What to do with Large, Ripe Cucumbers

Do you still have large, ripe cucumbers lurking in your garden? Don’t throw them away, make pickles.

ripe cucumbers

We had a beautiful October here in the Mid-Columbia, but the time has come to clean out the garden. Sadly.

I have been concentrating on the late tomato harvest, but that is over. Now it’s on to green tomatoes. The beets and carrots can wait a little longer. But we are supposed to have a frost, so the cukes have to be picked now.

Over-ripe cucumbers aren’t good for eating. They make good compost I suppose, but they also make excellent pickles. Try my family recipe for Russian Bear pickles, posted yesterday. The warm spices make this the perfect Thanksgiving pickle!

by Renee Pottle

Renee Pottle, a freelance writer and Home Economist, is fanatic about all things food. She blogs about canning and food preservation at SeedToPantry.com. Find her professional food writing info at PenandProvisions.com.

November 4, 2015

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2 Comments

  1. Tamma Goldner

    What’s pickling salt

    Reply
    • admin

      Tamma, pickling salt is salt with no additives. Most salt contains additives to keep it free flowing. Pickling salt doesn’t. You can use regular salt when pickling, but the end result will be cloudy. You can find pickling salt with canning supplies, and sometimes with the salt.

      Reply

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