Crystal Lemon - is it ripe?

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arugula

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Crystal Lemon - is it ripe?
« on: July 16, 2011, 08:14 »
This is our first experience of growing Crystal Lemon cucumbers and we're not quite sure about telling if they are ripe to pick. The advised size seems to be "lemon sized" or between 2 and 4 inches where these are about 2 or I'd say lime sized. As you can see from the pic, they're nearly but not quite yellow. So, bearing in mind we're in for at least a couple of wet and windy days where the sun will be scarce, do we leave them to get yellow on the plant or pick them at around this size before they go past it?

:)
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New shoot

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Re: Crystal Lemon - is it ripe?
« Reply #1 on: July 16, 2011, 08:35 »
I'd say they need a little bit longer Argyllie.  They get bigger and go really yellow, but the skin does toughen quite fast so maybe a case of try one in a few days and see if that suits your taste.  I have grown them and ended up picking them a bit early as I preferred them at that stage but yours look a bit too under to me :)

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arugula

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Re: Crystal Lemon - is it ripe?
« Reply #2 on: July 16, 2011, 08:37 »
Thanks New Shoot. :) Its what we thought, but not having experience of them we thought some expert opinion was called for. :D

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New shoot

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Re: Crystal Lemon - is it ripe?
« Reply #3 on: July 16, 2011, 08:39 »
we thought some expert opinion was called for. :D

You may have to wait for that then  :lol:   :lol:  :lol:

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arugula

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Re: Crystal Lemon - is it ripe?
« Reply #4 on: July 16, 2011, 08:40 »
 :lol: ;)

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Re: Crystal Lemon - is it ripe?
« Reply #5 on: July 16, 2011, 11:04 »
I have only grown them once before - last year - so am not an expert! I ate them both green and yellow and the taste changes so you then kind of end up working out what you like. When they are yellow they almost taste like melons rather than cucumbers, when greener they are more 'cumcumbery' - I was already growing 'normal' cucumbers so I found I preferred them more 'melony'!!!  :lol: :lol:

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arugula

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Re: Crystal Lemon - is it ripe?
« Reply #6 on: July 16, 2011, 11:45 »
That's helpful thanks 1st! Might be worth trying them at various colour stages then. :D

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Paul Plots

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Re: Crystal Lemon - is it ripe?
« Reply #7 on: July 16, 2011, 11:52 »
I've planted (I wont say "grown" yet as they are still thinking about it) two this year after late success last year.

Last year I harvested them when they were quite small and yellowish. The flavour was good and they made great additions to lunch-boxes as they were.... bite-sized.

I was too keen to pick&eat to wait for them to grow bigger.  ::)
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8doubles

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Re: Crystal Lemon - is it ripe?
« Reply #8 on: July 16, 2011, 12:31 »
Looks ripe to me ! If you leave them too long they can go hollow.

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arugula

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Re: Crystal Lemon - is it ripe?
« Reply #9 on: July 16, 2011, 14:28 »
OK own up time! We've eaten that one! :D There are quite a few just behind it, so given 1st time veg grower's observations we thought, try it. The skin was quite bitter  :ohmy: :unsure:, but the inside was lovely, fresh and cucumbery with a hint of sweetness. Very nice. :) I wonder if the bitterness in the skin will go away as they get a bit riper....

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Paul Plots

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Re: Crystal Lemon - is it ripe?
« Reply #10 on: July 16, 2011, 15:13 »
Maybe they’ve taken quite a while to develop and as the weather warms (famous last words) the skins will be less tough and the bitterness unnoticeable?

Mine were fine last year.  ;)

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A. Fallowfield

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Re: Crystal Lemon - is it ripe?
« Reply #11 on: July 16, 2011, 20:23 »
They say they don't have the same indigestion problems as the green un's, burrp! Not true! :blush:

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Re: Crystal Lemon - is it ripe?
« Reply #12 on: July 16, 2011, 20:42 »
OK own up time! We've eaten that one! :D There are quite a few just behind it, so given 1st time veg grower's observations we thought, try it. The skin was quite bitter  :ohmy: :unsure:, but the inside was lovely, fresh and cucumbery with a hint of sweetness. Very nice. :) I wonder if the bitterness in the skin will go away as they get a bit riper....

Oh, I usually skin them! :unsure:

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LilacSandy

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Re: Crystal Lemon - is it ripe?
« Reply #13 on: July 16, 2011, 20:51 »
I am so glad about this post.  I put in the seeds and have six plants that are growing away but obviously did not read the packet as I did not realise they are lemon shapped!!  I would have felt a right idiot if I had asked on here what the problem with my cucumbers was  :lol: :lol: :lol:

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Paul Plots

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Re: Crystal Lemon - is it ripe?
« Reply #14 on: July 16, 2011, 22:53 »
I am so glad about this post.  I put in the seeds and have six plants that are growing away but obviously did not read the packet as I did not realise they are lemon shapped!!  I would have felt a right idiot if I had asked on here what the problem with my cucumbers was  :lol: :lol: :lol:

More lemon coloured than shaped..  ;) Mine, last year, were like globes as far as I can recall.  ???



 

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