By Kathy Sullivan, CommuBy Kathy Sullivan, Communications Director
Cucumber plants are blooming and starting to produce cucumbers around this time of year. It's important to use your home-grown varieties within two or three days of picking unless properly stored (wrap tightly in wax paper or wax wrap and store in an airtight container).
Ways to eat cucumbers
Pickled. Pickling is easy and a fun family activity. Pickles makes your crop last for months! Click here for two tried and true pickling recipes - including refrigerator pickles.
Snack. What better way to handle that 3 o'clock hunger than eating fresh sliced cucumber dipped in ranch dressing or straight balsamic?
Smoothies. Cucumbers make any smoothie sparkle. They lend a refreshing note to plain H2O and ice, too.
Cucumber Tzatziki Hummus. Remember the warmed pita bread and crudités for dipping in this bright tasting hummus with a nice sharp tomato flavor and a strong backdrop of basil. Here's the recipe.
Give to friends and neighbors. Everyone loves that you garden and share your bounty! Homegrown produce is a treat and appreciated by the receiver.
Freeze Them. It's tedious but freezing cucumbers works due to their high water content. Slice, freeze in individual slices for three hours, store in a freezer-compatible container with room at the top for expansion. Can be kept 8 - 10 months. Best used in smoothies.
Compost. There are going to be cucumbers you missed picking or forgot to use or let grow too large etc. etc. The compost pile likes old cucumbers for their good water content.