What kind of cucumbers are you growing?

[tedln]

What you heard is probably correct. It has been a lot of years since I ate some lemon cucumbers. The seeds probably were well developed. I don't remember. I never ate one still green so I don't have a taste comparison.

I also love cucumbers in a lot of different ways. I think my odd ball cucumber was probably the best I've eaten. I really have a hard time comparing it to other cucumbers because it had texture more like a melon, but with a mild cucumber flavor. Because it had a fully developed seed cavity, the flesh was seedless. I have another of possibly larger size I am allowing to ripen on the vine. I pulled one last night that is more like a normal cucumber in size. I will eat it tonight. My vines are doing well and I expect to have more until fall. I'm saving seed if you want some.

Ted

[applestar]

Oooh that's a temping offer ... I think I would like some seeds.
Thanks!

[tedln]

PM me where to send them. I already have some seed dried, but there is a chance that seed could have been cross pollinated with some normal cucumbers. I will wait to get seed from the cucumber that is ripening on the vine. Since all my normal cucumbers are now dead, it should guarantee the purity of the seed. I believe the Armenian is an OP variety. The seed cavity on the large one was very large and full of seed, so I should have enough to send to anyone who wants it when the next one matures.

Another unusual thing I noticed about the Armenian is the fact that it is very, very slow growing. I planted them at the same time I planted the normal cucumbers back in April. The normal cukes took off and grew fast. The Armenians produced weak, thin little vines in comparison. I think they were just waiting for the heat to arrive. When the heat did get here, it killed my other cukes, but the Armenian vines came to life and produced thick vines that climbed and bloomed rapidly. The Armenians also produce a lot of side vines from the main vines which covers the trellis pretty quickly. When my normal cukes died, I replanted some more normal cukes and some more Armenians. The normal vines couldn't take the heat after germinating and died quickly. The new Armenian vines are growing fine, but a little slow. I think next year, I will plant the Armenians on a different trellis than the normal cukes.

Ted

[garden5]

Some people just won't eat a cucumber when it gets large enough that it has seeds. I, personally, will eat them no matter how large or small, seeds or no seeds. As long as it's a cucumber, it's fair game for my appetite.

[tedln]

I'm the same way about cucumbers. I have found that some varieties really become bitter when grown to maturity. I had some last year even my dog wouldn't eat and he loves cucumbers.

Ted

[applestar]

The Yamato variety seems to tend to bitterness, though drought is a factor to keep in mind. I only give the kids the bottom 1/2 of the cuke. The cats sometimes get the next 1/6 of the cuke.

A few days ago, I bit into a top 1/2 and it was so incredibly bitter I couldn't spit it out fast enough. But when I followed a typical Chinese cucumber prep of cutting them in chunks and liberally salting them in a strainer, they released about 1/4C of liquid. I added them to an unsalted pasta sauce I was cooking after giving them a quick rinse, and they tasted terrific.

[tedln]

In Asian culture, they grow what I understand is called "Bitter Melon" and use it in their cuisine. I've often wondered if the Bitter Melon is in fact simply a bitter cucumber. I don't know how anyone could eat them. Bitter cucumbers are more than my taste buds can handle. Maybe they prep the fruit similar to applestars method which is often used for bitter eggplant also. If they do prep the melon by removing the bitterness, why would they grow them at all?

Ted

[applestar]

Somebody more knowledgeable can correct me or elaborate, but I believe in Chinese Medicine, "bitter" food is considered an important element in balancing your diet and your body's Chi. (Hmm... that didn't sound right -- should Chi be considered "body's" or should Chi be considered independent but integral part of your body?)

[tedln]

I think independent, but integral. Simply a life force that can be manipulated in many ways. Always strive to attain a balance.

Ted

[Decado]

I'm growing Marketmore, Burpless, Northern Pickling, and Diva, 4 plants of each. I'm overwhelmed by cucumbers right now as the heat finally hit us the past few weeks, mostly picking all varieties pickle sized. I'll be eating pickles all winter. One thing I found to be strange though was according to johnnyseeds.com Diva is seedless and this Diva of mine has seeds, but looks like a Diva cucumber should.

[tedln]

Some varieties like Sweet Success and possibly Diva have only female blossoms and are supposed to be seedless unless the blossom is pollinated. If you planted other varieties along with the Diva, it was pollinated from one of the other varieties. I haven't checked the Diva and don't know if it is female blossom only, but if it is supposedly seedless; it probably is.

Ted

[garden5]

I agree. It seems like some cukes really tend to get bitter when the get large, while others always seem to keep their taste, to some extent or another. There really is a lot variation to be had among cucumber varieties.

[philm00x]

i just thought i would share my excitement... i was watering today and found a lot of new females on my cuke plants and noticed one of them was looking very thick and engorged. hopefully this will be my first fruit ever!

[garden5]

I just thought of something: if some varieties have only female flowers, how do they grow cuckes? I thought cucumbers required pollination of the flowers?

[tedln]

The seed you plant is hybrid seed. It was the result of a cucumber, bred with a different variety which results in a hybrid variety which only produces female blossoms. There are some "female only" hybrid varieties which do require pollination in order to produce fruit. Typically in packets of those seed, the vendor will include the seed from a variety which also has male blooms. You have to plant the entire packet of seed to insure a male blossom will be available to pollinate all of the female blossoms on other vines. The variety I grow "Sweet Success", produces only female blossoms which do not require pollination.

Ted