Nature and Gardening

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Request: Cucumber Breed (beehaw.org)

submitted 1 week ago by jay2@beehaw.org to c/greenspace@beehaw.org

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My bird loves a good cucumber, one that has a really goopy center. The problem I'm having is the store bought cucumbers in my area are pathetic even when they are in season. They consist of mostly the white firm flesh with very little goop or seed in the center. Additionally, at 22yo, My friend is running out of summers and I always promised him we would try to grow a good cucumber one day.

I'm not exactly a gardener but this seems easy enough. My grandfather gardened and I remember him going out of his way to get certain breeds of seeds to get the precise genes he wanted. I'm trying to do that with cucumbers, and I'm looking for that goop.

Any cucumber enthusiasts able to recommend a brand? Planting and growing tips are welcome as well, but I'm not trying to turn this into a large project either.

I'm in the Pittsburgh, PA area. I have several areas to plant for adjusting sunlight duration. Soil is poor and a bit swampy. I could probably use a container. Unsure what's best yet.

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[–] nettle@mander.xyz 7 points 1 week ago (2 children)

I agree with your parrot, the more seeds the better.

In New Zealand we have a cucumber called the port Albert cucumber, its big, easy to grow, and has tons of seeds. Unfortunately I couldn't find it for sale outside of NZ (maybe under a different name?).

A slightly smaller international alternative, still with lots of big seeds (tho not quite as many), is the Crystal apple cucumber. Its also easy to grow.

We've grown both of them and will grow both again. They get more/bigger seeds when left to mature, but go sour if left for to long. I still love them when they are sour (your parrot might to) but everyone else thinks I'm crazy.

[–] jay2@beehaw.org 2 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Oh, and I wanted to ask you a specific (or anyone else for that matter). Feel free to tell me to pound it sideways if you don't know.

When I was looking up the Port Albert, I also discovered a sort-of kin to it called a 'Lemon Cucumber'. Are they any good?

[–] nettle@mander.xyz 1 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

crystal apple cucumbers seem to be a variety of lemon cucumber.

Crystal apple cucumbers are spherical and can both go sour if left to long, they also go yellow as they age on the vine making them look like lemons so that's probably where the name comes from. there seems to be other varietys of lemon cucumber as well but I have not tried others.

Both would be kin to port Albert, I prefer port albert as they are a bit larger making them have a bit more seed per flesh.

[–] jay2@beehaw.org 2 points 6 days ago (1 children)

I was able to find the Port Albert seeds for sale to my region. I'm unsure if it's lineage is purer than yours, but it had the right name. The crystal apple was another one that made the initial list of breeds to pick from. I can't say if I've ever had a sour cucumber or not. It's one of those fruits that always kind of tastes the same to me, watery and earthy with a pinch of salt. If its a drastic difference, then I maybe haven't had that honor.

[–] nettle@mander.xyz 1 points 6 days ago

They taste like watered down sour, you will know it when you taste it.

Crystal apples and Port Albert only go sour if left on the vine way too long (they also get a very tough skin and sometimes go bitter if left really long). So you're unlikely to find sour ones at the store.

I should have said it before, but you still get a lot of seediness before they go sour. I think all cucumbers go sour eventually, if you don't like it just pick them early enouph and there will still be plenty of seeds. (For port Albert and crystal apples the more yellow the more sour)