Cucumber glut - A solution at last.

Discussion in 'Edible Gardening' started by Dave W, Aug 8, 2018.

  1. Dave W

    Dave W Total Gardener

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    Our cuc plant is gaining on us and producing far more than we can use. I picked 5 on Monday and already had a couple in the kitchen. I didn't want to consign the surplus to compost if they could be used, so suggested to Mrs W that she take them into our village shop and see if they were of use. Shopkeeper was keen to have them and wanted to pay, but Mrs W said 'no, you can have them.' She came home with a free punnet of strawberries - a win-win transaction! :-)
     
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    • silu

      silu gardening easy...hmmm

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      My Cucumbers have gone completely ballistic too:yikes:. I only have 3 plants but they are taking over my greenhouse and determined to outdo each other. Went for a hospital check up today armed with 8 cucumbers to give away. Wish I had had a camera to have captured the doctor's face when i said I wanted to ask him a question he might not have been asked before "would you like a cucumber or 8"?:snorky:, He fell about laughing and relieved me of 2. I gave the rest away to a nurse and the reception staff. What do I do tomorrow as probably another 8 will be ready to pick?:rolleyespink:
       
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      • Dave W

        Dave W Total Gardener

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        I'm doing much the same tomorrow and taking the nurse a bag of baby plum toms and a cuc. It's nice to be able to share.
         
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        • JWK

          JWK Gardener Staff Member

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          I started a couple of extra plants just in case my early ones stopped producing (as usually happens), but this year they just keep on growing. No signs of mildew or other pests (tempting fate). So am having to give most away to friends and family - everyone gets handed a cucumber when they visit whether they like them or not.
           
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          • Loofah

            Loofah Admin Staff Member

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            Cucumber pickle or cucumber wine...
             
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            • Victoria

              Victoria Lover of Exotic Flora

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              Definitely agree with the pickle ... not sure about the wine though! :dunno:
               
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              • longk

                longk Total Gardener

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                Cook smaller mature fruits in curries - they're excellent!
                 
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                • shiney

                  shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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                  Cream of cucumber soup. Good as a hot soup and lovely as a cold soup in the hot weather.
                   
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                  • shiney

                    shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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                    A friend has an excess of cues but doesn't have too much problem with them. His chickens would kill for a cucumber. So they're having a wonderful time.
                     
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                    • silu

                      silu gardening easy...hmmm

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                      Can you give me a good recipe @shiney for the hot version? I have a family rebellion on my hands as it is with salads featuring heavily plus gazpacho being served almost daily. That soup is helping with the glut but not enough:yikes:. Can you use frozen Cucumbers to make the soup? as that would be a distinct advantage. I always make good strong homemade chicken stock and so have plenty of that if the hot version calls for same. I can see a slight similarity to my celery "issue" last season ........
                      [​IMG]
                      We have only recently stopped having celery soup on the menu. Cucumber soup all winter looks odds on to happen this year:).
                       
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                      • shiney

                        shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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                        There are lots of good recipes on the net and I suggest that you choose one that also includes other things that you have a glut of. :blue thumb: You may even be able to add some celery into it! :yikes: It's good to experiment. :)
                         
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                        • silu

                          silu gardening easy...hmmm

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                          Had a look and Delia seems to do what sounds a tasty 1, I'll give it a go.
                           
                        • JWK

                          JWK Gardener Staff Member

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                          I tried dehydrating my spare cucumbers and they are lovely, sliced thin with a mandolin and dipped in a bit of olive oil, paprika and garlic salt prior to drying. They come out like very tasty crisps:
                          IMG_20180811_121541883.jpg

                          IMG_20180811_121824843.jpg
                           
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                          • Clare G

                            Clare G Super Gardener

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                            The dehydrated cucumber slices look lovely @JWK - is that an electric dehydrator they're sitting in? If so, what other sorts of fruit and veg can you dry in it?
                             
                          • JWK

                            JWK Gardener Staff Member

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                            Yes an electric one @Clare G - this model in fact:
                            Andrew James Digital Food Dehydrator - Adjustable Thermostat 40-70°C - Programmable Timer - 6 Stackable Trays for Fruit and Vegetables - Low Energy Usage & Easy to Clean: Amazon.co.uk: Kitchen & Home

                            I use it almost exclusively for tomatoes these days, all my surplus fruit gets dried and will keep till next summer in an air tight container. They are really nice straight out the box as a snack, very intense flavour. Mostly I re-hydrate with balsamic and olive oil and they are lovely in a salad. Or can be added to stews, sauces etc.

                            When I first got it I tried lots of different things, Apples, Parsnips and Pumpkins worked OK. Onions were really lovely but I find my onions store over-winter in a shed so drying them seems a bit pointless. I have read that you can use them to dry meat strips in a similar way to Biltong or Jerky, I've never tried that. One of the nicest snacks are dried banana slices - I never have a surplus of those :)
                             
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