Pickling Cucumbers

Well, it only took 4 attempts at sowing the seeds but here we have it, Cucumbers! I don't know why it took so many tries. We did have a major heat wave this Summer so perhaps the soil couldn't retain enough water to sprout the seeds but I tried twice in the Spring too and nothing. That's okay, I have them now and it's been relatively warm with a good amount of intermittent rain falls so I think we'll get a nice yield. By the way, did you know that pickling cucumbers are extremely prickly? They should call them prickling cucumbers. (I did just say that, I can't believe it myself.) Oh dear, anyway, don't try to pick them with your bare hands. I did, and it hurt.

If you're wondering why pickling cukes were so important for me to grow it's because of Ome, my husband's Grandmother and her famous Dill Pickles. I really wanted to make them this year and I did with pickles from a farm but soon I'll be able to make my very own homegrown pickles and I can't imagine anything more rewarding. And with that, at least one thing I learned with gardening is that persistence pays off.

Click here for Ome's Dill Pickle Recipe.