Gherkin processing


Pickled gherkins were enjoyed as early as the third century B.C. in ancient Mesopotamia, from where their use as a popular condiment spread. Pickled gherkins in jars became a commercial product in France as early as the 1820's, where they were known by the name cornichons.

Cabinplant can supply complete lines for the processing of gherkins in glass jars, cans and barrels. The capacity for 720 ml glass jars ranges between 50 and 200 per minute. Filling into glass jars using the Cabinplant specially developed rotor filler provides high-speed filling with individual handling of each glass jar, thus preventing contamination by glass splinters in case of breakage.

A typical processing line consists of the following:

Filling into glass jars:

  • Emptying of washed and graded gherkins into a bulk feeder by means of a container or barrel tipper
  • Blanching to obtain soft gherkins, which are easy to fill (optional) 
  • Filling into glasses by means of vibration. Spices can be added during filling
  • Manual topping-up of gherkins to ensure automatic capping of the glass jars
  • Addition of brine (vinegar)
  • Buffer conveyor 
  • Capping
  • Pasteurizing of filled glass jars to secure long shelf life
  • Drying of glasses to enable labelling and packing into carton boxes
  • Vacuum detection of leaks 
  • Labelling and packing into carton boxes.

Packing in barrels:

  • Emptying of washed and graded gherkins into bulk feeder 
  • Elevation to weighing system
  • Filling into barrels by means of a batch weighing system
  • Brine filling
  • Closing of barrels
  • Conveyance of barrels by roller conveyors and cardan conveyors

Link to machines:

Bulk feeder, tipping solutions, drum washer, filter drum, inspection conveyor, horizontal roller grader, blancher, rotor filler, screw doser, vacuum filler, pasteurizer, batch weigher