Give Your Pickles a French Twist With This Classic Cornichon Recipe (2024)

By

Rebecca Franklin

Rebecca Franklin is a freelance lifestyle writer and recipe developer. Her expertise is in French cuisine, which she writes about and teaches.

Learn about The Spruce Eats'Editorial Process

Updated on 09/15/21

Trending Videos

Give Your Pickles a French Twist With This Classic Cornichon Recipe (1)

Pickles are not a huge part of French cooking, but cornichons certainly have their role alongside pâtés and terrines, raclettes and meats,and cheese andcharcuterieplates. French cornichons are tiny pickles—about the size of your pinky finger—and have a bumpy exterior. The taste is tart, and the texture is crunchy. These powerful little cucumber cousins are perfectwhen served on appetizer platters withsmoked meat and fish and added to deviled eggs or a sandwich.

In England, these small pickles are called gherkins. Gherkins are a close relative to the cucumber plant but are bumpier and crisper. Cornichons are made from a few different types of gherkin plants. Although finding the right kind of cucumber in the U.S. may be challenging, the recipe itself is simple to make.Just keep in mind, cornichons will need to sit after canning for three to four weeks.

One of the more popular types of cucumbers used for cornichons is the fin de meaux cucumber. A variety called Parisienne cornichon de Bourbonne cucumbers is also commonly used. You can also use pickling cucumbers cut into 1/2-inch spears.

Ingredients

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. In a large bowl, toss cucumbers in 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of salt.

  3. Arrange cucumbers in a single layer on paper towels or clean kitchen towels to allow salt to draw moisture out of cucumbers. Let sit for 90 minutes, then rinse cucumbers thoroughly.

  4. Sterilize 2 (1-pint) jars, along with their lids and rings, and keep hot until ready to fill with pickling mixture.

  5. In a medium, nonreactive saucepan over medium-high heat, bring vinegar, water, and remaining 2 tablespoons of salt to a boil.

  6. Divide onion, garlic, dill, peppercorns, cloves, and bay leaves between the 2 sterilized jars.

  7. Pack cucumbers into the jars, leaving 1/2-inch of headspace.

  8. Fill jars with hot vinegar mixture, leaving 1/4-inch headspace from the top of the jars.

  9. Tap jars to remove any air bubbles, cap jars, and process them for 10 minutes in a boiling-water canner.

  10. Cool jars and store in a cool, dark place for at least three to four weeks before opening.

Tips

  • Grow your own gherkins: If you are having trouble finding the French varieties but are determined to make authentic cornichons, you can buy the seeds and grow them yourself. Plan ahead, as this method will take much longer than the three- to four-week canning time. If you have the right growing conditions, think about adding 10 weeks to the process if you grow your own.
  • If you do not have a canner: Place the jars into a large pot of water, bring to a boil for 10 minutes, switch off the heat, and then carefully remove the jars from the water.

How to Store Cornichons

Unopened, cornichons will keep for at least a year. Once opened and refrigerated, they will last many months.

How to Use Cornichons

Cornichons can be used in a variety of ways.

  • Sauces: Cornichons have their place in sauces such astartar sauce, rémoulade sauce, and charcutiere sauce, a French finishing sauce often used with meat dishes.
  • Main dishes: You will also find this little pickle featured in certain regional dishes, likeSouthern-style deviled eggs, and making an unexpected but welcome appearance in a steak salad recipe.
  • Culinary specialties: Cornichons also are a part of German cuisine and appear in two German specialties:German pasta salad,a typical party dish featuring bologna, cheese, and eggs with a creamy dressing; and German beef rouladen, consisting of thin slices of beef rolled around a mixture of cornichon, mustard, onion, and bacon.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
15Calories
0g Fat
2g Carbs
0g Protein

×

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12to 16
Amount per serving
Calories15
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g0%
Saturated Fat 0g0%
Cholesterol 0mg0%
Sodium 1893mg82%
Total Carbohydrate 2g1%
Dietary Fiber 0g1%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 2mg9%
Calcium 15mg1%
Iron 0mg1%
Potassium 90mg2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Rate This Recipe

I don't like this at all.It's not the worst.Sure, this will do.I'm a fan—would recommend.Amazing! I love it!Thanks for your rating!

