Cucumbers

[Kentucky Windage]

Every year I eat a slice or two to reconfirm that I hate cucumbers. That is all. Follow me for more Svnmag type posts......

 

[CatDaddy]

Thanks Svnmag Jr! I, on the other hand, happen to love cucumbers.....typically in cream/onions/vinegar or pickled.

My problem is I haven't paid attention lately and I have about a dozen that are the size small footballs. What do folks do with them when they get that big? Slice and pickle? Any other suggestions?

 

[Twitch]

Refrigerator pickles. Slice em with onion and some green/red/yellow peppers. I’d have to look at the recipe again but its a mixture of sugar, vinegar, with celery seed and mustard seed

 

[svnmag]

I prefer to keep the bumps on. Your meemaw wants it polished smooth.

 

[tikkalover]

I planted 4 sets of cucumbers this year on the 11th of June and decided to keep track of how many I have picked.

As of today I'm at 251 cucumbers. Have eaten them peeled with salt and pepper, with Worcestershire sprinkled on them, in vinegar with sugar and pepper, cucumbers and cream, and have given a butt load to family, friends, co workers, and neighbors.

 

[Rowdie]

I thought this may have Buffalo Chip references

 

[svnmag]

I planted 4 sets of cucumbers this year on the 11th of June and decided to keep track of how many I have picked.

As of today I'm at 251 cucumbers. Have eaten them peeled with salt and pepper, with Worcestershire sprinkled on them, in vinegar with sugar and pepper, cucumbers and cream, and have given a butt load to family, friends, co workers, and neighbors.

I had this in Texas once and it was amazing: Slice thin or in wedges; make a batch of bread/butter pickles and add habanero or cayenne to the jar: The epitome of sweet/hot IMHO. I'm not the chef so will buy a jar of Vlasic, add the pepper and allow to steep in the 'fridge for a few days. In the Hills most of my family especially enjoys B/B pickles as a side to pasta w/red sauce. It works. I promise.

TANGENT: Still trying to re-educate the folks about wine and pasta: Spaghetti, rigatoni, lasagna etc are overpowered by Cabernet, Merlot, Zinfandel etc. Even a meaty red sauce is better served by a good Chianti or similar light colored dry red wine. My grandmothers knew this and made their wine accordingly from their coal dust gardens and grape seeds smuggled on the boat. The grape arbors are gone along with the knowledge. The wine lasted a few years after their passing. The flavor was described as "tawny". I remember sampling one of these ripe grapes off the vine when I was in grade school and finding the taste extremely unpleasant.

If you ever find yourself in Sicily or Italy; seek out a ristorante far away from the main drag, make an honest attempt to speak Italian and order a carafe of "vino locale" (house wine usually made on the premises with a Chianti feel). You will be treated as royalty to the point of embarrassment. I came up through the Cold War and never kept contacts. Makes me sad especially now as Khrushchev's admonition is in fruition; false quote or not.

https://youtu.be/SpAebawrv4w

 

[NDbowman]

Them big over ripe ones I usually just feed to the deer. They gnaw on them eventually.

 

[MathewsZman]

Refrigerator pickles. Slice em with onion and some green/red/yellow peppers. I’d have to look at the recipe again but its a mixture of sugar, vinegar, with celery seed and mustard seed

Turmeric is your friend

 

[CatDaddy]

Refrigerator pickles. Slice em with onion and some green/red/yellow peppers. I’d have to look at the recipe again but its a mixture of sugar, vinegar, with celery seed and mustard seed

If you find yourself looking at the recipe again, I'd love to hear it if you're willing to share!

 

[Davey Crockett]

The big ones have mature seeds that you can save for future planting. You can freeze cucumbers too when you cant keep up eating them.

 

[CatDaddy]

The big ones have mature seeds that you can save for future planting. You can freeze cucumbers too when you cant keep up eating them.

just dry them I assume? How do you know they're mature? I assume I know the answer to both, just wondering if there are any secrets I'm missing....

 

[Browneye]

When buying the seeds or plants in the spring I only buy pickling instead of slicers. If you miss or dont pick a slicer in time the seeds inside get so big they arent much use for anything. A pickling variety can be picked small for canning pickles or if its left to get big like a slicer the seeds inside still stay small so still can be used as a slicer if you wish.

 

[Jiffy]

I've been getting a lot of bitter ones this year. Not sure why.

My tomatoes are a complete disaster.

Lots of jalapenos, sweet peppers and green peppers.

 

[MathewsZman]

For 1 gallon jar : 4 cups sugar 4 cups white vinegar 1/2 cup salt 1 1/3 teaspoon turmeric 1 1/3 teaspoon celery seed 1 1/3 teaspoon mustard seed 3 white onions sliced thin . Fill jar alternating cukes and onion . Mix other ingredients no heating involved . Pour in jar and refrigerate . Your welcome in advance !!

 

[snow2]

Refrigerator pickles. Slice em with onion and some green/red/yellow peppers. I’d have to look at the recipe again but its a mixture of sugar, vinegar, with celery seed and mustard seed[/

Agreed,don't forget the dill flower.....a MUST,plus a little chili pepper heat is good.

 

[MathewsZman]

I've been getting a lot of bitter ones this year. Not sure why.

My tomatoes are a complete disaster.

Lots of jalapenos, sweet peppers and green peppers.

Ever try pickling the jalapenos ? If you're interested I have a recipe for doing it in the microwave that only takes a few minutes.

 

[LBrandt]

Those ones you missed when picking and they are now football size, I just pick and throw. You need to get them off the vine so they are not sucking all the growth to the smaller cukes. I grow an Asian type that need to be on a trellis because they get from 14 to 18 inches long and about as big around as a 50 cent piece. They are great as a Ref pickle or fresh eating with all your different sauces. Small seed cavity and a real thin skin for easy digesting. LB

 

[Retired-Guy]

Have never made them so don't have a recipe but "slippery hots" are popular with some folks. Peel, remove seeds, and pickle. You can use large zucchini the same way.

 

[Lycanthrope]

For 1 gallon jar : 4 cups sugar 4 cups white vinegar 1/2 cup salt 1 1/3 teaspoon turmeric 1 1/3 teaspoon celery seed 1 1/3 teaspoon mustard seed 3 white onions sliced thin . Fill jar alternating cukes and onion . Mix other ingredients no heating involved . Pour in jar and refrigerate . Your welcome in advance !!

Yikes thats a lot of sugar!