If you’ve been receiving your farm box for any length of time, and you check out the What’s in my Box page, you’ll notice that Persian cucumbers are one of the veggies that frequently make an appearance. Every once in a while, you’ll see other varieties as well, like Kirby or Japanese cucumbers. With as many as 33 different varieties, it’s safe to say that all cucumbers are not alike. So, let’s go over the 5 most common varieties in our region.
- English
English cucumbers are very long, with thin, dark green skin and the seeds are small, so there is no need to remove them. The sweeter flavor makes them great simply eaten raw, or to enhance a cocktail. It’s not uncommon to see them wrapped in plastic at the grocery store.
2. Armenian
Similar to the English, the Armenian cucumber is also long with minimal seeds, but these guys can vary in color from dark green to light green and even yellow-green, and can grow to be curvy or straight. They are botanically classified as a melon and smell a bit like cantaloupe when sliced.
3. Persian
The aforementioned Persian cucumber is the cucumber of choice due to the fact that it is mainly a seedless cucumber with thin skin, making easy to digest. They tend to be shorter than English or Armenian, so they are easier to use up.
4. Kirby
Great for pickling, Kirby cucumbers have a thicker and bumpy skin. They are mild in flavor an crunchy, so if you don’t get around to pickling, they do make for great salad cukes. If you hear the term “Garden cucumber” or “Slicing cucumber”, Kirbys fit into this category, as to many other varieties that are shorter with thicker dark green bumpy skin.
5. Japanese
Japanese cucumbers can grow quite long, commonly being picked when they are at least 12 inches. Like other longer varieties, they are thin skinned and have minimal seeds. They are of the sweetest and most flavorful cucumbers.
Having different attributes in each kind, there are definitely different purposes that set each type of cucumber apart from their close cousins. Happy snacking!