Give Your Pickles a French Twist With This Classic Cornichon Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What makes a pickle a cornichon? ›

Cornichons are small pickles, usually about the length of one finger. You can differentiate them from mini dill pickles by the bumpy skins, a natural feature of the cucumber varieties from which cornichons are made. Aside from the vegetable variety, the defining trait of cornichons is how they are pickled.

Why are cornichons so expensive? ›

The problem with the cornichon cucumber is that it is not a hardy crop, it is expensive to grow, and it is harvested only once a year in France, compared with three times a year in India.

Why are cornichons called cornichons? ›

The name Cornichon roughly translates from French to mean “little horn” and can be used to describe both the fresh, small cucumbers sold in local markets and also the pickled, preserved versions.

What is the difference between a gherkin and a cornichon? ›

Gherkins are typically flavored with garlic and dill, but they can also be sweet. French gherkins, known as cornichons, are flavored with dill and sometimes feature additional herbs and spices, such as tarragon or pepper.

Are cornichons just small cucumbers? ›

Although they resemble cucumbers, the gherkins that become cornichons are not true cucumbers. They are picked when quite young so that they're only an inch or two in length, and their texture is bumpy.

What do Americans call cornichons? ›

The French call them cornichons, and they're sold under the same name in the US, but the English call them gherkins. These delicious little pickles are great on an appetizer plate, chopped up in deviled eggs, and added to sandwiches.

Are capers and cornichons the same? ›

Cornichons are pickled French gherkin cucumbers—small in size but big in crunch and tart flavor. Organic Capers (the edible flower buds of the Capparis shrub) are found in countries surrounding the Mediterranean. They are handpicked and preserved in salt or brine.

Do cornichons taste like dill pickles? ›

If you're wondering “are cornichons sweet like a bread and butter pickle pickle?” the answer is no. They're seasoned with tarragon and pepper and are far more tart, even more so than a dill pickle, enough so that you might get a slight pucker upon first sampling one.

Can you eat cornichons raw? ›

You can eat gherkins raw, although they can be bitter; you can cook them, too, if you fancy. When it comes to pickling, salt them overnight, rinse, pack into a sterilised jar and cover with spiced vinegar.

Do McDonald's use pickles or gherkins? ›

We don't call them “gherkins” here - they are pickled cucumbers and just called “pickles”. Once upon a time, McDonald's didn't hang their hat on custom toppings - that was the selling point of Burger King (their slogan was “Have it your way at Burger King”), Wendy's and some other chains.

Are cornichons healthy? ›

These little guys help control blood pressure, increase digestion, bone growth and improve muscle building (that's probably why an Australian Rugby team was spotted drinking the juice and munching on gherkins on the sidelines to prevent cramping).

Why are cornichons so good? ›

Many times, cornichons have a much bumpier skin than regular-sized pickles and their rougher texture complements things like smooth meat patés and salmon rillettes. They are briny, sharp, and cut right through rich and fatty foods to complement what you're eating and cleanse your palate at the same time.

Are sweet pickles cornichons? ›

If you're wondering “are cornichons sweet like a bread and butter pickle pickle?” the answer is no. They're seasoned with tarragon and pepper and are far more tart, even more so than a dill pickle, enough so that you might get a slight pucker upon first sampling one.

Are capers cornichons? ›

Cornichons are pickled French gherkin cucumbers—small in size but big in crunch and tart flavor. Organic Capers (the edible flower buds of the Capparis shrub) are found in countries surrounding the Mediterranean.

Are gherkins just baby cucumbers? ›

Gherkins, or baby pickles, are small cucumbers, typically those 3 to 13 cm (1 to 5 in) in length, often with bumpy skin, which are typically used for pickling. The word gherkin comes from early modern Dutch gurken or augurken, 'small pickled cucumber'.

What is the derivation of cornichon? ›

The French cornichon literally means "little horn," from the Latin cornu, "animal horn."

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Msgr. Refugio Daniel

Last Updated:

Views: 5397

Rating: 4.3 / 5 (54 voted)

Reviews: 85% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Msgr. Refugio Daniel

Birthday: 1999-09-15

Address: 8416 Beatty Center, Derekfort, VA 72092-0500

Phone: +6838967160603

Job: Mining Executive

Hobby: Woodworking, Knitting, Fishing, Coffee roasting, Kayaking, Horseback riding, Kite flying

Introduction: My name is Msgr. Refugio Daniel, I am a fine, precious, encouraging, calm, glamorous, vivacious, friendly person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.