If there is a humble vegetable, it would have to be the cucumber
(Cucurbitaceae Cucumis sativus). No one waxes poetic about
cucumbers. There are no recipes showcasing the cucumber. No
stuffed cucumbers, cucumber pie or cucumber souffle. It has been
elevated somewhat facetiously by the haughty cucumber sandwich, but for
the most part this vegetable is just an after thought, pickled and
garnishing your hamburger.
Not true at Duris Cucumber Farm in Puyallup, WA. Forty-six years
ago Mrs. Duris, alarmed at the cost of cucumbers in the local stores,
talked her husband into planting a third of an acre of his small farm
in cucumbers. She planned to sell them by the side of the road
and pay back all the costs of growing. Mrs. Duris succeeded and
then some. That first year she recouped her costs and bought
herself a new sewing machine. And the Duris Cucumber Farm went
into business. Sondra Duris Andrews is still manning the
vegetable stand and, although they began adding a new vegetable to
their offerings each year, she says it is the cucumbers people come
back for. Not the burpless varieties or the exotic Asian
types. The humble pickler and slicer.
So maybe we should take a second look and show this lowly vegetable a
bit more respect. They are easy to grow. They are so
prolific in production we don’t know what to do with the bounty.
Their cool savoriness absolutely evokes summer. All good
things. However no matter how many varieties you try, they all
taste pretty much the same. Or do they?
Cucumber Smorgasbord
Sad to say, most Americans have probably never tasted a real cucumber,
fresh and juicy from the vine with no waxy coating to protect it.
American cucs, like our tomatoes, have been bred to ship and store
well, at the expense of flavor. They are basically water and
crunch with the main distinction being between the two categories,
slicing and pickling. In fact, there is a fair amount of
diversity in the cucumber world.
The originals are believed to be descended from wild Cucurbita found in
the Himalayas. Today’s Oriental cucumbers come in a range of
colors, lengths and flavors, but most are long, thin-skinned and
slender. They also tend to be warted or spined, but brushing off
the spines is enough to make them edible without peeling. Rather
than a sweet taste, they offer a fresh, rich juiciness. ‘Suyo
Long’ offers high yields of fruits that are almost seedless. They
are also crisp and never bitter. ‘Mideast Prolific’ is
great fresh or pickled. They only get about 5-7 inches long and
remain thin-skinned. They are also early, productive, adaptable
and delicious.
Developed in Israel, Middle Eastern cucumbers, also called Beit Alpha
types, resemble a small version of the European greenhouse cucumber
becoming popular in American groceries, but these can be grown in the
field. Like greenhouse cucumbers they are parthenocarpic, meaning
they don’t require pollination. Middle Eastern cucs give a strong blast
of the flavor we’ve come to associate with cucumbers. “Amira” is
gaining popularity in southern areas.
Harder to find, the Armenian cucumber or snake melon (Cucumis melo) is
mild and slightly citric and sweet in flavor. These are long,
slender fruits that are almost always curved or snaked, with pale
furrows running lengthwise in the skin. The fruits can grow 2-3
feet long, but taste best at 12-15 inches. This type is a good
choice for hot climates. However while they look and taste like
cucumbers, they are actually a type of melon and will cross pollinate
with other melons. You can occasionally find these varieties in
Middle Eastern groceries. You can also find seeds under
names like ‘China Long’ and ‘Armenian Yard Long’. Oriental,
Middle Eastern and Armenian cucs can stand up to light sauteeing and
therefore find their way into more dishes than just the salad.
The ‘West Indian Gherkin’ (Cucumis anguria) arrived in America from
Jamaica, although it probably originated in Africa. This also is
not a sativus, even though it shares some similar qualities. The
gherkin has vigorous vines with smooth leaves like a watermelon.
The fruits are 2-3 long, plump and oval with a distinctive
taste. The immature fruits are used for pickling. The glossy,
pale green skins are covered in burr like spines when they mature.
If Americans are familiar with an exotic cucumber it is probably the
hothouse type known as European or Dutch greenhouse cucumbers.
These are the long, dark, smooth specimens that are usually sold in
plastic wrap to protect their skins. Greenhouse varieties were
developed because many countries in Europe did not have the climate to
support a field grown crop. Many people prefer this type because
they are virtually seedless, require no peeling and are considered
easier to digest. “Telegraph Improved” is a popular variety that
is absolutely never bitter. ‘Holland European’ is an
improved greenhouse variety that can be grown outdoors. However
even in Europe preferences vary. The French are partial to the
tiny cornichon, used for pickling. ‘Vert de Massy’, a variety
from the 1800s, is still popular today.
In America, the 8-inch slicer reigns supreme, although the popularity
of pickles and relishes shouldn’t be underestimated . The term
pickler is somewhat misleading, as any type of cucumber can be used for
slicing and eating fresh. In fact, pickling cucumbers have not
been as tampered with by hybridizers and are becoming more and more
popular for slicing. Andrews explained that pickling varieties
have a thinner skin than slicers, allowing the brine to soak
through. They also have a dryer, denser texture that holds up
during processing.
