Opinion of lemon cukes

[jennifer28]

What's your opinion on lemon cucumbers? I'm thinking of growing them this year for a group of senior citizens. I just thought they would like it better than a "typical" cuke like marketmore. Maybe I'll grow both with them. Do you think it's worth spending any time on lemon cukes? Or are they not at all tasty?

[Worth1]

I have grown them twice and they are okay sort of, well maybe.
Most people pick them too large and I wouldn't bother with them to tell the truth.
They do seem to be more resistant than other cukes though.
If you have the room you might just plant some in the ground around a bush or tree.

I like to grow the pickling cucumbers and pick them on the 4 inch side and eat them that way.
Or the slicers like market more 76 or straight 8.


Worth

[Tracydr]

I like them. They do better in heat and never seem to get bitter.

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by Tracydr

I like them. They do better in heat and never seem to get bitter.

So true they will grow in sorry soil where nothing else will grow.

worth

[roper2008]

Someone gave my sister a plant. She told me she didn't like them.
Maybe she ate them too big..A lot of people seem to like it. Maybe
just try one plant.

[carolyn137]

I didn't like them at all based on taste alone. Very bland.

I'm a Senior Citizen, ahem, and if they are different from Junior Citizens, well, you might consider some of the cute small cukes such as Miniature White and Cool Breeze and the like.

Great for just snacking, two bites and they're gone, and very prolific and do have good taste.

Carolyn

[biscgolf]

i personally like the lemon cukes- waaayy better heat resistance than conventional cukes. however they are also slow to yield and seem to me to produce unevenly.

also, i'm a market grower by trade and i generally find consumers to be more interested in items they find to be familiar. i would suggest sticking with a traditional cuke primarily for this reason. you will find that at least some of your target audience won't eat the lemon cukes no matter how good they are simply because they are different.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by biscgolf

i personally like the lemon cukes- waaayy better heat resistance than conventional cukes. however they are also slow to yield and seem to me to produce unevenly.

also, i'm a market grower by trade and i generally find consumers to be more interested in items they find to be familiar. i would suggest sticking with a traditional cuke primarily for this reason. you will find that at least some of your target audience won't eat the lemon cukes no matter how good they are simply because they are different.

Yes, I agree that those items that are different from the standards for the variety are oftenmet with suspicion, but when my mother was in an adult home I used to take tomatoes and cukes there, etc. and also tomato plants and the maintenance man started a garden each year from the plants I gave him.

My mother was fully aware that I grew the "different" varieties of this and that but the others weren't, for the most part, and they actually loved to see some of the non-standard varieties. I remember the comments when I took them Poona Kheera, the russet cuke, that one caused lots of comments.

Dragon Tongue beans were another new one for them. Actually just the names of some of the stuff I brought them they talked about a lot.

And from time to time I'd do a so called talk to the residents which went well, b'c not only were they introduced to new stuff but it brought out memories of the past for them in terms of what some of them had grown at home, and that led to some lively chats as well.

Carolyn

[livinonfaith]

Your idea of growing both sounds good.

I think many older people really enjoy trying new things, but often don't have a lot of opportunity to do so.

Then there are ones who are set in their ways and want their cukes green and their tomatoes red. If they're like some of the older people I know, you're probably not going to be able to change their minds very easily!

I'll add to the chorus that says pick the Lemon cukes small. They get too seedy as they get bigger.

[pdxwindjammer]

I think my boyfriend would kick me out of the house if I stopped growing them! We both love them and eat them like apples. Very prolific here in Portland!

[Cole_Robbie]

To echo what other people said, I wasn't a big fan of the taste, but they are very easy to grow.

[feldon30]

Originally Posted by jennifer28

What's your opinion on lemon cucumbers? I'm thinking of growing them this year for a group of senior citizens. I just thought they would like it better than a "typical" cuke like marketmore. Maybe I'll grow both with them. Do you think it's worth spending any time on lemon cukes? Or are they not at all tasty?

Poona Kheera > Lemon Cuke

[livinonfaith]

I can vouch for the Poona Keera, too. Great taste and very interesting to watch as it goes through its color changes. I personally liked it better in the white to yellowish orange stages.

I don't like them because the seeds are big, and I don't like big cucumber seeds!

[greenthumbomaha]

Never tried pickling them but I agree what the others have noted on the seeds being big, taste unremarkable, production uneven. I grew them upright on a small trellis where technically veggies are against the bylaw, but would not bother with them in my garden. Consider trying one or two Lemons for the novelty but plant "green" alongside for your main crop for your seniors. - L.