Anyone here grow their own cucumbers for pickling?

hush · Sep 28, 2019

I really want to get into this and I have no experience with pickling anything. All I know is I have loved snacking on dill pickles since as far back as I can remember. Seems like a fun little project to get into. I have plenty of experience gardening in general, and much experience with growing the cucurbits, just not cukes.

So, I'm wondering here who has suggestions on cucumber varieties for pickling, and maybe even some recipes. I don't know. I just love pickles. I don't enjoy the taste of non-pickled cucumbers, but I'll let that slide if anyone just wants to talk about growing cucumbers without the pickling part of it. :biggrin:

midwestkid · Sep 28, 2019

I've been told Boston pickling variety is the way to go. I've wanted to make pickles for a few years but I've never been overrun with cucumbers. Good luck. Keep us posted

Lester Beans · Sep 28, 2019

Boston or Chicago pickling cukes are the way to go. Pickle cukes were bred to be thinner skinned to absorb the brine better. And to keep the crunch, more of a firm cukes.

Baker seeds, rareseeds.com, have both Chicago and Boston heirloom variety. They both yield ridiculous and respond well to various growing methods. I grow them on plastic with drip tape. The do great on a trellis as well. If going container then make sure it is a big one and don't let it dry out.

The heirloom varieties are a touch more susceptible to pm than some modern varieties so I recommend a weekly spray of baking soda. This prevents pm for me. Also be mindful of cucumber beetles, those little bastards turn cukes ugly in a hurry.

Number one thing I have found when pickling is to harvest the cukes and cut them up or make pickles immediately. The fresher the more crunch.

I make refrigerator pickles. Takes 30 days in the fridge. Kosher dills are my favorite. Sweet pickles should be reserved for snacks in hell imho haha I hate bread and butter pickles. Wretched.

Best bet go with a variety that is intended for pickling and pickle fresh. The modern varieties are good do with added disease and pm resistance if you don't want to go heirloom. Also the smaller the cucumber the faster it will go limp and lose it crunch. Got that sounded bad. LoL

Have fun pickling!!

midwestkid · Sep 28, 2019

Lester can you explain what you mean when you say you grow them on plastic with drip tape?

Headbandf1 · Sep 29, 2019

I grew Dasher II, Sweet Success, Calypso (my Fav) and Fanfare. Bush are easier then Pole/Vine.

Many different types of Kucks

Quick Pickle
https://www.marthastewart.com/314106/quick-pickled-cucumbers

Refrigerator Pickle I like the Best
https://www.marthastewart.com/317530/refrigerator-pickles

https://www.marthastewart.com/1043352/how-make-homemade-dill-pickles

Flying Monkey · Sep 29, 2019

Cucumis Anguria 'West Indian Gherkin' fella. Never seen anything produce so many pickles and they look great in the jar too.

Lester Beans · Sep 29, 2019

midwestkid said:
Lester can you explain what you mean when you say you grow them on plastic with drip tape?

Raised beds with plastic and drip line run under the plastic. I did about a 1000' of pickle cukes this year. Another few 1000 of reg cukes.

The machine is a bed shaper. It mounds the soil, lays the drip tape, then the plastic, then covers the sides with soil. All in one pass.

Keeps the roots warm and evenly moist. Also keeps the weeds in check without spray.

Headbandf1 · Sep 29, 2019

Lester Beans said:
Raised beds with plastic and drip line run under the plastic. I did about a 1000' of pickle cukes this year. Another few 1000 of reg cukes.

The machine is a bed shaper. It mounds the soil, lays the drip tape, then the plastic, then covers the sides with soil. All in one pass.

Keeps the roots warm and evenly moist. Also keeps the weeds in check without spray.

How much you selling that fancy wangdangel contraption fer ?

Lester Beans · Sep 29, 2019

Hahahaha that what I called it when I first saw one. Then I used it and can't live without it. Putting plastic in by hand is a nightmare. They run about five Grand. Shoot I'd pay 10 before I'd go back to manual installation.

midwestkid · Sep 29, 2019

That's fancy. Seems like a pretty fair price for such a contraption. Does it have a place to sit your beer

Lester Beans · Sep 29, 2019

Of course, what farm equipment doesn't. Hell I don't think it's legal to farm without a beer..haha!

Flying Monkey · Oct 2, 2019

Aint that the truth.

midwestkid · Oct 2, 2019

Throughout the summer we keep a Tupperware container full of cucumber slices and onion slices. Swimming in a mix of oil, vinegar, sugar, water. We call them Sally-Annes. Not sure why. But it's a great way to eat a shitload of cukes. Really delish and easy to make

vacuumlungs · Oct 2, 2019

hush said:
I really want to get into this and I have no experience with pickling anything. All I know is I have loved snacking on dill pickles since as far back as I can remember. Seems like a fun little project to get into. I have plenty of experience gardening in general, and much experience with growing the cucurbits, just not cukes.

So, I'm wondering here who has suggestions on cucumber varieties for pickling, and maybe even some recipes. I don't know. I just love pickles. I don't enjoy the taste of non-pickled cucumbers, but I'll let that slide if anyone just wants to talk about growing cucumbers without the pickling part of it.

I’ve been growing Boston cucumbers for a long time. Have some BT at the ready for the worms and boring bugs. I buy the dill mix from Walmart and add fresh dill and garlic. Don’t forget to soak the cucumbers in pickling lime to make sure they’re crunchy. If you don’t, they’re kind of mushy.

Lester Beans · Oct 2, 2019

I assume you meant pickling Brine. Autocorrect happens haha

I grow my own dill as well. It sells for good money and is super easy to grow. Lots of animals and bugs hate dill so added bonus. I got a quarter pound of dill seed for dirt cheap that will last year's.

The store bought pickling spice are really good.

TychoMonolyth · Oct 2, 2019

Once you plant dill, you have it forever. Lol

I make 3 kinds of pickles and a great green hotdog relish. Lasts me a whole year ans that's with 5 adult kids doing their groceries here. Lol

We make about 50 jars of tomato sauce and hot salsa too.

Love our garden.

Green Squall · Oct 2, 2019

vacuumlungs said:
I’ve been growing Boston cucumbers for a long time. Have some BT at the ready for the worms and boring bugs. I buy the dill mix from Walmart and add fresh dill and garlic. Don’t forget to soak the cucumbers in pickling lime to make sure they’re crunchy. If you don’t, they’re kind of mushy.

You can also use anything with tannins.
I usually add fresh bay leaf or even a tea bag.

TychoMonolyth · Oct 2, 2019

My mom used to make pickles from watermelon rinds. Crunchy as hell and you'd never know the difference.

Anyone ever have salt pickles? We would pick them up in Quebec. Stored in a salt brine for months All you had to do is drop them in vinegar. Awesome goodness.

But there are awesome commercial pickles. Mrs. Whites, Strub (fermented), Moishes (Montreal).

hush · Oct 2, 2019

TychoMonolyth said:
But there are awesome commercial pickles. Mrs. Whites, Strub (fermented), Moishes (Montreal).

No joke. One of the reasons I want to start pickling is because I'm spending so much goddamn money on those Vlasic Snack'mms. Those things are so delectable, and the crunch is perfect! But they're pricy, lol.

Flying Monkey · Oct 3, 2019

We add bay to ours too GS. Keeps them nice and savoury..

Anyone here grow their own cucumbers for pickling?

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