How do you eat West Indian Gherkin?

West Indian gherkins can be used cooked and raw . They may be eaten whole with the skin on when they are young, and can be sliced thin and used in salads like cucumbers. They can be used in casseroles and stews, and can be stir-fried with tomatoes, onion and garlic to make a ratatouille-like dish.

What kind of cucumbers are used for sweet gherkins?

Gherkins, also called West Indian or Burr cucumbers , produce small, exceptionally spiny fruit used exclusively for pickles. The culture of gherkins is similar to common pickling cucumbers, except the plants are smaller and require less space.

Can you eat gherkin cucumbers raw?

Can you eat gherkins as a vegetable or raw in a salad ? If pickled, is it better to do so in brine or vinegar? How long till they're OK to eat? You can eat gherkins raw, although they can be bitter ; you can cook them, too, if you fancy.

What does gherkin do to your body?

Pickled gherkins health benefits More research needs to be done in other areas, but there are some exciting believed benefits that include: Reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression . Managing diabetes. Alleviating some allergies.

What is the difference between a gherkin and a cucumber?

Gherkin is a term generally used to refer to a savory pickled cucumber . Gherkins and commercial cucumbers belong to the same species (Cucumis sativus) but are from different cultivar groups.

What is the difference between a pickled cucumber and a gherkin?

A pickled cucumber – commonly known as a pickle in the United States and Canada and traditionally a gherkin (/ɡərkɪn/) in Britain, Ireland, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand – is a usually small or miniature cucumber that has been pickled in a brine, vinegar, or other solution and left to ferment.

How do you eat gherkin cucumbers?

Pull the pickle out of the jar using a fork so you don't get the juice on your hands. Take bites straight from the pickle for a satisfying crunch, or cut it into slices or spears to enjoy bite-sized pieces.

What do you eat pickled gherkins with?

On a Salad: Jazz up your salad with a few slices of Sweet Pickled Cucumbers... go on, give yourself something to look forward to at lunch time! With Tapas: Enjoying a tapas evening with your friends? Sweet Pickled Cucumbers go with almost anything and will make your tapas selection really come alive!

What's the difference between a gherkin and a regular pickle?

Pickle: What's the Difference? A gherkin is a particular kind of pickle, but gherkins and pickles have a few key differences: Size: Gherkins are smaller than typical cucumber pickles because they are made from younger cucumbers. Texture: In comparison to pickles, gherkins have a bumpier texture and are crunchier .

How long do you leave pickled gherkins before eating?

Brine Variations: These pickles are more tangy with a little hint of spice. Make more brine if needed. For best results: Allow the pickled cucumbers at least 1 night in the fridge before using.

[Recipe] Cocombro or Pepino Silvestre Guisado (West Indian Gherkin) (2024)

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En Español Recipe ↆ

Maybe you haven't heard of Pepino silvestre guisado or cocombro guisado (a West Indian or burr gherkin recipe), but I don't want it to disappear as many of our grandmas' traditions. So, whether you find it or not, you can learn something about an interesting dish.

By Clara Gonzalez - Last reviewed Jan 13, 2024. Published Jul 15, 2012

[Recipe] Cocombro or Pepino Silvestre Guisado (West Indian Gherkin) (1)

JUMP TO: show ↓

Why we ❤️ it

Not long ago, I arrived from my trip to a sleepy little village in the mountains by the border. From that trip to Capotillo, I returned home with a handful of pepino silvestre, sweet memories of my childhood, and a desire to reproduce a family recipe.

This humble dish combines the delightful texture and mild flavor of an unusual vegetable with pork in a guisado I grew up with.

What's cocombro?

If you have never heard about it, let me introduce Cucumis Anguria, better known in the DR as pepino silvestre, pepino del monte, or cocombro, an obscure and poorly appreciated vegetable.

As its Spanish name suggests (wild gherkin), this vegetable grows in the wild, especially in areas of low precipitation.

