When to Pick Cucumbers for Pickling: Perfect pickle

**When is the best time to pick cucumbers for pickling?**

First time that I started picking cucumbers I realized that I was not sure what time they were best to be picked. This isn't logical, but it would appear to be easy isn't it? I'd stare at these tiny cucumbers trying to figure out if they were small. I'd glance at the ones that were slightly bigger, thinking that they appeared to be larger than the ones that were in the jars at the supermarket.

**Pickling vs slicing cucumbers**

There are two primary varieties of cucumbers: pickling and cutting. Any kind of cucumber can be picked, however picking cucumbers are more effective.

Pickling cucumbers are designed to be picked when they are smaller and, naturally. However, when compared to cutting cucumbers, they have less skin, softer (crunchier!) flesh, smaller and less seeds, and are less bitter.

Cucumbers cut in slices aren't as crunchy, and the skin may become more brittle - which isn't so obvious when making relish. They are different in both shape and color in addition.

Pickling cucumbers are typically thinner and shorter (stockier) that are more suitable for gherkins as well as spears of pickles. They usually have a lighter hue than the usual dark-green slices of cucumbers. The colors of pickling cucumbers are typically light and creamy to medium green with spiny, bumpy skin.

**When is the best time to harvest cucumbers for picking**

Although you can let pickling cucumbers grow to the size of sandwiches, and harvest cucumbers by slicing them early to pickle but I'll focus on their intended purpose.

If you're interested in knowing how to harvest cucumbers for pickling specifically for pickling this article is written perfect for you. The best size for picking is determined by the method you choose to pickle them - gherkins, slices or spears.

**Harvesting for gherkins**

Pickling cucumbers are picked when they are small and still have a thin skin and crisp flesh.

If you're looking to make gherkins you'll need to harvest the cucumbers when they're tiny, to allow them to be steamed whole. Pick when they're 1.5 2- 2" length, which is about equivalent to the width of your finger.

With this size, they'll appear like they're spiky and bumpy which is normal. The cucumbers must also be solid and greenish (even lighter green). They shouldn't appear yellow, which is an indication that something has gone wrong during the process of growing, such as lack of pollination, watering or stress from heat.

**Harvesting of pickles for slices / chips of pickles**

If you're planning to make bread and butter pickles or slices of dill pickles you'll need to let the cucumbers develop until they're big enough to make perfect slices of around 1.25 to 1.75" wide.

A good way to determine the best time to harvest them is if they're only a little smaller than an average spice container. As a reference, most spice jars are around 1.75" thick and 4" long.

Certain varieties are smaller and more dense, while others are a bit longer and smaller. This is why I choose ones based on their size, not the length.

To make sliced pickles Pick the cucumbers at a time at a time when they are able to reach an approximate diameter of 1.25 inches. If they are that large the length of their slicing will be around 3.5 long. Another method of determining the size of a cucumber is to grab an ornamental plant tag on the ground (standard tags are four" long) and then compare it with the cucumber.

The most stringent standard for picking cucumbers, established by the USDA for pickling cucumbers, is an overall size of 1.25 inches, and not more than 3.5 inches. A lower grade can be sized up to 1 7/8th inch, but not more than 5.5 inches.

If you don't have to worry with commercial production you could also make use of cucumbers that aren't shaped properly to make pickles that are sliced. Nobody will be more knowledgeable!

**Cucumbers harvested for spears**

Pickle spears are generally preserved in mason jars that are the size of pints. These jars measure about 5.25 inches tall. Therefore, choose your cucumbers only when they are smaller than the container. For spears, cucumbers should be around one-third the height of spice containers or slightly bigger.

Pick the cucumbers when they're about 4 to five inches in length. The blossom ends are taken off prior to pickling as it is full of enzymes which can soften the cucumber when the cucumber is kept.

Many gardeners I've met don't deliberately pick their cucumbers to make spears, but instead use cucumbers that grow accidentally too big to use as spears. This is what happens at the final!

If the cucumber grows excessively long, a good 5 inches then you can reduce them to create spears that can fit into the size of a pint mason jar. Make sure to avoid using ones which are too big without cutting them into smaller pieces in the sense that most recipes for canning test on a particular size. The brine may not be able to penetrate larger spears.

**What do you do with the excess cucumbers**

Sometimes, your cucumbers for pickling will grow too large to pickle. You can make the form of a pickle relish, or make them fresh as you would with a slicing variety.

But, if the cucumbers are turning yellow, they're not suitable for eating. The yellow (or occasionally orange) color could be to indicate that the seeds within are completely mature. This means you can save seeds to plant next year, even if you're only growing one type of.