Well, we have a lot of cucumbers. Canned about all we can, made pickles of a lot more. Now for the question,can we freeze these suckers? Any ideas? Daryll

-- Daryll in NWFLA (twncrk@hotmail.com), August 19, 2001

Answers

Don't think so unless you like soggy cuc's.

-- Patty {NY State} (fodfarms@slic.com), August 19, 2001.

I tried last year but when I defrosted one it melted and I ended up with skin and a pile of water.

-- Paula Haug (ChozGod@msn.com), August 19, 2001.

IMHO they are really yucky frozen. We did dry them one year and that was kind of interesting. Used them as salad "sprinkles". Not wonderful, but not horrible. Didn't do it again. Have your made pickle relish?? We go through tons of that in tarter sauces, sandwich spreads (really good in egg salad). Even just the two of us use up quite a bit that way.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), August 19, 2001.

OOOH yeah relish gets my vote too! Nothing like REAL relish rather than the screy kind in the store (why is it sooo bright???). Now as for freezing...some of the locals here do freeze theirs peeled and sliced for cucumber salad in the winter months. For cuke salad byou have to press the cukes to drain out moisture anyway so doing it after they are thawed seems to make them almost like fresh (neighbor says it beats the winter cukes at the store) but haven't been inclined to try it.

-- Alison in N.S. (aproteau@istar.ca), August 20, 2001.

Daryll,

I froze cucumbers last year, but haven't been brave enough to thaw any out yet!! Afraid of what I will get! LOL

Alison, do you have the recipe for the relish? Sounds like a really good idea !

-- Brenda in NC (CherokeeMaiden2@aol.com), August 20, 2001.

Oh, yeah, I also thought about trying to fry them like you do green tomatoes...while they are frozen...don't know how that would work. I have done that with Zucchini and it works okay. Just a thought.

-- Brenda in NC (CherokeeMaiden2@aol.com), August 20, 2001.

Freeze and save for next year's pigs or chickens!!! When I'm finished with whatever is growing in my garden, I freeze it....anything!! Cukes, squash, peppers, tomatoes.. whatever. Next summer I feed this "stuff" to the pigs. Even though I'm careful about how I treat MY future foods before I freeze it (to prevent nutritive loss), when I freeze for pig food you can just toss everything into a plastic bag. Makes a great suppliment to grain!

-- Marcia (HrMr@webtv.net), August 20, 2001.

Do they dehydrate well?

-- Brenda (brenclark@alltel.net), August 21, 2001.

Sure, make freezer pickles!

Freezer Pickles

2 cups sugar 2 c. water 1 c. vinegar (cider)

Boil above well, cool thoroughly. Pour over uncooked cucumbers in freezer bags/container; freeze.

-- Lis in Iowa (lkb1959@iowatelecom.net), August 23, 2001.