Too many cucumbers? No problem.

It’s 1:30 in the PM and according to most reports were nudging into 100 degree-land yet again. I’ll tell ya, it gets mighty old quick! Like some old engine that’s prone to overheating, I make my garden errands quick and to the point. You’d think I would get my lazy ass out of bed right early when it’s still tolerable outside, but no I don’t. (There are few advantages to being unemployed and staying in bed late may be the only one I can think of).

Most of the veggies outside have gone into a form of hibernation as in they are not producing anything of note in all this heat. The sole exceptions were the basil plants that is going like gang busters and my cucumbers! Go figure. I have been drying the basil plants on my balcony and am looking forward to having a couple of bottles of the dried herb to use for this winter. The cukes, on the other hand, do not lend themselves to any kind of storage to which I am aware. So, what I do this time of year with a plant or two is let them get over mature. These I will allow to rot and then will save the seeds. The only cucumber I have planted in recent years is the heirloom variety called Straight Eight. The thing is I rarely need to plant any seed as they come up on their own each year. I’m just never sure quite where.

Now that I think of it there is one way to extend the use of the cukes and that is something my mother showed me when I was young. All you have to do is take a resealable plastic container, fill it part full with vinegar, add a little water, sugar, salt and pepper and then slice up a cucumber and maybe a white onion or two. Seal it and leave the container in the fridge for a few days or weeks. Then, whenever you want eat some of that. It’s delicious.