Cucumbers

[Gary350]

Do people in other countries eat more cucumbers than people in USA?

How do people in other countries eat cucumbers?

We don't eat cucumbers. I don't know anyone that eats cucumbers. I see sliced cucumbers on restaurant salad bars not many people eating them.

I grow cucumbers about once every 3 or 4 years only for pickles to make relish.

If we had a good way to eat cucumber we might want to grow some?

Watch the video.

[pepperhead212]

Are you planning on growing cucumbers in a greenhouse? That's all I saw when I skimmed over that video, not how to use them, and that's not going to help with those growing outside, where the diseases and pests abound. The Dutch must make a lot of pickles!

Asian cuisines also have a lot of pickles in their cuisines - mostly the "quick pickles", at least that's what I call them, as they are salted quickly - sometimes just a few hours, sometimes longer - with other seasonings, and usually just refrigerated, and used as needed. Once I start getting cukes in the summer, I always have a few jars of these things in the fridge, with different seasonings, to snack on, for me and friends that visit. Where I've seen the most recipes for non-pickled cucumbers, is in the Indian cuisine, though they have a few pickle recipes, too. Their best known type is the cucumber raitas, which is usually some chopped up, shredded, or grated cucumbers, in some yogurt, with various seasonings.
The northern Indian varieties are rather bland, at least to me, but the southern pachadis are something I make all the time, and not just with cucumbers. I usually drain some yogurt a couple of hours - not long enough to make Greek yogurt, but I want some of the liquid out, when using watery things like cucumbers or bottle gourds. They call that "thick curd", and regular yogurt simply "curd". Here's a link, showing a few of those recipes. There are also a number of recipes using cucumbers in cooked dishes, which are delicious.
https://www.tarladalal.com/RecipeSearch ... m=Cucumber

And here's a link showing some of those pachadi recipes. You can see the reason I like them, with those spices in most of them! Only a few with cucumbers, but you get the idea.
https://www.tarladalal.com/RecipeSearch ... rm=Pachadi

[applestar]

You started a cucumber discussion here last year, too —

Cucumbers

I think my favorite way to eat fresh raw cucumbers is to slice thin either in wafer circles or rectangular length to fit the bread and eat as lettuce substitute in summer sandwiches. I particularly like cucumbers with ham slices and mayo on BUTTERED toasted slices.

I prefer Japanese/Asian long skinny cucumbers and fatter long thin/smooth-skinned English cucumbers (usually sold in tight shrink wrap) compared to the waxy thick-skinned American slicers. Pickling cucumber varieties are good raw when harvested younger and not the fully barrel pickle size — I like them when growing in my own garden but not so much from the store.

My children love cucumber “sushi” rolls. I sometimes make them at home (with Japanese cucumbers) without seasoning the rice (sushi rice is seasoned with salt/sugar/vinegar). Nori (seaweed) wrap I guess is an acquired taste but is excellent source of minerals and my children have grown up eating it.

Salted thinly sliced cucumbers, rinsed and squeezed/drained of excess liquid (kind of like the way you prep cabbage for sauerkraut) actually makes interesting fresh addition to potato salad.

[PaulF]

We grow cucumbers every year and eat them in a variety of ways: sliced raw in salads, sliced and put into a bowl of vinegar and salt, cooked sliced in stir fry, sliced with a sour cream and dill, sliced cucumber and chunks of tomato with a dressing either Italian or Ranch. These are our most common ways although my wife made cucumber sandwiches for a fancy lunch of the garden club one time and it was a big hit.

Admittedly, we give away more than we eat but someone must also like cucumbers because when we take them to the local post office where excess produce is left so anyone can take it, there are none left after a few hours.

[Gary350]

If we could find a way to eat cucumbers that we like it would be more food for the kitchen table. The video said the Netherlands green house grows several million tons of cucumbers every year. People in Netherlands must have a good way to fix and eat that many. I never see Asian cucumbers in our grocery stores or farmers market. If I had an excuse to grow cucumbers this year I would. Cucumbers are a bug magnet they attract 100s of stink bugs. If I had 5 plants climbing up 7" tall poles maybe I could keep the bugs off only 5 plants. Last year I grew 3 different varieties of cucumbers to learn which 1 grows best for pickles. When we eat at the India restaurant we always get cucumber dressing. I see in the recipe list India Chutney with cucumbers sounds good. Tomatoes, onions, cucumber, salad looks good in the photo. There has to be other good cucumber recipes there was 7 pages of recipes in that link you listed. I am growing mint and cilantro for India Chutney 1 recipe included cucumbers in Chutney. I am trying to get more variety in our garden beside just, tomatoes, corn, beans, potatoes, melons, peppers, onions, garlic, strawberries, blackberries. We might have peaches this year trees had about 40 blossoms. I'm having no luck growing broccoli & cauliflower in our short 6 week spring it is often 90°f mid May, maybe I should grow those in Sept. I'm looking for ideas.

[applestar]

If you grow the parthenocarpic varieties that don’t need pollinator insects to set fruits, you can hang up one of those camping mosquito netting over the cucumber trellis to keep out the pest bugs.

