We grow a number of different varieties, ranging from regular long green slicers to short green picklers, a neat deep brown-orange variety from India, and a new to us white heirloom variety! Similar in appearance to the zucchini, cucumber differ in spiny bumps when they’re younger and are typically firmer and crisper than zucchini. If that’s not enough to distinguish, cucumber will have a distinct smell that should be noticeable even before slicing but certainly after!

When it's in Season at Hartwood Farm:

Cucumbers are a summer veggie, and you’ll find them mid-July through mid-August. Chances are you’ll be seeing plenty of these green guys during their peak season.

Crop Category and What it Tastes Like:

One of the fruiting veggies!

Cucumbers are one of the most water-dense vegetables, and they certainly taste it. They are crisp and crunchy and as refreshing as a veggie can be. Their skin can be somewhat bitter, and their flesh is mild and earthy, sometimes even slightly sweet.

How to Handle and Store:

These are ideally stored at 50 degrees. You can put them in the fridge, but they don’t last super long--4 to 6 days before they start getting soft.

How to Prep for Use:

We disagree on the farm whether to peel or not--I prefer the skins on, but Matt finds them bitter. We generally slice them into rounds for preparation. Pickling cucumbers have much thinner, more tender skins (so I would leave them on), and the brown Poona Kheera cucumber skin is very mild and delicious (definitely don’t peel those guys).

Ways to Cook and Eat:

These are generally eaten raw, in salads, or pickled. That being said, more than a few folks sautéed up the yellow ‘cukes last year and said they were quite good cooked as well!

Quick and Dirty Hangry Farmer Go-To Preparations:

We usually chop them up into a batch of refrigerator pickles or if we are in a hurry to enjoy them, cut them and let them marinate in an oil/vinegar dressing for an hour. They are great dipped in hummus or ranch dressing, atop salads, or in a rice bowl with other veggies and a protein.

Typical time to:

  • Steam—Not recommended

  • Sauté—Not recommended

  • Bake—Not recommended

  • Boil—Not recommended

Our Favorite Recipes:

Refrigerator Pickles (Smitten Kitchen)—a quick and easy way to get homemade dill pickles!

Fatoush (The Mediterranean Kitchen)- for the more ambitious cucumber eater, this delicious Lebanese salad is crisp, complex, and refreshing in the summer. I have admittedly made it without sumac more than once, and while it is not quite as delicious or authentic, it’s still yummy. I often add feta and skip the romaine as well!