What type of cucumber is it ?

[greatfall]

3 gardening seasons back I by chance picked up some cucumber seeds from a local supplier. I was late getting seeds and took what was still left in the bulk seed jars (only 1 type of cucumber seed remained). To my suprise, it ended up being the best eating cucumber that I or any of my family and friends have ever grown/consumed. The cukes would only grow to 5"or6" maximum and then would grow fat. The seeds were extremely small even in the fatter cukes and the pulpy area wasn't runny but fairly firm. They were very crunchy and flavorfull. We took to cutting them lengthwise in fairly thick slices and either eating them like that or even making sandwichs out of the slices. Would have made great sliced pickles like you see on the grocery shelves where the slices are inserted verticaly in the jars.

To bring a long tale to an end.......I never did know the name of the cucumber seeds and have been 2 seasons since trying to match up what is available from the seed companies with no luck. What I end up with, grows longer than the max size of the one which I am looking for and the seeds grow larger too.

Do any of you home gardeners out there have any suggestions as to what this cucumber is. If so a whole bunch of cucumber eaters around here would be very gratefull. Too late for this gardening season in the north country, but next years garden is just around the corner.

Thanks in advance and good gardening to you.

GreatFall

[simy1]

I use the Country Fair Hybrid, which sells on the Territorial Seeds website. It is short, fat, with firm flesh, I would not call the seeds extremely small, though they are small. It is designated as a pickling cuke but we find it very good sliced. It is better than those I used to buy as plants around here. I am sure they have also other varieties of the short, fat persuasion. They are very good at serving the northern gardener.

[Cereus-validus.......]

Its the type usually referred to as gherkins.

They are especially good for pickling and making relish.

[greatfall]

Thanks

I am quite sure that this particular one was meant for pickles, but we found it much nicer for slicing and eating that we would like to make it our main choice for the garden cucumbers if I can find it once again. The one that you describe sounds very similar so I will make note of it.

[greatfall]

Thanks for your input. The only gherkins that I have seen were pickled on the store shelves and were extremely small. Great for that use but not exactly what I was looking for, although maybe the one I am referring to is in that particular family. I will check it out.

Thanks again.

[BetsyB]

Look in the catalogs for Kirby Cukes. They grow small and fat and are used for pickles in New Jersey and are wonderful just out of the garden.