Armenian Cucumbers are more closely related to muskmelons than they are to cucumbers. But thought they are really melons, they aren’t sweet, so they are treated as a vegetable. The plant is an annual one growing a vine up to 5 feet long (1 1/2 metres) long. It can be trained to grow up a…
Cucumber slicers allow a cook to create very thin, uniform slices of cucumber to be used for sandwiches, salads or garnish. There are two different types of cucumber slicers. One is a round device turned by crank. You clamp it to a table and press the cucumber through with a pusher. Original ones were made…
Cucumber © Denzil Green Cucumbers are in the same family as other squashes such as zucchini, pumpkins, watermelon, etc. They have a high water content, which keeps them cool and moist inside. This may be one of the reasons they are such a summertime favourite — and may be where the phrase “cool as a…
Japanese Cucumbers is just an English-language generalization for cucumbers grown in Japan. Obviously, there’s more than one type of cucumber grown in Japan. Varieties classed by English speakers as Japanese cucumbers include Kyoto, Palace King, Soarer, Sooyow Nishiki, Suhyo, Tasty Green, and Tsuyataro. The cucumbers are long, narrow and have thin skin. They tend to…
Kidma Cucumbers have very thin, smooth skin. Because the skin is so thin, the cucumbers bruise easily, and so are hard to ship. They are best harvested no longer than 5 inches (12 1/2 cm) long, and while still narrow. As they get older than that, they tend to get fatter, but they also start…
Kirby Cucumbers is now a generic term for any small cucumber sold for pickling. There actually were actual Kirby Cucumbers, developed by a Norval E. Kirby and first released in 1920. They had names such as Black Diamond, D. and B. Special, Dark Green, Dark Green Slicer, Earliest Black Diamond, Green Pack, Kirbys Stays Green,…
Lemon Cucumbers are lemon-shaped cucumbers with a yellow skin. They have very crunchy flesh and are very juicy, particularly in the centre. Despite their name and looks, they have no lemon flavour. The flavour is very mild and almost sweet. People debate when to harvest them. Some say they are best harvested when 2 inches…
Pickling Cucumbers © Denzil Green Pickling is the only practical way to preserve cucumbers. They don’t freeze or dry well. Pickling cucumbers, though, are the only kind of cucumbers that won’t go mushy when canned, because they start off really firm and crisp. Regular cucumbers for fresh eating are called, in contrast, “slicers.” You can…
Russian Cucumbers are grown in America. The term refers to two differently shaped but related cucumbers. The first is 6 to 8 inches (15 to 23 cm) long, relatively thick, and has dark green skin with some bumps. The second is shorter, fatter and has very warty skin. Inside, it has large seeds with little…
