What Are Cornichons? - The Spruce Eats

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Elevate Charcuterie and Recipes with the Crisp Flavor of Cornichons

By Danilo Alfaro

Danilo Alfaro Danilo Alfaro has published more than 800 recipes and tutorials focused on making complicated culinary techniques approachable to home cooks. Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process Updated on 07/4/25 Close

cornichons on a plate — The Spruce/Christine Ma

In This Article Expand

What Are Cornichons?
Uses
Taste
Recipes
Buying
Storage

If you've ever ordered a charcuterie platter, you may have noticed a scattering of little green pickles accompanying your plate of cured meats. What are these, and why are they there, aside from being a garnish and the sole representative of the vegetable kingdom?

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Those pickles are called cornichons (pronounced 'KOR-nee-shons'), and they are exactly what they seem to be: tiny pickles, or, as the English call them, gherkins. Their tart, mildly sweet flavor makes them an ideal garnish to serve with classic charcuterie items such as pâtés, terrines, and cured sausages.

Fast Facts

Main component: cucumber

Most common use: charcuterie platters

How to store it: refrigerator

What Are Cornichons?

Cornichons are made by starting with a particular variety of gherkins that are smaller than the kinds usually bought at the supermarket. 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.

After curing in salt overnight to help draw out some of the liquid, the gherkins are immersed in vinegar for another night. The vinegar is then brought to a simmer and cooled before sealing the gherkins in jars with herbs and aromatics like tarragon, cloves, bay leaves, thyme, and pearl onions.

There's a similar curing method using the same ingredients that does not involve simmering the gherkins, and the result is a firmer, crisper cornichon.

Referring to them as a garnish or condiment, however, does not effectively convey how absolutely essential they are to a standard charcuterie plate.

Cornichons Uses

Typical charcuterie items like liver pâté, pork rillettes, garlic sausage, cured ham, and country-style pork terrine are extremely rich and salty. Without a decent-sized piece of cornichon in each bite, your palate can quickly become overwhelmed. You might even want half a cornichon in each bite, so when assembling a charcuterie board, the more cornichons, the better. They're not often left behind.

Many recipes incorporate chopped cornichons, including beef stroganoff and steak tartare, as well as cold dishes such as egg salad or potato salad.

Cornichons complement pork dishes, such as grilled pork chops, and they're a key ingredient in the charcuterie sauce. It's a classic sauce for pork made by sautéeing minced onion in butter or lard, then adding vinegar and demi-glace, reducing and then finishing with julienned cornichons.

You can also simply add them to sandwiches, or spear them on a toothpick and serve them as part of a classic relish plate—sort of a cross between a crudité platter and an antipasto plate. They also go nicely with deviled eggs.

What Do Cornichons Taste Like?

Cornichons are tart and sweet, with a briny flavor fortified by whatever herbs and spices are used in the pickling process. They're crisp and crunchy, but less sour than dill pickles. They pack a refreshing, zesty flavor, making them a great counterpoint to the rich, dense flavors of a charcuterie plate, or the heavy richness of steak tartare.

Cornichons Recipes

It's easy to incorporate cornichons into the mix of dishes you might already be assembling. Try them the next time you have a meat and cheese board.

Classic Relish Tray
Deviled Eggs with Mayo and Mustard
Charcuterie Sauce Recipe

Where to Buy Cornichons

Cornichons are available in many conventional grocery stores and most specialty food stores. You'll either find them along with the pickles, or else huddled with the mustards and pickled condiments like olives or artichokes. You may also find them at the olive bar or salad bar if your grocery or supermarket offers one.

Storage

Pickling is an extremely effective method of food preservation since the acid in the vinegar, as well as the salt and sugar in the brine, produce an environment that is highly inhospitable to the bacteria that causes food spoilage. An unopened jar of cornichons has an extremely long shelf life. Once opened, a jar of cornichons stored in the refrigerator will last for many months.