# why are my cucumbers yellow?



## lonelyfarmgirl (Feb 6, 2005)

so I let the cucumbers get away form me a little bit, not too far though. well, about half of them are yellow. otherwise nothing is wrong. they are firm. some others of the same size are green like they are supposed to be. what happened?


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## MaineFarmMom (Dec 29, 2002)

Most cucumbers turn yellow to orange when ripe.


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## offthegrid (Aug 11, 2009)

Agreed; overripe cucumbers are yellow, then orange. You can make "Sunshine Pickles" from them -- a sweet pickle usually with seeds removed, sometimes cooked if the cukes are really overripe & tough. If you can't find a recipe online let me know. I have a cookbook with several versions.


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

Also search for Slippery Jim pickle recipes. Friend was out of town for two weeks and came back to a bushel of those yellow monsters. No worry as she claimed to have planned it that way.

Martin


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## MaineFarmMom (Dec 29, 2002)

I have a pickling variety I'm not happy with so I've left them to ripen for pickles. They're bright orange now so they'll be in jars in a few hours.


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## Windy in Kansas (Jun 16, 2002)

These are the kind of recipes that my mother used for mature cucumbers, i.e. recipes that used pickling lime and cinnamon and made them into cinnamon rings.
http://foxyurl.com/s2D


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## lonelyfarmgirl (Feb 6, 2005)

So if yellow means ripe, does that mean all pickles are made with underripe cucumbers? I guess they would be no good for a regular pickle recipe?


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## rean (Nov 18, 2008)

My dad made stuffed cucumbers with his over ripe ones. Peel, slice in half lengthwise, core. Stuff with a meatloaf mixture. Put some beef broth in the pan with the cukes. Cover with tin foil, and bake until the meatloaf is done. Make a gravy and serve with rice.

Delish!


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## SquashNut (Sep 25, 2005)

we make relish with those or if you pressure can mixed vegetble soup mixes we peel and core them and add them to the mix. Dh thought I had put zuchini in the soup.


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## offthegrid (Aug 11, 2009)

lonelyfarmgirl said:


> So if yellow means ripe, does that mean all pickles are made with underripe cucumbers? I guess they would be no good for a regular pickle recipe?


Well, I'd be more inclined to call yellow/orange ones "overripe" than to call all green ones "underripe". But yes, in theory it's probably the same thing. You could try them in a regular pickle recipe - but usually the skins are too tough and there are too many seeds. "Sunshine" pickles usually have you peel & seed the cukes, so you may want to try doing that, too. Good luck!


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## RuralSerenity (Jul 6, 2009)

They will be perfect for Senf Gherkins. 

We made these when I was a child. For years, I tried to find a recipe on the internet. I finally found it on a 1965 cookbook bulletin 
( http://www.n-connect.net/lynxy/bulletsept1965.html#4 )



SENF GHERKIN

Yellow cucumbers
2 cups white vinegar
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
Â½ teaspoon mustard seed
1 teaspoon mixed spices
Salt
Sliced onions

Slice long yellow cucumbers lengthwise into slender slices. Soak in water overnight. Make syrup of vinegar, water, sugar, mustard seed and mixed spices. Bring syrup to boil and add prepared cucumbers. Boil three minutes. Pour into quart jars with 1 teaspoon salt and one half slice of onion. Cover with boiling syrup and seal at once.


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## lonelyfarmgirl (Feb 6, 2005)

I will try that one and see how it does.thanks


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## RuralSerenity (Jul 6, 2009)

I hope you enjoy them as much as we do. When I make them, I add half an onion (sliced).


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## Nomad (Dec 19, 2002)

Paquebot said:


> Also search for Slippery Jim pickle recipes. Friend was out of town for two weeks and came back to a bushel of those yellow monsters. No worry as she claimed to have planned it that way.
> 
> Martin



I haven't heard of those since I was a kid. I wonder if Slippery Jims are a regional thing? Our family came from WI and my mother used to make them every year. Brings back some memories.

Nomad


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## Elsbet (Apr 2, 2009)

hehe, I was thinking- you grew lemon cukes! (I did this year- they were so pretty, and made a lovely yellow pickle. )
I love letting my regular cukes go to yellow for the sweet pickles and relishes and such.


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## frankva (May 21, 2009)

rean said:


> My dad made stuffed cucumbers with his over ripe ones. Peel, slice in half lengthwise, core. Stuff with a meatloaf mixture. Put some beef broth in the pan with the cukes. Cover with tin foil, and bake until the meatloaf is done. Make a gravy and serve with rice.
> 
> Delish!


I can vouch for this. I did not cut then lengthwise, but that would be easier.

Peel, cut off both ends, bore out the seeds with a table knife, (not sharp.)

Sausage type meatloaf mix. Cross slices are pretty on a plate.

Quite alot of fuss for the male mind to deal with. Today I would probably rather throw the lurker cukes at a tree, and eat the meatloaf. If I did much animal protein. 

Joyce Chen Cookbook.

Highly recommend "Folded Eggs" from this cookbook.


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