Heirloom Thursday: Gherkins

As I mentioned in a comment last week, this blog is a continual process of learning.  And so it is with cucumbers.  I was glancing back at my original post, from March 2009, where I made the statement "cucumbers are around all year."  Not so, of course - unless we're discussing the greenhouse variety.  One way to get cucumbers all year is to eat pickles.  I was raised on pickles, which are one of those foods like bagels which were once pretty ethnic but no longer.  Now that I'm older, I don't really like the dills and bread & butters that we used to eat; I've become a cornichon connoisseur.  

History: Cornichons are pickled gherkins.  What are gherkins?  That, my friend, is a somewhat contentious subject.  Some sources say that gherkins are actually a different species, Cucumis anguria.  This is probably not the case - these are more commonly called "burr gherkins" and are spiky little balls.  Others say that a gherkin is simply a young cucumber.  And the majority say that gherkins are a group of cultivars that happen to be little.  What is clear is that little cucumbers have been transformed into spicy little pickles called cornichons, served alongside French things like pate, since at least 1820.

Eating and Processing: A lot of white wine vinegar and shallots are what seems to set cornichons aside from ordinary pickles.  Be aware, though, that these can range from merely plebeian to absolutely delicious!  Here is one of many recipes.
Health Information: Let's be honest - brining a cucumber in a whole bunch of salt isn't likely to improve its nutritional qualities.  Although, if you interrupt your pate noshing for a bite of cornichon, maybe they are healthy by the process of subtraction!

Sustainability: Preserved foods of any kind offer a leg up on the sustainability front, for the simple fact that they don't have to be refrigerated, etc.  I read an article a few years ago (in Gourmet, maybe?) that all the gherkin production in France was being outsourced to places like India.  The weather in India is more fitting for cucumber growth, but some properly lament the loss of a countryside tradition.  Of course, the most sustainable way to enjoy gherkins is to grow your own and pickle a few, an effort that may be more than worth it!

Where to Find: My favorite commercial brand is Maille (I'm in agreement with a French chef from San Francisco, read about the blind taste test).

Bottom Line: Whatever gherkins might be, they are definitely best as cornichons!

References:
1. Wikipedia
2. What is a gherkin?
3. Extreme closeup from Flickr Creative Commons