Cucumbers should be harvested when they are evenly
green all over, firm and crisp. You don't want yellow
(unless you are growing a yellow variety), white, or
overly large cucumbers. At this point the seeds are
beginning to harden and they mostly likely will be strong
and bitter. Generally it's recommended that you harvest
slicing cucumbers at 6-8 inches. I've picked smaller
and love the crisp taste. After you pick a few you'll find
the length you prefer. Pickling cucumbers should be
picked small and young. The recommended length is
2-3 inches for sweet pickles and 5-6 for dill pickles.
You must keep harvesting the cucumbers from the
plant or it will halt production of the ones left on the
plant continue to mature. Give them away to the local
senior center, soup kitchen or a shelter if you have too
many at one time.
Cucumbers should be stored in a moist, cool place-
ideally about 55 degrees. For those of us at home
this is hard to do unless you have a root cellar or
basement with these conditions. They will last a
week if given plenty of air circulation. Generally,
it's best to eat them fresh, or store in the refrigerator
for 3-4 days, but do not store near apple or pears,
which produce ethylene and poke holes in the plastic
if you are storing them in bags. Wash cucumbers
right before using. It isn't necessary to peel them, but
you can run a fork down the sides to score the skins
if you wish, since homegrown cukes aren't waxed
like the ones from the grocery store. I personally
don't mind the peel, but I have read that some people
cut off the stem end tip and peel lightly to reduce
bitterness.
Homegrown cukes are great for juicing and contain
potassium and calcium, among other good things.
Eat them sliced for snacks or cut into wedges. Serve
them on a plate with lunch to the kids. They make a
great sandwich sliced and combined with tuna, fresh
lettuce and alfalfa sprouts. During our last contest we
asked for favorite ways to prepare vegetables and there
were quite a few cucumber suggestions including:
-wedges dipped in a spicy Thai sauce
-onions and sliced cucumbers in ranch dressing
-tomatoes and cucumbers in sour cream
-sliced with onion and drizzled with olive oil and vinegar
-salted and drizzled with balsamic vinegar
-shredded and mixed with vanilla yogurt
-cover with cider vinegar, a little oil, diced onions, garlic, salt, pepper.
-sliced and mixed with mayonnaise and milk
-sliced with Italian dressing
-peeled, sliced and topped with lime, salt and lemon juice
-sliced with fresh tomato, sunflower seeds and ranch dressing
-sprinkled with lemon, salt and chili powder
-marinate in vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic, and chili powder
Try the following recipes as well:
Janice Gabriel slices the cucumber with a grater very thinly,
adds a dash of salt and lets it sit for half an hour. Then she
drains it, adds sliced green onion, tomato, and a little balsamic
vinegar.
Debbie Long's Cucumber Salad
Ingredients:
fresh thinly sliced cucumbers
thin slices sweet onion
1/4 Cup milk
1/4 Cup mayonnaise
1 tsp. of vinegar
1 Tbsp. sugar
salt and pepper to taste
dash dill weed
Mix dressing ingredients and combine with the
onions and cucumber. Chill for one hour and serve.
Cucumbers With Yogurt and Mint
Ingredients:
1 cup yogurt, low fat or fat free
3 tablespoons chopped mint
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. pepper
4 cups sliced cucumbers
Combine all dressing ingredients and add cucumbers.
With homegrown there is no need to seed or peel if
picked smaller, but if they are large or store bought,
peel and seed first before slicing. Cover and chill
for 30 minutes.
Cool Cucumber Avocado Soup
Ingredients:
1 cup buttermilk
ice cubes
2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1 ripe avocado
1/4 cup chicken broth
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp. ground cumin, or to taste
In a large measuring cup combine buttermilk plus ice
cubes to measure 1 1/2 cup total. In a blender, blend
buttermilk mixture with the avocado, lemon juice, cumin,
and half the cucumbers until smooth. Stir in the remaining
cucumbers and serve at room temperature or chill.
Cucumber, Garlic and Yogurt Sauce
Ingredients:
1 long English cucumber, peeled or two regular varieties
2 cups plain low-fat yogurt
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed with a pinch of salt
3 tsp. dried mint, crumbled and pressed through a sieve
1 tsp. olive oil
Sprigs of fresh mint for garnish
Finely dice the cucumber. In a medium bowl, combine
the yogurt, garlic, and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Add the diced
cucumber and the dried mint, and blend well. Cover
and refrigerate until well chilled, about 1 hour. Drizzle
with the olive oil and sprigs of fresh mint to serve.
Creamy Cucumber Salad
Ingredients:
1/4 cup regular or light sour cream
1/3 cup fat-free or low fat plain yogurt
1 1/2 tablespoons herb or wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 large cucumbers, thinly sliced
1 medium Vidalia or other sweet onion, thinly sliced
In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, yogurt,
vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. In a medium bowl,
combine the cucumbers and onions. Add the dressing
and toss to coat well. Cover and chill in the refrigerator
for at least 15 minutes to blend flavors.
About the author:
Brenda Hyde is an avid gardener,
freelance writer, mom and wife. She is owner and editor of
Old Fashioned Living.com.
