Cucumbers Today, Pickles Tomorrow

For years I have grown as many cucumbers as I could fit in my garden.  The kids love to eat them fresh, their favorite lunch to take to school (spicy peanut noodles) is loaded with them and they can be magically transformed to a family favorite....PICKLES!!!

Up until this year, I have never made it past Thanksgiving with the pickles made from the summer's harvest.  

That was before the farm.

That was before my garden was this size:

The easy part is planting the seeds.  

Putting up the trellis, keeping them weeded and watering is a bit of a pain.

Picking the cucumbers is an every day chore.  In the heart of the season...now...it's twice a day.

We sort them into:

small (can them whole)

medium (can them in spears) 

large (can them in slices)

jumbo (give them to the hens)

My girls like to make pickles.  Really.  I even hear these words, "Don't make ALL the pickles today.  Save some for me to make when I get home from work."

If you are a normal sized family, it's quick, easy and delicious.  

With us, it's not quick...more like a day-long project, still easy....just never-ending, but always delicious!!

We make a few different kinds, but the spicy ones are always the first to disappear.  

The hardest part is waiting several months to open them for dinner.  Unlike me, the older they get, the better they are.

We call it "Pickle Patience"