[Gary350]

If you grow the parthenocarpic varieties that don’t need pollinator insects to set fruits, you can hang up one of those camping mosquito netting over the cucumber trellis to keep out the pest bugs.

I did a search for parthenocarpic cucumber seeds and nothing comes up?

[pepperhead212]

A bunch came up, when I did a search:
https://www.google.com/search?as_q=Part ... cense&tbs=

Those county fairs, that I grow, due to the resistance to bacterial wilt, are Parthenocarpic.

[digitS']

IMO - the best way to eat cucumbers is to start by taking your pocket knife out in the garden and peeling one.

I have my preferences and the Beit Alpha types rate the highest altho the flavor of all cucumbers seem to vary through the season; sometimes others will be just as good. Some pickled cucumbers are good but I can't eat too much of sour foods. Also, they are too salty and that comes from limiting my salt intake for a good number of years. Pickles, kim chi, sauerkraut, etc., just a little, please.

I do like sitting down on a hot, Summer afternoon, sprinkling a little salt on some tomato slices, a little AC vinegar on cucumber slices and enjoying them with crackers and cheese with something cold to drink.

Steve

[Gary350]

A bunch came up, when I did a search:
https://www.google.com/search?as_q=Part ... cense&tbs=

Those county fairs, that I grow, due to the resistance to bacterial wilt, are Parthenocarpic.

I did Ebay search for parthenocarpic seeds. So parthenocarpic is not the name of a cucumber. Parthenocarpic must be a type of cucumber. Is there a cucumber that is stink bug resistant? I think the reason we never have mold & mildew problems in summer is because our weather changes from swamp to desert in a few weeks. Our last frost is April 20 and about May 10 we are having 90°f weather. June to Sept garden is dry as desert 98° to 100° every day, June to Sept we typically have 1 to 2 rains per month about .1" to .5" each rain. We have drought warning and burn ban most of the summer. This is what garden typically looks like for about 4 months Jan thru April. Then mother nature changes from swamp to desert.

I found pics of cucumbers cut long way on a slicer then put slices on sandwiches as a lettuce substitute.

[pepperhead212]

You're right - a Parthenocarpic anything, is a type that has only, or almost only female flowers, and the flowers don't need pollinating, to form fruits.

I have never seen anything about cucumber varieties being resistant to stink bugs. You could try some Surround on the plants - something that works on mine for all the different types of beetles, though spotted lanternflies are immune to it. I'm going to try DE dusted on them this year, to see if that works, though that washes off easily with light rain.

[applestar]

To my knowledge, most parthenocarpic varieties are hybrids and are not readily available as the open pollinated and heirloom varieties that anyone who can manage to isolate can grow reliable seeds of the same variety.

H-19 Little Leaf Cucumber (average DTM 57 Days) is THE ONLY OP EXCEPTION AS FAR AS I know. (I keep doubting this information, but Johnny’s Selected Seeds lists it as parthenocarpic, and it’s mentioned in several ag papers as well)

This one might be available from etsy vendors.

OR — Pinetree Gardens (www.supersedes.com) sells relatively inexpensive smaller packets and is a good source for trying short rows and small beds. They sell H-19 Littleleaf for $2.25 / 20 seeds

H-19 produces short pickling type cucumbers and have small leaves and shorter vines that make it perfect for growing under protective cover or in containers.

In my experience, it’s not as vigorous or productive as some of the other varieties and was not as satisfactory as other three varieties when grown during the same season — a parthenocarpic hybrid Picolino and a regular OP (maybe heirloom?) Suyo Long and an heirloom Poona Kheera.

Pinetree also sells the parthenocarpic Picolino F1 and Artist F1 , as well as the H-19 Littleleaf, Itachi F1, and Diva F1 which are all described as “not requiring pollination” without the word “parthenocarpic” but are listed as parthenocarpic elsewhere on reliable internet sources.

[pepperhead212]

I also thought that the Parthenocarpic varieties couldn't be open pollinated, though I do see some saying they have almost entirely female flowers, so there could be some male blossoms. Still, I thought the hybridization is what caused the sterilization, STS.

[applestar]

…a couple of refs —

Jung Seed describes H-19 as (parthenocarpic) AND Open Pollinated —
H 19 Little Leaf Cucumber, Cucumber: Jung Seed Company


Here’s the short blurb from Johnny’s Selected Seeds —H-19 Little Leaf - Organic Cucumber Seed | Johnny's Selected Seeds

Reliable yields on a uniquely compact plant.

Blocky, medium-length (3–5") fruits are good for fresh eating. They pickle well and have a distinctive, bright emerald green color. Vines are compact, multibranching, and yield well even under stress. Half normal-sized leaves. White spines. Parthenocarpic. High resistance to anthracnose, angular leaf spot, bacterial wilt, and scab; and intermediate resistance to cucumber mosaic virus and powdery mildew.

[imafan26]

I grow a lot of cucumbers. There are many ways to eat them. When I have too many pots going, though it can be feast or famine. I have to succession plant my cukes so they don't come in all at once.

