Cucumbers typically come in three varieties, slicing (salad), seedless (Burpless, Japanese, Persian, or English), and pickling. Pickling cucumbers have thinner skin which is better for common pickles. Nicknames for cucumbers are cukes, gherkins, or pickles. Originating from the Himalayas and spread by the Roman empire, cucumbers appear in Mediterranean, Asian, and European cuisine. They are especially known in British, German, and Greek cooking. They are a necessary ingredient in the cool gyros sauce. Also, German cucumber salad, dill pickles, British cucumber sandwiches, and Thai spring rolls feature this refreshing gourd.
Estimated Picking Dates: August to late September
Cleaning: Wash cucumbers before use, but not before storage unless vegetables are very dirty and wet! Simply rinse in running cold water. Rub through hand to remove any dirt. Rub with rag or brush to remove spines if desired. Let drip dry in colander or towel.
If you want to make sure your vegetables are sanitized use the following procedure: Veggie Wash
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 cup cold tap water in a spray bottle
Mix, shake well, and spritz on the vegetables. Rinse vegetables. Works best if cleanser remains on vegetables for 2 minutes before rinsing. Proceed with standard drying.
Storage: Excess moisture is the enemy of cucumbers. Store out of direct sunlight, away from ethylene-producing tomatoes and fruits, in a very cool area. If refrigerating, wrap with dry paper towel to absorb condensation and store in a loosely tied plastic bag (grocery bag with handles tied closed). Refrigerated dry cucumbers should last at least a week. Cucumber chunks in small freezer zip top bags can be frozen for refreshing veggie ice cubes or smoothies. Fresh, cut cucumber last about two days in the fridge in a sealed plastic container, bag, or wrap.
Preparing: On a cutting board with utility or chef knife, cut off small slice on each end to remove stem. Farm fresh cucumbers are not waxed for preservation, so skins can be eaten and should be. Chop or slice to desired shape and size pieces for recipe. Cucumbers do not hold up well to any heat form of cooking and are best served cold, fresh or pickled.
Featured Recipe: Rhonda's Refrigerator Dills
Other common uses: Gyros, spring rolls, salads, veggie tray fodder, and sandwiches.
Substitutes: You can usually substitute one variety of cucumber for another in a recipe. Zucchini or other summer squashes can be substituted for cucumber in some recipes.
Varieties:
Seedless (also called: Burpless, Japanese, English): These are a favorite fresh eating cucumber for small nearly non-existent seeds and sweet flavor. They are very long and thin. Skin is slightly thinner that other slicing cucumbers.
Slicing (also called salad): These have a thicker skin and are great for veggie trays, carved garnishes, salads, and sandwiches. I peel of 5 strips of skin (about half), skipping a space between each peel before slicing to create the flower look and reduce the tough texture of the skin. This is simply personal taste.
Pickling: these cucumbers have the thinnest skin and large seeds if the fruit is large (like you have in a "Pickle on a Stick" pickle). I prefer small pickles due to seed size. These cucumbers can be eaten like slicing cucumbers as well. There is no need to peel these cucumbers.
Cleaning: Wash cucumbers before use, but not before storage unless vegetables are very dirty and wet! Simply rinse in running cold water. Rub through hand to remove any dirt. Rub with rag or brush to remove spines if desired. Let drip dry in colander or towel.
If you want to make sure your vegetables are sanitized use the following procedure: Veggie Wash
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 cup cold tap water in a spray bottle
Mix, shake well, and spritz on the vegetables. Rinse vegetables. Works best if cleanser remains on vegetables for 2 minutes before rinsing. Proceed with standard drying.
Storage: Excess moisture is the enemy of cucumbers. Store out of direct sunlight, away from ethylene-producing tomatoes and fruits, in a very cool area. If refrigerating, wrap with dry paper towel to absorb condensation and store in a loosely tied plastic bag (grocery bag with handles tied closed). Refrigerated dry cucumbers should last at least a week. Cucumber chunks in small freezer zip top bags can be frozen for refreshing veggie ice cubes or smoothies. Fresh, cut cucumber last about two days in the fridge in a sealed plastic container, bag, or wrap.
Preparing: On a cutting board with utility or chef knife, cut off small slice on each end to remove stem. Farm fresh cucumbers are not waxed for preservation, so skins can be eaten and should be. Chop or slice to desired shape and size pieces for recipe. Cucumbers do not hold up well to any heat form of cooking and are best served cold, fresh or pickled.
Featured Recipe: Rhonda's Refrigerator Dills
Other common uses: Gyros, spring rolls, salads, veggie tray fodder, and sandwiches.
Substitutes: You can usually substitute one variety of cucumber for another in a recipe. Zucchini or other summer squashes can be substituted for cucumber in some recipes.
Varieties:
Seedless (also called: Burpless, Japanese, English): These are a favorite fresh eating cucumber for small nearly non-existent seeds and sweet flavor. They are very long and thin. Skin is slightly thinner that other slicing cucumbers.
Slicing (also called salad): These have a thicker skin and are great for veggie trays, carved garnishes, salads, and sandwiches. I peel of 5 strips of skin (about half), skipping a space between each peel before slicing to create the flower look and reduce the tough texture of the skin. This is simply personal taste.
Pickling: these cucumbers have the thinnest skin and large seeds if the fruit is large (like you have in a "Pickle on a Stick" pickle). I prefer small pickles due to seed size. These cucumbers can be eaten like slicing cucumbers as well. There is no need to peel these cucumbers.