There is no shortage of great pickling type cucumbers. ‘Boston
Pickling’ dates back to 1880. These vigorous vines produce
a symmetrical and smooth fruit with crisp but dry flesh, perfect for
processing. ‘Chicago Pickling’ is a longer pickler, at 6-7 inches, but
it is thin skinned, a high yielder and disease resistant.
For those of us with short growing seasons, always look to eastern
Europe. ‘Early Russian’ starts producing early and just keeps
going. Another good Russian variety is ‘Parade”, with a heavy set
of fruit maturing at one time, making it ideal for processing.
And it’s resistant to weather extremes.
Despite the hybridizing that has been taking place in the world of
slicing cucumbers, ‘Boothby’s Blonde’ has been grown for
generations. It is indeed a blonde cucumber, albeit warty with
black spines. Don’t let that stop you, as these spines also rub
off and there’s no need to peel.
Another interesting heirloom enjoying renewed popularity is the ‘Lemon’
or ‘Lemon Apple’ cucumber. The name refers to the fruits
appearance, not the taste. The exterior resembles a lemon and
when sliced through, the seeds are in chambers resembling a citrus
fruit. If allowed to grow large, the seeds become
excessive. But scooping out the seeds gives you an edible bowl
perfect for serving your favorite seafood salad. ‘Lemon’ cucs are
rust and drought tolerant.
So why aren’t cucumbers better respected in America? Part of the
blame can be attributed to the sometimes bitter taste of
cucumbers. Bitterness is caused by compounds called
cucurbitacins, which are genetic and passed down through seeds.
The concentration of cucurbitacins is often greater at the ends of the
cucumber and discarding these parts will help some in reducing the
bitter taste. You can draw out the bitterness in the rest of the
cucumber by osmosis - slice, salt, drain and rinse, before using.
Then there’s the waxy coating on most commercial cucumbers, put
on to preserve moisture. It is best to remove the waxed skin
before eating. Local and organically grown cucs don’t need this
protection and are a better choice if you prefer to leave the skin on.
Growing
The most difficult aspect to successfully growing cucumbers is insuring
adequate pollination. Most heirloom varieties and many
current cucumber cultivars are monoecious, meaning they produce
separate staminate (male) and pistillate (female) flowers on the same
plant. They tend to begin producing all male flowers first, often
frustrating home gardeners who see flowers but no fruit.
Many hybrids have been bred to be gynoecious, meaning they produce
mostly female flowers. This encourages earlier and greater
productivity. Even so, the production of more male flowers can
result from long day lengths and high temperatures or when the plant
becomes stressed from a large fruit set. Either way, cucumber
flowers require 10-20 bee visits for proper pollination and each flower
is only open for one day. Without multiple pollination visits,
the fruits can be malformed or tiny.
Cucumber plants bear over an extended period, maturing at different
times depending on when they are pollinated. This means
harvesting may have to be done everyday. The ideal size for
slicers is from 1 1/4 to 2 in diameter and 6-8 long, for
best taste and texture.
When saving seeds from cucumbers, remember that all sativus will cross
pollinate with one another, but not with other cucurbits. Sativus
varieties need to be isolated by ½ mile.
Pests
The second greatest obstacle to a successful cucumber harvest is the
fact that they are pest magnets. Cucumber beetles, squash bugs
and squash vine borers will inevitably find their way to your cucumber
patch. Cucumber beetles often leave behind a disease or two like
wilt or cucumber mosaic. Then there’s downy mildew, powdery
mildew, anthracnose, angular leaf spot and scab.
Studies have shown that cucumber pest problems are often the result of
poor soil or imbalanced fertilization, particularly excess nitrogen
and/or limited trace elements. You can also boost your success
rate by planting resistant varieties, rotating crops and removing
debris in the fall.
Since many cucumber diseases are spread by insects, managing the insect
pests can often ward off disease. If you do find yourself with
problems, be cautious with pesticides. Cucumber leaves can be easily
damaged by insecticidal soaps and copper sprays. When all else
fails, try interplanting with onions. The verdict is still out on
this one, but apparently scent confuses insects and like the rest of
us, they have their likes and dislikes.
To Market
If you plan on growing cucumbers for the farm market, taste and novelty
are what sells, as long as they are not so novel that the customer
won’t know what to do with them. Here your best bet is a
something resembling the thin skinned European varieties. Another
selling feature of locally grown cucumbers is their lack of a waxy
coating, particularly if they are organically grown. Of course,
the Duris family farm has built a business around the basic pickler
cucumber.
Refrigerating immediately after harvest cools the fruits and extends
their shelf like. According to the Penn. State Extension Service,
cucs kept at 50-55o F and 95% humidity can retain their quality for 10
- 14 days. Better still, try some cold cucumber soup,
cucumber salsa or stir fried cucumber and snow peas. Or try one
of the recipes in the sidebar.
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