The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word CUCUMBERS
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
C
U
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More clues leading to the result CUCUMBERS
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "they could be pickled" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case they could be pickled = cucumbers.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does CUCUMBERS mean?
CUCUMBERS noun- A vine in the gourd family, Cucumis sativus.
- The edible fruit of this plant, having a green rind and crisp white flesh.