This year we had a huge cucumber harvest, the variety I planted was a basic continental, I watered them with the washing water as usual, I mulched them with sheep bedding, as always. I can only guess that the mild Summer let the two plants thrive. I let two cucumbers stay on the vine to save the seed, and because we were all sick of cucumber by the end of the Summer.
Today I went out and got the cucumbers, the vines are long gone by now. Then it was simply a matter of cutting them in half and squeezing , scraping and tipping the seeds out of the cucumber onto some paper towels. This part was not particularly simple, having only one usable hand meant asking for help with cutting the cucumber in half, and using my cast to hold the fruit still while the seed was extracted.
I put the paper towels in the sun to dry out. When they are dry it will be time to bag them up ready for Spring planting.
Husband LOVES cucumbers, and as luck would have it, it’s one vegetable that I keep getting wrong, and we get minimal harvests. I keep sowing them too early. Next year I’ll get it right.
I can’t imagine ever having so many that we’d get fed up with them though – Hugh could honestly eat several a day and still want more!
Saving your own seed is always worth it. The plants grew well for you and are acclimatised to your conditions, so it’s the best possible start for next season.