Yes, we all know that cucumbers were made for pickling. But not all of us want to go to that much time and trouble. We’d rather enjoy a nice, fresh cucumber straight from the garden.
Please note that not all cucumbers are suitable for eating fresh. Some varieties are bred specifically for pickling, and they are too bitter to be a pleasant experience for most. If you want to enjoy fresh cucumbers straight out of the garden, be sure to raise a “slicing” or “burpless” variety.
So what can you do with a fresh slicing cucumber?
- Top a salad.
- Garnish a sandwich.
- Cut and dip. Peel the cucumber, cut it into sticks, and serve with veggie dip. You can easily make your own dip by combining equal parts of mayo and sour cream, and then adding salt, pepper, minced onion, garlic powder, and either dill seed or salad dressing to taste. Whisk thoroughly to combine.
- Make cucumber salad. Slice and toss with chopped onions, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, and a little bit of salad dressing.
Sometimes the simplest uses of a fresh cucumber are the best.
And now a word of advice on using those really big cucumbers, the ones that hid under the leaves and grew to be three times their proper size. You could feed them to the chickens, but why not try getting some use out of them instead?
Take your clean and dry, but oversized, cucumber and glue on a pair of googly eyes, a pompom for a nose, and a craft foam mouth and tooth.
Voila! Larry the Cucumber!
Homestead on the Range 