Cocombro is known in English as West Indies gherkin or burr gherkin, and in other Spanish-speaking countries as badunga and cohombro. This resilient vine yields fruits about 4 to 8 cm in length.

In the DR, it isn't grown on a large scale or found in supermarkets. These I bought at the farmers' market in Dajabón.

[Recipe] Cocombro or Pepino Silvestre Guisado (West Indian Gherkin) (2)

[Recipe] Cocombro or Pepino Silvestre Guisado (West Indian Gherkin) (3)

West Indian gherkin, and cocombro guisado.

Serving suggestions

As pictured, I loved pepino guisado served with Moro de habichuelas, and avocado slices. You can also serve it with Arroz blanco and Habichuelas negras guisadas, some Arepita de maíz and Arepitas de yuca, my mom's favorite side dishes.

Top tips

Burr gherkins are not peeled. Traditionally, they are crushed with a meat mallet which makes the cooking time shorter, and remove the seeds.
The seeds, while not inedible, are hard to chew and thus discarded.

About this recipe

I remember this humble dish from my grandma's and mami's kitchen.

This vegetable tastes a lot like regular cucumber, butit does not lend itself to being eaten raw. The mild flavor and interesting texture are best combined with the strong flavors of the braised pork.

Buen provecho!

Recipe

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Cocombro or Pepino del Monte Guisado (Burr Gherkin)

By: Clara Gonzalez

Learn my favorite pepino silvestre o pepino del monte recipe: cocombro guisado. This is a rare traditional Dominican recipe that I grew with.

5 from 2 votes

Save for Later Print Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Lunch

Cuisine Caribbean, Dominican

Servings 6 servings

Calories 144 kcal

Ingredients

▢ 1 pound boneless pork shoulder, [0.45 kg](or belly), cut into small pieces
▢ ½ teaspoon oregano , (dry, ground)
▢ ¼ teaspoon pepper , (freshly-cracked, or ground)
▢ 1¼ teaspoon salt
▢ 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
▢ 1 pound cocombro , (West Indian gherkin) [0.45 kg] (pepinos silvestres), clean of seeds and cut into quarters
▢ 1 cubanela, (cubanelle pepper or bell pepper), cut into small pieces
▢ 3 cloves garlic, crushed
▢ 1 red onion, cut into strips
▢ 1 cup tomato sauce
▢ 2 tablespoons minced cilantro

Instructions

1. Seasoning the meat

Season the meat with orégano, a pinch of pepper and a teaspoon of salt.

2. Browning the meat

Heat the oil over medium heat in a deep-bottom pot. Add the meat and cook stirring (careful with splatters of hot oil). It will release some liquid, once it has evaporated cook until it browns.
Add half a cup of water and cover. Cook until the water has evaporated (be careful you don't let the meat burn).

3. Cooking the cocombro

Add the gherkin and cook stirring until it has heated through.
Add another half a cup of water. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, or until the gherkins are cooked through (you should taste them).

4. Making the sauce

Let the liquid evaporate and add peppers, garlic, and onion. Stir and cover. Simmer for 2 minutes.
Add the tomato sauce and a cup of water. Mix well and simmer until it breaks the boil.
Season with salt to taste. Add the cilantro, stir, and remove from the heat and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 144kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 10gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 1649mgPotassium: 384mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 940IUVitamin C: 31.1mgCalcium: 19mgIron: 1.4mg

Nutritional information is calculated automatically based on ingredients listed. Please consult your doctor if you need precise nutrition information.

READERS SEARCHED FOR badunga, cocombro, cohombro

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More pork recipes

Pork recipes are some of the most popular meat recipes on our blog. If you're looking for similar recipes, Cerdo guisado, and Berenjena guisada con cerdo are quite similar. If you're a fan of Chuleta ahumada recipes (smoked pork chops), or Longaniza recipes (pork sausage), you can check those too.

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