Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Growing in Greenhouses & Polytunnels => Topic started by: arugula on July 16, 2011, 08:14

Title: Crystal Lemon - is it ripe?
Post by: arugula 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?

:)
Title: Re: Crystal Lemon - is it ripe?
Post by: New shoot 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 :)
Title: Re: Crystal Lemon - is it ripe?
Post by: arugula 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
Title: Re: Crystal Lemon - is it ripe?
Post by: New shoot 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:
Title: Re: Crystal Lemon - is it ripe?
Post by: arugula on July 16, 2011, 08:40
 :lol: ;)
Title: Re: Crystal Lemon - is it ripe?
Post by: 1st time veg grower 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:
Title: Re: Crystal Lemon - is it ripe?
Post by: arugula on July 16, 2011, 11:45
That's helpful thanks 1st! Might be worth trying them at various colour stages then. :D
Title: Re: Crystal Lemon - is it ripe?
Post by: Paul Plots 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.  ::)
Title: Re: Crystal Lemon - is it ripe?
Post by: 8doubles on July 16, 2011, 12:31
Looks ripe to me ! If you leave them too long they can go hollow.
Title: Re: Crystal Lemon - is it ripe?
Post by: arugula 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....
Title: Re: Crystal Lemon - is it ripe?
Post by: Paul Plots 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.  ;)
Title: Re: Crystal Lemon - is it ripe?
Post by: A. Fallowfield 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:
Title: Re: Crystal Lemon - is it ripe?
Post by: 1st time veg grower 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:
Title: Re: Crystal Lemon - is it ripe?
Post by: LilacSandy 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:
Title: Re: Crystal Lemon - is it ripe?
Post by: Paul Plots 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.  ???
Title: Re: Crystal Lemon - is it ripe?
Post by: arugula on July 17, 2011, 07:49
Oh, I usually skin them! :unsure:

Ah! Well we'll try them again when a bit riper and see if that bitterness goes. Otherwise, they'll be skinned. :)
Title: Re: Crystal Lemon - is it ripe?
Post by: Paul Plots on July 17, 2011, 11:50
Oh, I usually skin them! :unsure:

Ah! Well we'll try them again when a bit riper and see if that bitterness goes. Otherwise, they'll be skinned. :)

Ouch!!

That'll be fiddly... :blink:
Title: Re: Crystal Lemon - is it ripe?
Post by: arugula on July 17, 2011, 11:58
Nice sharp knife, no problem. ;)
Title: Re: Crystal Lemon - is it ripe?
Post by: 1st time veg grower on July 17, 2011, 14:51
Oh, I usually skin them! :unsure:

Ah! Well we'll try them again when a bit riper and see if that bitterness goes. Otherwise, they'll be skinned. :)

Ouch!!

That'll be fiddly... :blink:

I didn't find it that difficult from what I remember - I usually skin cukes and these ones had a skin with a texture I particularly didn't like, think they're even a bit furry(?)...so off it came!

(As an aside, I had a bbq yesterday and ate some of the cucumber relish that I made at the end of last summer with a glut of cukes including the Crystal lemons and it was gorgeous!)
Title: Re: Crystal Lemon - is it ripe?
Post by: arugula on July 17, 2011, 15:45
Relish is a good idea! :D
Title: Re: Crystal Lemon - is it ripe?
Post by: mumofstig on July 18, 2011, 12:57
Relish is a brilliant idea.....if enough cukes are ever produced to make it with, even the gherkins are sulking this year  :(
Title: Re: Crystal Lemon - is it ripe?
Post by: arugula on July 18, 2011, 13:12
That plant is full of them. I've already decided we'll eat them until we get fed up with them, then maybe have a go at Val's Cucumber Relish (http://www.allotment-garden.org/recipe/?s=cucumber+relish). ;)
Title: Re: Crystal Lemon - is it ripe?
Post by: 1st time veg grower on July 18, 2011, 13:20
That was the one I used! And can now vouch for its deliciousness!

Relish is a brilliant idea.....if enough cukes are ever produced to make it with, even the gherkins are sulking this year  :(
My outdoor cucumbers have all, apart from 2 (the crystal lemon being one of the survivors), kicked the bucket - the marketmore looks ropey but the crystal lemon has some fruit setting and growing, the 'melonie' in the greenhouse also decided to give up life, but the other two indoor ones 'telegraph improved' gave me one per week for the last two weeks but have now really started to kick into action - I have three ready to eat now and another two getting bigger and loads of embryonic fruit. Last year my plants did so well I have some extras I sowed 'just in case' away to my parents and some friends, this year I wish I had sown some more...

Edit: Sorry argyllie didn't check your link and removed the same link from my post!
Title: Re: Crystal Lemon - is it ripe?
Post by: arugula on July 26, 2011, 09:19
Update on the bitter skin: they're ripening more quickly now and the skins are achieving a yellower shade, like lemons. ::) There is a lot less and in fact almost no bitterness in the skins now. :D
Title: Re: Crystal Lemon - is it ripe?
Post by: SUTTY1 on July 28, 2011, 18:36
I'm in 4th year of growing c/lemon and have found they do sweeten-up on ripening.
Also found they keep fairly well. Used some in dips and relish as late as december(early)