumbers in the jar. After mixing everything is poured into a glass and shaken. The pickled cucumbers are ready after just 12 hours of steeping in the refrigerator, whereby they should be shaken repeatedly. The preparation also works with cucumbers, which should, however, be peeled and pitted.
Tips: If the water is very hard, you can add a dash of vinegar. The quantities can be easily adapted to the existing pickling cucumbers.
Conclusion
The cultivation and preparation of pickling cucumbers is very easy and enriches the balcony or garden and also the kitchen. Correctly preserved, dill pickles and pickles can easily keep for a year and thus save the time until the next harvest. So the little effort is worth it - even for beginners.
Variety selection
In principle, any type of cucumber can be used to grow pickling cucumbers. Cultivars for cucumbers are also suitable for pickling when harvested early. When choosing the varieties, you can proceed according to taste and harvest time. The easiest way, however, is to use special pickled cucumbers or pickled cucumbers. Robust variants are particularly recommended for outdoor cultivation, such as:- Bidretta
- Charlotte
- Conny
- Eva
- Excelsior
Location
Cucumber plants like it light, warm and protected. They are sensitive to frost and cold wind. There are therefore two options for the location - either a greenhouse is used for the cultivation or a location protected from the wind with plenty of sunlight is chosen. For example, the south side and areas near a wall or wall are ideal.Substrate
The substrate for growing the pickling cucumbers should have the following properties:- loose and permeable
- light and not prone to compression
- neutral to slightly basic with a pH of about 7
Tip: A layer of mulch around the plants reduces evaporation, prevents weeds from sprouting and also offers additional protection for the roots.
Advancement and sowing
With sufficient warmth and light, the seeds can quickly become seedlings, so they don't need to be grown or sown too early. A lead time of three to four weeks is sufficient. In fact, pre-breeding should not be done too early, as the young plants could then be too big when planted out. Pre-breeding is still recommended, as cucumber plants are very sensitive to frost. It starts in April so that the plants can be planted out in May. The procedure is as follows: 1. The seeds are placed in potting soil in pots or an empty egg carton and lightly covered with the substrate. These are dark germs, so the layer of soil on the seeds should be about one centimeter.
2. The substrate is slightly moistened throughout.
3. The planters are either covered or placed in a mini greenhouse and placed in a bright, warm place.
4. The substrate is still kept moist. Care should be taken that there is no mold. Daily ventilation and the avoidance of waterlogging have a preventive effect.
5. The first shoot tips appear after about a week. After about three weeks, plants that take care of them can be sorted out, i.e. the pre-cultivation can be pricked out.
If frost is no longer to be expected outside, the young plants are placed outdoors or in the greenhouse. It should be ensured that there is really no more late frost or that the plants can be protected accordingly in these cases. In an isolated greenhouse, this problem is solved from the outset. Buckets should be moved indoors; in the open air, conditions on the ground and garden fleece over the young plants create at least protection from the worst effects of the drop in temperature. In addition, a planting distance of at least 50 centimeters between the plants must be maintained, even with smaller cucumber varieties. With sufficient ventilation, the plants in the tub can also stand a little closer.Water
Cucumbers are very rich in water and therefore the plants also need a regular supply. The substrate should therefore always be kept slightly moist. However, waterlogging must be avoided as a matter of urgency. Loose substrate, an admixture of sand and a guaranteed drainage of the water from the planter or bed can prevent waterlogging. The already mentioned mulch layer prevents it from drying out quickly and having to be watered frequently.Fertilize
Cucumbers are heavy eaters, which means that they need large amounts of nutrients. It is therefore advisable to add appropriate fertilizers to the substrate before planting out. Ripe compost, compost soil or manure are suitable for this. Later on, a homemade plant fertilizer can be used to ensure a regular supply by preparing nettle manure and diluting it for watering every two weeks.For this purpose:
1. Put one kilogram of cut nettle in ten liters of water.
2. The mixture is left in a bucket for two to three weeks and stirred daily.
3. If there are no more gas bubbles, the liquid manure can be mixed with water in a ratio of 1:10 and poured with it or the leaves can be sprayed. Both variants provide the cucumber plants with nutrients.
