Some Best Cucumbers For Pickling By Yourself

**Choose your cuke**

There are a variety of cucumbers to choose from and the variety you pick will influence the pickle, so you need to pick carefully. True pickling cucumbers, also known as Kirby pickles, tend to be tiny around 2 inches in length. They have a more thicker skin which is flecked with yellow, green and white, as well as a very few seeds. They have a light and sweet taste when they are raw. I'd recommend them whenever you can, as they are designed for picking. However when you don't grow yourself or are able to access a farmer market or farmstand, you'll be left with cucumbers in the grocery store and are available in two varieties: traditional and English or seeds-free.

Regular cucumbers come with a thick bitter, dark green skin, and lots of seeds. They are great when you are looking to make pickles that have no skin and has seeds removed. This gives a great shape of a smiling U and is ideal if you're using it in salads.

If you're planning to use cucumbers with their skins in order to give it the appearance and texture I recommend English or seeds-free varieties that have a smooth skin that isn't too sweet and has a lovely shape with ribs, and a some seeds. Seeds release more water into your pickling liquid, which could make the flavor less palatable too. There are miniature varieties of these that are known as babies cucumbers, or Persian cucumbers. They are actually smaller. I'm a huge fan of cute food items, so I often employ these since they are cute little circles.

**Make sure you prepare your cuke**

****

It's pretty simple. If you're looking for an un-skinless pickle, cut it in half and peel it. If you'd like a pickle that is seedless, cut lengthwise in half and employ an ounce of a teaspoon to scrape the seeds out. If you're using skin-on, rinse them well. Cut off all ends from the cucumber, and form into any shape that would be most appropriate for what you want to do with the cucumbers.

If you're planning to use them on sandwiches with flat sides Long planks or thin rounds work well. However, If you plan to put them in sandwich bags or substyles You might want to use small sticks or cut into julienne. If you are planning to make them for salads, round, bias cuts or half moons are beautiful. It is also possible to make use of a fork to scrape off the skin or alternate peeled and unpeeled pieces to create a beautiful pattern. If you're looking to transform the cucumbers that you pickled into salads by themselves, thicker cuts or chunky cut work best.

**Soften the cukes**

They are not processed or cooked, therefore it is important to make them slightly softer so that they can take in the taste that the brine imparts. Do this by put the cukes you've prepared in a bowl, then sprinkle with sugar and salt, and gently massage them for a few minutes, until they release some liquid and become somewhat flexible. It should be possible fold a slice of cucumber or stick roughly in half, without breaking.

**Rinse your cukes**

Brines are as basic as water, vinegar and salt. They can be made with sugar, like this does, and may also contain spices and herbs as well. Onions of all kinds such as shallot, scallion to Vidalia, work well to add flavor. Remember that using the red onions will make everything pink. The brine water should be sufficiently warm to dissolve sugar or salt completely. To get a fresh taste, try white vinegar or the rice wine vinegar. To add more flavor, try the apple cider vinegar. I don't recommend using red wine vinegar for pickles since it's expensive and can make the pickles look a bit muddy.

**Place your pickles in a safe place.**

They aren't made to be canned or processed, therefore it is important to store them in the fridge, and be prepared to consume them within the next week. While they're suitable to consume for a few weeks because of the high acid of the vinegar as well as their sugar levels, once about a week the texture becomes a little spongy and taste less delectable. This is why I only make what I think I'll need during the week.