CUCUMBER
Cucumbers are easy to grow, and good for your health. They are high in nutrients like flavonoids that fight against inflammation in the body. The cucumber is believed to have originated from India, and began to be cultivated in France as early as the 9th century. Cucumbers contain mostly water making them great for hydration.
Planting your Cucumbers
- To plant cucumber seeds, draw a line with your finger that is 1 inch deep. Space seeds 24-36 inches apart, then cover with soil. Water seeds daily. After the plant becomes established to be 4-5 inches tall, you can reduce watering to fit your garden's needs. Cucumber plants will spread out since this is a bush variety, so it will need plenty of space. Using a trellis for these cucumber plants is a great option to keep the fruit and leaves off the ground. Trellising your cucumbers will prevent disease and allows your garden to have more space.
Harvesting
- Cucumber fruit will approximately be ready 55 days after planting. Harvesting cucumbers before they get too large is important to keep the flavor in your fruit and will keep the plant producing. We recommend picking cucumbers when they reach 6-9 inches in length. To harvest, pull the base of the cucumber from the vine.
- Cucumbers are excellent in tzatziki sauce, in water salads, dipped in hummus, pickled, and more! You can cut slices to add to your drinks, or even put them on your eyes for a spa day!
Recipe
REFRIGERATOR PICKLED CUCUMBERS
Ingredients:
1-1/4 cups distilled white vinegar
3 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2 cups cold water
2 lbs cucumbers
6 large garlic cloves, peeled and halved
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
½ teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes1
6 dill sprigs
- To make the brine, combine the sugar, salt, and vinegar in a small saucepan over high heat.
- Stir until the salt and sugar are dissolved.
- After fully dissolved, pour the mixture into a bowl and whisk in the cold water. Set aside.
- Cut cucumbers into slices or spears.
- Place cucumbers into clean jars.
- Add the dill, peppercorns, garlic cloves, mustard seeds, red pepper flakes, and brine into jars, dividing evenly.
- If necessary, add a bit of cold water to the jars until the brine covers the cucumbers.
- Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours, then serve. These pickles can be refrigerated for up to four weeks.