Thursday 7 August 2014

Crystal Lemon..

A friend of mine in England gave us a cucumber called "Crystal Lemon".

I can't help thinking that this is a name which could well have cropped up on the register in my former life as a teacher!

However, it has proved to be a very pleasant alternative to the cucumbers we usually grow or buy.

It is not a new variety, indeed it was bred in late Victorian times, but it is new to us. It is best grown up a wigwam or trellis as it can reach six feet or more and letting it climb keeps the fruit off the soil. As with ordinary cucumbers, it needs frequent watering but otherwise is quite content to grow on in well-composted soil.

It's fruit is egg-shaped and best picked and eaten when it is about the size of a golf ball.

As well as being a convenient size for using in a sandwich or salad for one or two people, its flavour is milder than usual with smaller and fewer seeds. When sliced, it has an attractive flower shape

So thank you, Elizabeth, it's a winner!

NB. Unfortunately, Elizabeth tells me that her plants are only just at the flowering stage... That's the north of England for you!!

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