Let us talk CUCUMBERS!

[waco_game]

I really like getting the opinions and experiences of this community. This time the subject is cucumbers, a vegetable I've never really given much attention to before. But, I plan to change that.

**What are you guys(and gals) three favorite types of cucumber varieties?

**What are the main qualities that make a particular cucumber variety desirable?

pOSTSCRIPT: Any posted pictures are not frown upon(smiles)

[gulfcoastguy]

Armenian cuke(really a melon) and Poohna Kheera. Munchers are allright but they might be hybrid.

[waco_game]

Originally Posted by gulfcoastguy

Armenian cuke(really a melon) and Poohna Kheera. Munchers are allright but they might be hybrid.

Wow! After doing some reading/searching I had 3 on my list to try, but didn't want to mention them immediately to see if they would appear on this thread without my influence. And, here in the 1st post, 2 of them appear. I definitely want to try these even more now. I'm curious to see what others will appear.

Why do you like these two types so much gulfcoastguy over other types?

[RozieDozie]

Boring old Straight Eight, Marketmore and Boston pickling still work well for me. All can be eaten or pickled and are dependable and productive.

Last year I grew Japanese Long, a VERY prolific cuke that gets huge, fast. It's a good eating cuke but the pickles I made with it were 'soft'; it doesn't stand up to pickling. I'll plant it every year from now on because it's a really tasty cuke. And loooong. They will curl up, though, if they don't have enough room to grow. When they do, they get a lot of attention, i.e., "Look! A curly cucumber..."

Also grew (as a trial) Parisian which is a small gherkin or cornichon. I really was excited about those because for market I make a sweet/hot pickle that needs a tiny cuke. But either my soil was too rich or else I was blind, because in the morning the 'tiny' pickle would be too little to pick and by evening too big. And they were not consistent in size. The top would be small, the bottom large. This probably had something to do with my growing (watering) rather than the pickle so I'll try them again in 2013.

I've grown lemon cukes but never really thought they were that practical, although they are very, very pretty. I was always wondering when to pick them. Are they yellow enough, too yellow?? The 'lemon taste' was missing for me. They don't pickle well, either, but make great sweet relish.

Solly Beiler was another 'first' (and possibly last) for me. Not nearly as productive or as long going as other varieties. I may try them again, though. I saved some seed and saved seed usually does better for me than 'original' seed.

[Sueboo]

I'm not a cuke expert but I've narrowed down what works for me. For the past two years I've only grown two varieties:

Solly Beiler: I had good luck with Solly Beiler last year, but not so much this year. Can't really put my finger on WHY. Just didn't produce as well for me this year. Perhaps I just got lucky last year? Or maybe this year was a fizzle. Taste and pickling-wise, I love the Sollys. They taste great just cut up, and they held up very well for picking. I made an awesome crunchy dill relish last year - still have a couple pints left in the cupboard. I believe they were originally cultivated in NY State...Rozie - maybe your zone 7 is too "hot" for Sollys??? I'm 5.

Early Russian: Has been a solid producer for me. It's early, and it goes a long time. Short and chubby looking. I didn't really like it for pickling - too soft. But it tastes really fresh and crisp. I liked that even if I forgot one in the garden and it got to be gargatuan size, it still tasted great.

Sue

[waco_game]

Rozie
Thanks for the post. I have heard of the Boston Pickling, wasn't sure if it was a heirloom or hybrid. I didn't go much further with it. I may do some digging on that one.

As for the Japanese Long, it was on my honorable mention list. You said that you liked the taste. How would you rate it compared to the others, say on a 1 - 10 scale? I'm thinking of experimenting with it a bit at the farmers market, but I'm not sure how many people are familiar with or would be willing to try it. It seems that people around here are not willing to venture outside the traditional. Maybe include one or 2 free with their order to get them to try it. If nothing else, I want to try it for myself.

[gulfcoastguy]

Originally Posted by waco_game

Wow! After doing some reading/searching I had 3 on my list to try, but didn't want to mention them immediately to see if they would appear on this thread without my influence. And, here in the 1st post, 2 of them appear. I definitely want to try these even more now. I'm curious to see what others will appear.

Why do you like these two types so much gulfcoastguy over other types?

The first two hold up to the heat and the last one tastes good.

[LAC]

I don't want to talk about cucumbers................this year

[bennythedroid]

Dragon Eggs:

[LAC]

I have eggplant that looks just like those!

White cucumbers?............how do they taste?