Alternatively, a slow release fertilizer can also be used. When choosing a substrate as well as fertilizing, however, it should be noted that the following applies to the additional supply of nutrients in the cucumber plant: in moderation and not in masses. Organic fertilizers in small amounts as well as the nettle manure described in strong dilution are usually completely sufficient.Waste
In cucumber plants, the cut is also known as pruning. However, the effectiveness of this measure is controversial. There are also various instructions and advice on this topic. A particularly gentle variant is to only remove the stinging instincts. Here shoots that appear in the armpits between the main stem and the side shoots are removed. A sharp knife or clipping with a thumbnail is sufficient for this.This should make sense, as the plant could invest more power in the formation of fruits than in the growth of leaves. However, there is no evidence of this. However, what experience has shown has an advantage is that the individual cucumbers can be harvested as early as possible. If you remove this very quickly, you will encourage renewed blooms and fruits.
Tip: It is important that the trimming and removal take place in the morning so that the resulting cut surfaces can dry off and close. A nice side effect is that there should be a lot of vitamins in the cucumbers in the morning.
Parasites, diseases and care mistakes
The cucumber plants are particularly susceptible to powdery mildew and the cucumber aphid. Planting robust varieties, spraying the plant and removing infested areas will help against fungal attack. Natural predators such as ladybugs, lacewings and hoverflies should be used against the cucumber aphid. Care errors, such as insufficient watering or waterlogging, insufficient or excessive fertilization, are comparatively typical when growing cucumber plants and can also be used to take care of the plants to lead. A control of the culture conditions can help here.harvest
As already mentioned, the pickling cucumbers should be harvested as early as possible. If the ripe cucumbers are removed quickly, they can even be harvested into autumn. The pickling cucumbers should not be torn off, as this will also damage the shoots. Instead, cut them off with a sharp knife.If the pickling cucumbers turn yellow, the harvest has been delayed too long.
Tip: When harvesting, it should also be taken into account that the pickling cucumbers should later fit well into the clay pot or preserving jars. Of course, this works best with small specimens.
To store
Since there are not enough cucumbers for canning every day, the pickling cucumbers should be stored accordingly until preparation. They can be kept for several days in the refrigerator or cold cellar. It is important that they are dark and cool but not exposed to frost.Pickled cucumber recipe
There are numerous different recipes for pickling the cucumbers. Pickled cucumbers are ideal when the pickling cucumbers are to be finished quickly and only a small amount needs to be processed. The following are required for this:- Pickling cucumbers, sliced
- vinegar
- salt
- sugar
- ground pepper
- Mustard seeds
- Dill, fresh
- Shallots as desired
The peeled and sliced cucumbers are placed in a mason jar. The remaining ingredients are mixed to taste and taste and poured over the cucumbers. To present the quantities of the spices - half a teaspoon to two teaspoons is usually sufficient for one kilo of cucumber. More can be used for dill. The vinegar should barely cover the pickled cucumbers in the jar. After mixing everything is poured into a glass and shaken. The pickled cucumbers are ready after just 12 hours of steeping in the refrigerator, whereby they should be shaken repeatedly. The preparation also works with cucumbers, which should, however, be peeled and pitted. Recipe for dill pickles
Another very simple pickled cucumber recipe is dill pickles. The following ingredients are required for the preparation:- 3 kg of small or quartered pickling cucumbers
- White wine vinegar or cucumber vinegar
- water
- salt
- 5 to 7 teaspoons of mustard seeds
- a bunch of dill with flowers
- 4 onions, if desired
Pickled cucumbers - recipe
For two glasses with a capacity of one liter each you need:- about 1 kg of pickling cucumbers
- 2 to 3 cloves of garlic
- two to four stalks of bunch of dill
- 1 liter of water
- 50 to 60 grams of salt
- some vine leaves or sour cherry leaves
Tips: If the water is very hard, you can add a dash of vinegar. The quantities can be easily adapted to the existing pickling cucumbers.
Conclusion
The cultivation and preparation of pickling cucumbers is very easy and enriches the balcony or garden and also the kitchen. Correctly preserved, dill pickles and pickles can easily keep for a year and thus save the time until the next harvest. So the little effort is worth it - even for beginners.