Pickled cucumbers, garlic and rarities
What are Stekovics pickles? Fermented cucumbers, pickled garlic, and rare specialties like tapenade and black "St. John's nuts" from Erich Stekovics at Lake Neusiedl. Not standard supermarket fare, but heirloom varieties, hand-picked and aged in fine vinegar or brine. Genuine artisanal craft from sunny Burgenland.
Stekovics Pickles are fermented cucumbers, pickled garlic, and special rarities from Erich Stekovics, the "Tomato Emperor" from Frauenkirchen. Cleaned by hand, fermented in brine, or pickled in tomato vinegar, these heirloom varieties retain their crunch and character. You will find six specialties gathered here, from salt-cured cucumbers to tapenade. Each jar follows its own method—sometimes brine, sometimes fine vinegar.
Cucumbers that still have roots in the soil
Stekovics salt-cured cucumbers are not your average vinegar-soaked pickles. An old French field-grown variety, which was already being cultivated as a cornichon around 1800, bathes for two weeks in garlic-spiced saltwater. Through fermentation, it develops its own mild lactic acid, making it tangy, crunchy, and robust. Inside the sealed jar, lactic acid bacteria feed on the fruit sugar, slowly souring the cucumber and ensuring a long shelf life, using nothing but salt and time.
Even more unusual are the Melothria—tiny, 3 cm cucumbers that look like miniature watermelons and taste like capers and gooseberries. They mature in nutmeg vinegar; with a drained weight of 65 g per jar, they are a rarity that, as Priska says, speaks for itself. Inside, they are as soft as a ripe melon; outside, they are crunchy—a surprising play of textures. These are the finest "sours" from the entire world of Stekovics.
Garlic and blossoms in tomato vinegar
Erich also takes a unique path with garlic. An old vineyard variety with blue and red skins is harvested in June, dried in the field, and pickled in white tomato vinegar (180 ml per jar); it is aromatic yet milder than raw garlic. The bulbs mature in the fields to develop an intense flavor before Erich and his team peel and pickle them.
Even more refined are the garlic blossoms—the plump, still-closed flower buds of wild garden garlic. Marinated in tomato vinegar, they taste like delicate caper berries, a crunchy side for any snack or cold dish (120 g per jar). Milder and more delicate than the wild garlic itself, they are a lovely addition to any appetizer platter.
For the cheese board, for snacks, for dessert
In June, around St. John's Day, work begins on the dark specialties. These dark delicacies are the greatest rarities. The tapenade made of black walnuts, sun-dried tomatoes, and garlic follows a recipe by herbalist guru Jean-Marie Dumaine; it is savory on bread, with pasta, or with lamb. The black "St. John's nuts," harvested from green walnuts around St. John's Day in June and aged for months in brine, taste sweet, spicy, and tart.
Stekovics pickles love a cheese board or a cold snack platter. The salt-cured cucumbers go well with hearty bread, the garlic blossoms work like olives for an aperitif, and the St. John's nuts pair with aged cheese or vanilla ice cream. If you prefer fruitier flavors, reach for the tomatoes; if you prefer mild, try the rare peppers. A colorful assortment for those who love the exceptional and enjoy trying new things. This is how your pantry becomes a little treasure chest.
