Looking for large cucumbers?

[seymour_man]

My Dad used to make Sweet Lime Pickles which I found the recipe for. The one thing I remember is that he cubed the cukes instead of slices and he used old, huge, yellowing cukes. He said "the bigger the better." I remember them being at least 12"+ long and pretty fat.

I do remember they were peeled with no seeds and the cubes were 3/4" to 1" square. So they had to be fairly large if peeled and seed cavity removed.

I am sure he didnt use some rare type of cuke. Probably just Straight 8's or Marketmore.

I am wanting to plant some next year and was wondering if anyone has some suggestions on types that get huge.

Duane

[mjc]

Straight 8s and Marketmores will both get to the size you are wanting, if you let them on the vine until they start to yellow (ripen).

[b54red]

Sweet Success will get really huge if you leave them on the vine just a little too long.

[duajones]

Yellow Submarine gets real large and has a small seed cavity

[jwr6404]

Seymour
Koreans have large varieties of tasty cucumbers that they eat straight from the vine as one would eat a tomato or an apple. You can check out Korean and other varieties of Asian cucumbers by visiting www.evergreenseeds.com

[GrannyG]

This old recipe is the one I use for those huge cucumbers.....use an apple corer and run it down through the middle, take out all the seeds, and cut the cucumbers into rings....I also make them into spears, depending on what I want to do with them...

CINNAMON RED HOT CUCUMBER PICKLES

7 lbs. large cucumbers
1 cup lime
1 cup vinegar
Red food coloring
1 TBSP Alum
2 cups vinegar
10 cups sugar
8 cinnamon sticks
1 small package of Red Hots (Brach's Imperials are best)

Peel, seed, and slice cucumbers. Soak in 1 cup lime and 1 gallon water for 24 hours.Drain well and wash several times with clear water.
Wash, soak, covered with ice water for 3 hours.Drain.
Mix 1 cup vinegar, 1 bottle red food coloring, alum, and water to cover. Pour over the cucumbers and simmer for 2 hours.Pour off.
Bring to a boil, 2 cups vinegar, 2 cups water, 10 cups sugar, cinnamon sticks, and red hots. Pour over cucumbers and let stand 24 hours. Pour off syrup and bring to a boil, pour over cucumbers in jars and seal. I waterbath mine.
This recipe is great for those big cucumbers that you can't do anything else with. They are pretty in rings, or they can be made into spears. I do mine in big crocks. I have been lucky to find old crocks around here at auctions. At Christmas, cut material into circles, pink the edges, put on jar with ring, tie ribbons on bottle.
Makes nice gifts.

[GrannyG]

ICE BOX PICKLES
5 cups sugar
4 cups vinegar
1/4 cup canning salt or 3 TBSP
5-6 large cucumbers, sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons celery seed
1 1/2 teaspoons mustard seed
Bring mixture to a boil and let cool. Pour over the cucumbers.
Keep in the refrigerator.
In a day or two, cucumbers are ready to eat. When you are
running low, add more sliced cucumbers to the jar. You can
also add sliced onions and peppers as well to the mixture.
---------------------------------
Another one of my favorite old recipes....



Sweet Lime Pickles

Slice large cucumbers in slices, approx. 1 gallon of slices. Cover with solution of 1
gallon water and 1 cup lime. Let stand overnight. Drain cucumbers, Wash in several
cold washings. Cover in ice cold water and let stand for 3 hours. Drain well. Cover
with vinegar solution of 4 pounds sugar, 1 quart of white vinegar, 1 teaspoon celery
seeds, 1 teaspoon canning salt, 1 teaspoon ground cloves and 1 teaspoon of pickling
spices.Let stand overnight. In the morning, put in a big pot (I use my canner for this)
and cook 45 minutes at a low simmer. Put in jars and seal.
This is my favorite recipe. I usually put mine in a big crock to start. You can tint the
vinegar solution with a couple drops of green food coloring if you want them to look
real pretty. I use a boiling water bath for a few minutes on mine to make sure the jars
seal well. I always feel safer doing this.