Sunday, August 29, 2010

cucumbers

Lots of cucumbers coming out of the hoop house these days. Homegrown cukes are so tender, crisp and sweet. These are 'Diva'. They're my favourites right now for cucumber salad. No need to peel these babies.

These are an english cucumber that I tried for the first time this year...it's ok but not good enough to do again...divas are better for fresh eating, in my opinion. So many different types of cucumbers to try (next year) but for now, divas are a keeper....

The cold June this year made it really challenging to get the cucumbers going...here they are on the right, it was already July in this photo when they finally looked like they were getting stronger. They like it hot.

And here they are again, on the left, a couple weeks later. Nowadays, they're filling up the pathway....many folks trellis their cukes and this would be a good idea here in the hoophouse...to use the space more efficiently. Trellising also encourages the cucumbers to grow straighter.

Once the cukes get to this size, they get big fast! Daily picking keeps them all at a nice size. It amazes me how much they can grow in one day.

Here they are getting bagged up in 1 lb. bags for sale at Happy Tides Health Foods.

My favourite thing to do with homegrown cucumbers: a simple salad with red onion and freshly picked chopped up dill and basil, a little olive oil, apple cider vinegar, sea salt and sometimes a dollop of mayo, tossed...delicious summertime taste....

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