What is a Kirby cucumber?

Kirby cucumbers are usually short and they're always bumpy. They have a range of skin color from yellow to dark green. Kirbys are wonderfully crunchy for eating raw, but flavorful enough to be perfect for pickling too. Sometimes, they're even sold under the name "pickling cucumbers."

What kind of cucumber is a Kirby?

Kirby cucumbers are small, usually 6 inches long or less, with bumpy skins and firm flesh. They are the most common variety of pickling cucumbers (and are usually recommended in pickle recipes) but we also love them in salads and diced into gazpacho.

What's the difference between a Kirby and a cucumber?

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.

Can you eat Kirby cucumbers raw?

Kirby (or Pickling) Cucumbers: Short, oftentimes bumpy, these vary in color from yellow to dark green. They are good to eat raw, but they're especially ideal for pickling. Persian Cucumbers: Similar to English Cucumbers, these are mild in taste. Sometimes bumpy, and with thin skins, they are ideal for eating raw.

Why are Kirby cucumbers called Kirby?

Kirby Cucumbers is now a generic term for any small cucumber sold for pickling. There actually were actual Kirby Cucumbers, developed by a Norval E. Kirby and first released in 1920. They had names such as Black Diamond, D.

What Is Kirby Cucumber?

Can you grow Kirby cucumbers?

Plant seedlings 18 inches apart in full sun. Use a trellis to grow Kirby cucumbers, which will help increase air circulation and reduce the risk of mildew.

What is the sweetest cucumber?

Striped Armenian is one of the sweetest cucumbers. It has small seeds and thin skin. Though it looks like a cucumber, it is actually a melon—a species of Cucumis.

Is there another name for Kirby cucumber?

Kirby Cucumbers

Kirbys are wonderfully crunchy for eating raw, but flavorful enough to be perfect for pickling too. Sometimes, they're even sold under the name "pickling cucumbers."

Are Kirby and Persian cucumbers the same?

Then you also like kirby cucumbers. These cukes are the most widely-pickled variety of cucumbers. They're short like Persians but a little fatter, with bumpy skin and a dense interior that can hold up up to an assertive brine—big crunch, big flavor, convenient package.

Are Kirby cucumbers good for you?

"Not only are they high in water content, they also contain important nutrients that play a part in hydration like magnesium and potassium." The anti-inflammatory compounds in cucumbers help remove waste from the body (opens in new tab) and reduce skin irritation, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

What is the best tasting cucumber?

The best-tasting cucumbers are those that are slicing cucumbers. English cucumbers don't have the bitter chemical cucurbitacin that some cucumbers have. They also have higher natural sugar content, making them sweeter. The lack of seeds and thinner skin also English cucumbers more enjoyable to eat.

What is the best variety of cucumber?

How do you tell a pickling cucumber from a regular cucumber?

Pickling cucumbers are shorter and bigger around than slicing cucumbers. They are bred to have thinner skins and black spines so the pickled product will look better. Pickling varieties can be eaten fresh and slicing varieties can be pickled, but the differences can be discerned by the average consumer.

Are Persian and Lebanese cucumbers the same?

The original variety was named Beit Alpha, after its birthplace, and among horticulturists, the many improved varieties that followed have been called Beit Alpha types. But similar cucumbers have long been prized in the Mideast, and so they're often called “Lebanese cucumbers,” “Persian cucumbers,” etc.

Are mini cucumbers the same as Persian?

These mini cucumbers are about 6 inches long and usually come packed in clamshells or bags and now can be found in most every supermarket across the country. They are called “Persian” cukes because these miniatures have long been popular with shoppers of Persian and most Middle Eastern descents.

Are Persian and English cucumbers the same?

Persian cucumbers are noticeably shorter than the English varieties. At maturity, these slightly bumpy fruits are only 5 to 6 inches long. In contrast, English cucumbers average 12 inches or longer. They're also noticeably less slender and more smooth than their Persian relatives (via The Kitchn).

Why are they called Lebanese cucumbers?

Lebanese cucumbers are small, smooth-skinned and mild tasting. In Australia, he said, this type of cucumber was attributed to the Lebanese community because migrants from Lebanon were the first to bring the seeds from their country and began planting them in their backyards.

What is yellow cucumber called in English?

Yellow cucumber or lemon cucumber scientifically called as the cucumis sativus and known as Dosakai (in Telugu) is a vegetable yellow in color available in parts of India.

What is the difference between Lebanese and English cucumbers?

Cucumbers come in two main varieties – lebanese and continental/telegraph. Lebanese cucumbers are a sweet, short variety with dark green, thin skin. Its flesh is crisp and pale with tiny seeds. The continental or telegraph cucumber is dark green, long and thin, 30-35cm x 5cm, with a hook at one end.

What are the really long cucumbers called?

Armenian cucumbers, also called snakemelon or snake cucumber, have very long, twisted fruit with dark green, thin skin and pale green stripes the length of the fruit – which turns yellow and aromatic as it ripens and has a mild flavor.

What is a Japanese cucumber?

Known as Kyuri in Japanese, these cucumbers have beautiful forest green skin with long and slender bodies. The length is about the size between an English cucumber and a Persian cucumber. Japanese cucumbers do not contain any developed seeds and they are never bitter, which is why they are a preferred choice in Japan.

Why is English cucumber wrapped in plastic?

Plastic Wrap Helps Cucumbers Last Longer

It acts as both an insulator to protect against cold injury and prevents and slows dehydration and spoilage. Plastic-wrapped cucumbers typically last about 10 days in the refrigerator, which is a bit longer than their unwrapped counterparts.

What is the easiest cucumber to grow?

Which cucumber is best for weight loss?

A cup of sliced cucumber has only 14 calories, which makes up for less than 1 per cent of the daily calories allowed on a weight loss diet. A medium-sized cucumber has only 24 calories, which makes it a very low-density food.

What is the best cucumber for dill pickles?

Kirby cucumbers are the classic pickling cucumber — they hold up better than English cucumbers during pickling, remaining firm and crunchy instead of becoming overly soft.