I planted 6 plants each of pickling and slicing cucumbers. I decided to try the parthenocarpic and gynoecious types to remove any pollination difficulties. In previous years, there was also a problem with powdery mildew on my cucurbits, so I tried to get some resistant varieties. I settled on Vertina for pickling and Corinto for slicing.

I wanted to give the plants a head start, so I started them about 4 weeks before I planned on putting them out in the first week of June. I knew I could push it and maybe put them out around Memorial Day, but I didn’t want any issues with covering them. So, I started them and they all popped up very well. The germination and seedling stages went well and I was ready to transplant outside. I put them in my new raised beds and within 30 days I had cucumbers. The problem was, I had too many cucumbers. That’s OK, then, since I love pickles. The problem is, do I love pickles that much?

The first 5 lbs went into refrigerator pickles. These are a great thing to make quickly. The problem is that they have to be eaten quickly as well. I usually only like to let them hang around for a month, so I can’t make too many at once. I use a fairly simple recipe here: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Homemade-Refrigerator-Pickles/ The problem was that the pickling cucumbers kept coming. So, the next 4 lbs I decided to try making traditional fermented pickles. I did this by following this recipe: http://www.wildfermentation.com/making-sour-pickles-2/ The tricky part with these is that they have to ferment. So, I made up the mixture according to the recipe and put it in a jar in the basement. I then waited and waited and waited. Finally, I got some level of fermentation going. The brine turned cloudy, but I never got any scum on top. I let it ferment for 2.5 weeks and then covered it and stuck it in the fridge. The recipe says that it should sit at the cool temperature for a month . So, I’ll let it sit in there for a while before trying one.

I was still getting more cucumbers than I knew what to do with, so I decided to make some bread and butter pickles and can them. I followed this recipe found within the Ball’s Blue book:

Ingredients

4 pounds 4- to 6-inch cucumbers, cut into 1/4-inch slices

2 pounds onions, thinly sliced

1/3 cup canning salt

2 cups sugar

2 tablespoons mustard seed

2 teaspoons turmeric

2 teaspoons celery seed

1 teaspoon ginger

1 teaspoon peppercorns

3 cups white vinegar

Pickle Crisp per package directions (optional)

Directions

Combine cucumber and onion slices in a large bowl, layering with salt; cover with cold water and ice cubes. Let stand 1 1/2 hours. Drain; rinse; drain again. Combine remaining ingredients in a large saucepot; bring to a boil. Add drained cucumbers and onions and return to a boil. Pack hot pickles and liquid into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. BWB 10 minutes, pints. 20 minutes for quarts.

I also added some “Pickle Crisp: which supposedly helps keep canned pickles crisp. It only takes a little bit per pint, so we’ll see how it turns out. These pickles will be a great treat in the winter months. If I get more pickles, I will probably do the fermenting and then pickle them. I don’t generally do relish because I rarely have hot dogs or sausages that would require relish. It’s just not something I eat frequently, so I don’t make it.