Making Spreewald pickles yourself 

Atour Eurocamp Spreewaldtoryou can get seeds forpickling cucumbers. With this, you can grow your own cucumbers and later pickle them in the classic "Spreewald style": crunchy, spicy, and perfectly infused after a few weeks.

Here comes the practical step-by-step guide:What you need, how to grow them, when to harvest, and how to pickle them afterwards.

1) From seeds to pickling cucumbers: how to grow them successfully

The right time

• Indoor pre-cultivation:fromApril(bright and warm)

• Out into the bed / large pots:frommid-May(when it no longer gets cold at night)

Location

• Sunny to semi-shady, sheltered from the wind

• Cucumbers likeHeatandconsistent moisture

Soil & planting area

• Nutrient-richvegetable soilor well-prepared garden soil (preferably with compost)

• In the bed: roughly30–50 cmplanting distance

• In the pot: preferablylarge(from about20–30 litresper plant)

Sowing (short & simple)

• Seeds about1–2 cmdeep in the soil

• Soilkeep moist (not wet)Place in a warm spot, then cucumbers will germinate quickly

• Care (crucial for a good harvest)

Water regularly

• (Dry stress makes cucumbers bitter and soft)Fertilising

• : every 1–2 weeks a bit of vegetable/tomato fertiliser or compostOptional:

• Supportuse (cleaner fruits, easier to harvest)Harvest

For Spreewald cucumbers, use

small, firmpickling cucumbers.Tip:

harvest frequently(every 1–2 days), then they stay small and crunchy.2) What you additionally need (checklist)

For cultivation

Vegetable soil/compost

• Bed area or large pots

• Watering can/hose

• Fertiliser (vegetable)

• Optional: support

• Optional: Rankhilfe

For pickling

• Clean preserving jars with tight-fitting lids

• Large pot for the brine

• Knife, board

• Funnel/ladle (helps with filling)

3) Pickling Spreewald cucumbers – recipe for about 2 kg of cucumbers

Ingredients

• 2 kgsmall pickling cucumbers

• 1 lwater

• 500 mlvinegar (5% table vinegar)

• 50 gsalt

• 2 tbspsugar

• 3–4onions (sliced)

• 3–4garlic cloves

• 2–3 bunchesdill

Spices:mustard seeds, peppercorns, bay leaves, allspice

Optional typical:horseradish slices, cherry or vine leaves

Preparation

1. Wash cucumbers, cut off ends.

2. Prepare brine:water, vinegar, salt, sugarbring to a boil.

3. Fill jars:layer cucumbers, onions, garlic, dill and spicesinside.

4. Pour hot over:the boiling brinefill to the rimandseal immediately.

Let steep

• Store cool & dark

• After2–3 weeksthe cucumbers are ready.

• 
  

4) Tips for particularly crunchy cucumbers

• Onlyfresh, firmcucumbers for pickling (not overripe).

• Jars/Lidsvery cleanhold.

• Cucumberspacked tightly, but not squashedlayer.

• Horseradish and mustard seeds provide the typical "Spreewald character".