This year we are growing gherkins – a cucumber plant that produces small but prolific fruit. We had our first batch last month, which we preserved by salting and then, after rinsing, leaving in a jar of vinegar. We’ve done another batch since and have another crop that will be ready to process soon so felt it was wise to test the results.

I think it would be fair to say that we didn’t get all the salt out. These aren’t gherkins to gobble down whole! I think we may need to revise the recipe for the next batch although I am quite confident that they are well preserved and would probably last into the next millennium! They won’t be wasted though – although we’ll have to use them sparingly, they will be a useful addition for introducing flavour enhancing salt into dishes.