Don’t know what to do with cucumbers from the garden? Here are some ideas that you would find useful.
Freeze them
Cucumbers are one of the vegetables that freeze exceptionally well and can be used in any number of dishes, however, you want to use them. fresh. If you want to freeze them, wash, peel (if desired), slice or cut into chunks, and pack in freezer bags, removing as much air as possible before sealing. They will keep for at least six months this way.
Slice them thin and grill them
Cucumbers are not very flavorful, but they do well with salt and cooking. Keep the skin on to prevent them from getting soggy if you are not adding anything acidic like vinegar or lemon juice to your marinade.
Make pickles out of them
Slice, salt and let sit for an hour, then rinse and dress with vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, or any other light dressing you have around to use up. The salt draws water out of the cucumber but also flavors it. There are several varieties of pickles you could make, including bread and butter pickles, sweet pickles, kosher dill pickles, and more. If you preserve them well (meaning don’t let them go bad), they could last for quite a while before you need to think of what to do with them again.
If you’re looking for a more classic approach to preserving pickles, there are several water bath canning pickle recipes available. Freeze them for future use. Add slices to a bag and freeze them for later use in salads, casseroles, smoothies, etc.
Cucumber pickles are a great, healthy, and delicious option for storing excess cucumbers. They can be made in several ways: using fresh cucumbers, bottled or frozen juice, vinegar, and water, or some other brine solution. Once you’ve made your pickles they should keep for about nine months. If they darken or look moldy do not eat them.
Make a pickled relish out of them
Slice the cucumbers thin and add to your favorite pickle brine. This is the perfect way to make quick refrigerator pickles if you have a lot of cucumbers from the garden or farm stand.
A quick brine will soften the cucumbers right up and they are great in salads or on sandwiches after being pickled.
Make pickled cucumber flower garnish
Pickle your flowers just like you would a cucumber and add to salads or use as a garnish for deviled eggs, hard-boiled eggs, pulled pork sliders, toast points with pate, seafood dishes, or oysters on the half shell.
Make a salad out of them
Slice, salt them lightly and let sit for an hour then dress with olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, or any other light dressing you have around to use up. Slicing cucumbers thinly can make them into “cucumber chips,” which could be eaten like potato chips or croutons in any salad you choose.
The salt draws water out of the cucumber but also flavors it at the same time so this is a good way to use up less than perfect cucumbers that are extra watery or have gotten too large for eating raw. Cucumbers add crunch and flavor to any salad type or veggie combination and aren’t as heavy as you might think. Using cucumbers in a salad is a healthy way to consume vegetables, but you can also make pickles using your extra cucumbers as well.
Blend cucumber to make a juice or soup.
Cucumbers pair well with many other ingredients and can be used in a variety of ways. Just peel them first if you plan to make a soup, as the peels tend to thicken liquids considerably.
Eat them as a snack or side dish with your meal
You can hardly go wrong with eating cucumbers in whatever way they come, and the only thing you need to do is check for bugs! Don’t worry if you see small holes: cucumber beetles will turn into whiteflies that won’t affect the flavor at all.
Make veggie noodles out of them
Cucumbers work very well for making veggie noodles. Use a spiralizer, vegetable peeler, or mandolin slicer to slice the cucumbers into wide noodles that can be used raw in a salad or cooked al dente and sauced.
Blend some into a fresh green smoothie
If you have more than one cucumber on hand this is an easy way to get rid of them quickly. Cucumbers are cooling, mild, and pleasant, making them ideal for summertime smoothies.
Fun ways to use the cucumber from the garden
Cucumbers are one of the most popular veggies in the world. They grow fast, they grow easily, and there are so many ways to eat them. But what do you do with a cucumber? There are so many fun things that kids can make with the help of some adult supervision. My three-year-old daughter had so much fun making these crafts!
Here are just a few ideas:
1) Cucumber Sandwiches
This is a great craft to do with kids because they can help cut the cucumbers into sandwich shapes. I’ve found that using a plastic knife works best. You can use any type of bread or cracker that you’d like to make these sandwiches. My daughter loves wheat bread with cheddar cheese, but I’ve also used rye bread, crackers, and cucumber sandwiches without any type of filling between the “bread slices.”
Here is what you’ll need to make these cute little cucumber sandwiches. They sure are yummy too!
- Cucumbers
- Bread or crackers
- Plastic knife
- Optional – Mess-free spreader
- A grown-up to assist with cutting
Here is how you cut a cucumber in half the long way so that it will sit flat against a bread slice. Next, you can use a plastic knife to create whatever sandwich design your child would like. We chose simple cheese sandwiches for this craft. Finally, use a mess-free spreader (you can find them in the baking section at most grocery stores) to make spreading cream cheese or peanut butter fun for kids!
My daughter put slices of cheddar cheese on top and below, but you could use any type of cheese, meat (turkey or ham slices), or even use a cucumber sandwich without anything in between the pieces of bread.
2) Cucumber Faces
This is another easy craft that kids can do all by themselves. My daughter had so much fun making these faces and it didn’t take us very long to make them either! You will need the following items for this craft.
- Cucumbers
- Plastic knives
- Toothpicks
- Optional – Toothpick holder (you can find these in the candle making section of most craft stores)
- Markers or crayons
- A grown-up to assist with cutting
Start by using a plastic knife to cut the desired shape of the face (eyes, nose, and mouth) into the cucumber. Next, cut a small triangle out of the bottom of the cucumber with each eye. This will be used to stick the toothpick into so that it stands up on your plate or tea party table!
Now use different colors markers or crayons to make your cucumber face even more fun!
3) Cucumber Bugs
My three-year-old daughter loved making these cute little bugs. She had so much fun placing the toothpicks in the cucumbers and wanted to make them all different shapes – hearts, stars, etc. What you’ll need for this craft is as follows:
- Cucumbers
- Toothpicks (wooden ones work best)
- Acrylic or paint and brush
- A grown-up to assist with cutting
We used wooden toothpicks for this craft. First, we placed four toothpicks in a square shape on our plate to make the base of the cucumber bug. Then, we stuck two toothpicks on either side of the base for antennae and then cut another toothpick in half with one end sharp to create our bug legs.
Finally, my daughter used acrylic paints to paint her bugs any color she wanted! There are so many fun ways to use cucumbers from your garden, and hopefully this article has given you ideas on what to do with cucumbers from the garden! Thanks for reading and happy crafting!
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