Mexican Sour Gherkins With Lemon Verbena

These newly rediscovered heirloom cucumbers have a very interesting sweet-and-sour flavor. The white flesh tastes sweet, and the skin is surprisingly tart. They can be quite expensive and difficult to find at the farmers’ market, but if you grow them yourself or find them growing wild in the South or Southwest, the plants put out a lot of fruit, and they fall from the vine when ripe. They make a perfect garnish for a gin martini.

• Ready In: 30 mins
• Yields: 1 quart

Ingredients

• 1⁄4 cup  lemon verbena leaf (NOTE)
• 1  strip lemon zest
• 1⁄4 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 4  cups  mexican sour gherkin cucumbers, ends trimmed
• 1  cup  champagne or 1  cup white wine vinegar
• 1⁄2 cup water
• 1  teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

1. Place the verbena leaves, lemon zest, and peppercorns in a quart jar. Pack with the cucumbers, being careful not to crush them.
2. Bring the vinegar, water, and salt to a boil in a small nonreactive pot, stirring to dissolve the salt.
3. Pour over the cucumbers, leaving a 1/2" headspace. Make sure the cucumbers are submerged. Check for air bubbles, wipe the rim, and seal.
4. Process for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath. Adjust time according to your altitude.
5. NOTE: Lemon verbena looks similar to Thai basil but is used to add a lemony flavor to food.