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Salt and Pepper Cucumber
55 days to harvest
Cucumis sativus
Such crunch, such sweetness, such creaminess, such abundance! It is difficult to describe the joy it brings us to share this seed with you; truly, we love this cucumber more than words. The sweeter, smoother little sister of Silver Slicer, Salt and Pepper Cucumber thrives with her Powdery Mildew as well as Angular Leaf Spot resistance, the genius of millennia of indigenous seedkeepers plus Cornell’s public plant breeding from the era of Molly Jahn and Jason Cavatorta.
And the taste is sincerely spectacular. A classic pickling cucumber size, Salt & Pepper is our favorite cucumber for fresh eating, without question. We fill our 20-gallon crock with her for pickles each season, as well! Salt & Pepper is named for the miniature black spines that dot the white & pale lemon fruits, but don’t be fooled: they’re tiny and you’ll barely notice them.
Thanks to the marvelous Sarah Moller, @mylifeincrumbs, for sharing her fabulous photograph of Salt & Pepper with us!
Organic Salt & Pepper Cucumber
Planting Method: Direct Seed Recommended; Container-friendly (2 gallons+)
To Direct Seed: Sow after last frost, 2 seeds every 2-3 feet (thinning to 1).
For Transplanting: Sow indoors 2-3 weeks before last frost in peat pots (plant entire pot) or soil blocks to minimally disturb roots when transplanted
Seed Depth: 1/2 inch Days to Germination: 3 at 70°F; 10 in cooler soil
Sun Needs: Full
Spacing (after thinning/transplanting): 2-3 feet; 30-36 inches between rows
Trellis for easier harvest, straighter fruits & less disease pressure.
Days to Harvest: 55 Height: 5-foot+ vines
Harvest: For pickling, harvest smaller cucumbers, before they swell to maximum width. If you miss that window, enjoy as a fresh snack!
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Paul E. Doniger (verified owner) –
I’ve often struggled to find the right cucumber for my garden, but this is IT! Most seasons, my cukes start out just fine, but they tend to slow down, trail off, or mature too slowly. These pretty little cukes are perfect, however: fast growing, productive, attractive, and delicious. The plants stayed healthy right up until frost, too. These are the best tasting cucumbers I have grown, and they make delightful little pickles. My only complaint is that I wish I had planted more – next season, I will do that.
blackbirdpines –
It grew well with moderate production, but this may be due to the very dry summer. I wouldn’t call this a pickling cuke (which is why I grew it and why only a 3 star review) as it is far too seedy to make good pickles.
Maddie (verified owner) –
We are grateful for you sharing your reflections with us and the Fruition community, and truly sorry to hear that you haven’t found pickly-delight in this experience. Apologies that we are just now getting you a reply — we are responding to a backlog in product reviews, and iterating our teamwork to ensure we are consistently and quickly responding with care to reviews, now and in seasons to come. We appreciate your patience alongside your feedback!
When we’re pickling, we love harvesting Salt and Pepper before it grows as big as it will ultimately get, before it starts to get seedier. (And if we miss that window with some cukes, they’re great fresh snacks!) One way or another, we would love to see you find more delight this season! We have reached out to you directly by email to joyfully provide you with a coupon for a free packet of seed. Please feel free to read our Satisfaction Guarantee and email support@fruitionseeds.com should you wish to reach out any time in the future. Thanks for growing with us!
Kirsta –
I love the crunch of this cuke and the smaller size. While color makes it easy to spy all fruit so it’s easy to catch them before they get too seedy. We vacation in the summer and my cat sitter always asks if we’re growing these as she has free rein of all garden bounty while we’re gone and these are her favorite! I’ll hear about it if I don’t plant some!