Cucumbersare one of my favorite vegetables to get for summertime salads , but your options are n’t just set to shaggy-coated , vining , pickling and burpless . The long , immature cukes traditionally found in grocery store and at farmers markets are great , but certain heirloom variety offer up option that are as fun to look at as they are tasty to eat .
Sikkim Cucumber
An old heirloom cucumber from the mountainous Sikkim part of India , the Sikkim cucumber is a distinctive and tasty addition to any garden . These vining cucumbers from the Himalayas produce prominent fruits whose unique outside features reddish skin with crack stripes , make a giraffe - like pattern . The plants involve plenty of moisture , and the cucumber vine can reach 2 to 3 pounds at maturity . With a strong cuke spirit , they ’re delicious eat up raw , manipulate instir - friesor pickle .
Lemon Cucumber
One of my sheer preferred cucumbers to grow are lemon cucumbers . These delightful heirloom cuke were diagnose after lemons because of their vivacious white-livered skin and rounded shape , roughly the size of a maize . However , maize cucumbers are n’t lemonlike as the name would suggest ; rather , they ’re sweet and more meek than a traditional cucumber . When cut in half , they reveal white human body with a bright - green gel turn back the come . They make a great addition to salads , are perfect forpicklingand are luscious straight out of the garden . When harvesting lemon tree cucumbers , watch for the small black spines that coat the outside of the yield . While slightly prickly , the outstanding contrast of the dark spines against the white-livered lemon hue take a shit this a must - have heirloom in your vegetable plot of ground .
Mexican Sour Gherkin Cucumbers
While the stinker cucumber may not taste like its citrusy namesake , tiny Mexican sour gherkin cucumbers do have a glowering or tart savour visibility that has been winning over gardener the last few class . This vining heirloom acquire an abundance of pocket-size , fleeceable , watermelon vine - work cucumbers with promiscuous - colorful material body , and they tend to develop well on fences , trellis , and even in pay heed baskets . Sour gherkin Cucumis sativus are a little longer than 1 in and are about the size of it of very large grapevine . They make a refreshing and unique treat when eaten fresh off the vine or used in various salad .
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds
Kevin Fogle
thebittenword.com/Flickr