Cucumbers can be pickled. There are varieities that stay crunchy longer and are perfect for pickling. They are usually picked very young up to 4-5 inches long
Boston pickling, Burpee Pickler,Calypso, Double Yield, Hocus, Naitional pickling, Picklebush, Pick a Bushel,, Supremo, Wisconson SMR 58, Parisian.

American pickles that are popular for high yields are Sumter, Poinsett, Marketmore 76, and Straight 8. These are open polinated monoecious or gyn Aecious good for both pickling and slicing. I don't like these because they have seeds so they are not burpless, and if you pick them too late, they have a sour or bitter taste. But they yield much higher than parthenocarpic varieties.

English cucumbers. Slim, crisp, some are open pollinated and some are parthenocarpic. Seeds are usually small. Skin is thin and tender. Good for slicing.
Telegraph, Sweet Succcess, Sweet Slice, Burpee's Tendergreen, English Sweet long Slim, Chelsea Prize.

Japanese cucumbers are similar to English cucumbers. Long and slim. good for slicing, quick pickles (namasu), Most of them are thin like the English cucumbers and many of them are also parthenocarpic or gynoecious.

Progress, Tasty Jade, Soarer, Suyo, Tokiwa, Tasty green, Green Dragon, Southern Delight, Palace King, Summer Dance, Palace Pride.

Others that I like that are hybrids and fit different categories. Beit Alpha, Thunder, Dasher, Diva, Corinto, China Jade, Dar, Armenian long (actually it is a melon), Jibai Shimashirazu, Early Fortune, Paraiso,Minime, Picolino, Manny, Muncher. Green Fingers.

I grow cucumbers year round, but cucumbers actually do not like my hot humid summers. grow mainly parthenocarpic varieties because I want them to be burpless and seedlees. I also need them to have good resistance to disease, especially downy and powdery mildew and to CMV.

I grow Soarer and Suyo (both are parthenocarpic. Soarer has better mildew resistance in the rainy season and Suyo has better heat tolerance. Both are Japanese type cucumbers that can get anywhere from 8 inches to well over a foot. In summer, I grow some other cucumbers some are gynoecious, monoecious, but most are parthenocarpic. They also have good disease tolerance and perform better in the heat. Ashley, Thunder, Dasher II, Beit Alpha,Olympic, Diva. I am currently growing Telegraph which is better for the fall and winter. It has good disease resistance for an Heirloom cucumber. It is flowering now, so I don't know what the fruit it like yet.

About pollination. The parthenocarpic fruit can be pollinated, however, then the seeds will mature and they get fat uneven shapes. Gynoecious varieties usually have some monoecious cucumber seeds in the packet since they produce mostly female flowers and require pollination. The packet usually contains some seeds of a monoecious variety to produce the male flowers.

Parthenocarpic varieties produce mainly female flowers, but some like the Beit Alpha does produce some male flowers as well. Overall, a monoecious variety will produce more cucumbers per plant. However, I plant up to five vines in an 18 gallon container, so total yield has not been a problem. Cucumbers produce a lot of cucumbes when they start out, but taper off and the vines last for about a 6 week harvest.

I have made a cucumber dip, cucumber salad dressing, I like cucumbers added to a toss salad or just served by itself or with lettuce and tomato. I mince the cucumbers and add it to tuna salad. Cucumber sticks for dippers or snacks. Mexican cucumber soup, Different combinations for cucumber salad, cucumber can be added to a vegetable smoothie, For appetizers you can make cucumber canapes, cucumber sandwiches, I julienne cucumbers and use it as a topping for somen salad, cucumber cocktail or mocktail. With a spiralizer you can make cucumber zoodles, cucumber gazpacho, cucumber salsa, sorbet.

https://www.cookinglight.com/food/in-se ... 179#304179
https://www.gardenzeus.com/cucumber-var ... and-areas/

Cucumbers are heavy feeders of phosphorus, potassium, calcium and micro nutrients.

Besides diseases the biggest problems with cucumbers are pickleworms. Bt and fruit bags help. Although fruit flies are a problem here, they are not as bad as the pickleworm and the fruit bags keep them out as well. The birds will also eat the small cucumbers. Most of the fruit bags are too short at 10 inches for the Japanese cucumbers, so I am using onion bags that are available on Amazon. My summers only get to about 90 degrees. Some cucumbers like Beit Alpha , Thunder are disease resistant and have good heat tolerance up to 95 degrees. the non heat tolerant varieties prefer cooler weather up to 75 degrees but do o.k. up to 85 degrees for short periods. Armenian cucumbers are really melons, but they taste and are used like cucumber and they tolerate more heat.

https://homeguides.sfgate.com/dyson-vac ... 71563.html

I use this type of onion bag with a fine nylon mesh and drawstring closure. Make sure the bag has a tight weave. Bags with larger holes don't protect fruit as well.
Dyes from this bag bleaches out, but the bags have been durable so far. I have reused them at least 4 times. They are washable. I have to use a garden tie since the purse string closure does not stay closed by itself.

https://www.amazon.com/deebree-Storage- ... 82&sr=8-10