The Delicious Lemon Cucumber

The lemon cucumber is an heirloom plant introduced in 1894. The fruit has is the size and color of a lemon, with great disease resistance and the fresh, crispy flavor of a cucumber. These plants hare hardy, prolific, and great tasting.

We got our non-GMO cucumber lemon seeds at a seed party in Alexandria Bay a few months ago. The seeds themselves came from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, a great non-GMO seed purveyor. We found them extremely easy to grow, and less vulnerable to pests than regular varieties of cucumbers.

Unlike the pluot or aprium, which are true cross-bred composites of separate fruits, this apple-cheeked salad stuffer is indeed a cucumber that merely resembles a brightly sour lemon and is actually slightly sweeter than other cucumbers. Like its relatives, the gourd and the squash, the cucumber is classified as a fruit for having enclosed seeds and developing from a flower but is associated with vegetables for its more neutral flavor and use in savory dishes.

Want to taste? Lemon cucumbers are available at our farm stand! Here are some great, simple recipes for these delicious fruits:

Lemon cucumbers with pesto - from White on Rice Couple
Lemon cucumber tofu salad - by Heidi of 101 Cookbooks
Lemon cucumber soup bowls - from Straight from the Farm
Albacore Tuna Salad with Lemon Cucumbers - from Seattle Bon Vivant
Lemon Cucumbers with Toasted Sesame Seeds - from All the Marmalade