It’s time to buy cucumbers for pickling. Tips for beginners

Cucumber season is here. Pickling cucumbers has become a tradition in many households, and yours shouldn’t be left out. Homemade, crunchy pickled cucumbers are undoubtedly worth the effort. The key to pickling cucumbers is choosing the right ones—those that will be perfectly crisp and full of flavor. In the following paragraphs, we’ll focus specifically on buying cucumbers for pickling. This step should definitely not be underestimated. Otherwise, your pickled cucumbers might end up rubbery and bland.

The place to buy them is clear

Small pickling cucumbers are traditionally available in many supermarkets these days. It’s best to steer clear of those. We tried buying them at one of the big supermarkets and were rewarded with fairly rubbery cucumbers; while they didn’t taste bad after pickling, their soft texture and rubbery consistency didn’t make for anything special. It’s much better to head to the farmers’ market. They usually have freshly harvested cucumbers there, not the ones that have been sitting on the shelves for several days.

The time of purchase matters

It’s worth heading to the market early in the morning. The cucumbers on display there are still fresh at that time. As the sun gradually takes its toll, they undoubtedly start to wilt and don’t look as appealing. Plus, they lose their firmness, which is something we want to avoid. A pickled cucumber taken out of the jar has to be crunchy—no question about it.

Tip: Try our recipe. Pickling cucumbers step by step.

Photo: Pixabay

Size matters

We buy cucumbers that are about the same size as the ones we harvest. Unfortunately, there aren’t many of those, so we have to buy extra cucumbers. The cucumbers range in length from about 3 to 5 cm. Irregular shapes are no problem at all. You can also buy oversized cucumbers and quarter them lengthwise. However, not everyone likes these kinds of cucumbers.

Be mindful of the cucumbers’ cleanliness

One last thing. The cucumbers should be clean. If you buy cucumbers with caked-on dirt, it’s quite difficult to scrub them and remove these impurities. When cleaning cucumbers, use a soft brush. Damaging the surface of the cucumber is undesirable, and the cucumbers will end up looking terrible.

Sources: Author

Photo: Pixabay