Persian Cucumber

[Beit Alpha; Cucumis sativus]

These cucumbers are mostly seedless, and what seeds they may have are so young they are not a bother. The seed mass is larger than with the European / English cucumbers, so they have better flavor. Unlike the European / English cucumbers, Persians can be field grown, thus far more economical. They are sometimes called "Beit Alpha", the name of a kibbutz in northern Israel where they were first commercialized.

The center one of the photo specimens was 7-1/4 inches long and 1.52 inches diameter, weighing 5-3/4 ounces. This is an above average size, but California vegetables keep getting bigger for ease of harvesting.

"Mini" versions of this cuke have started to appear in Southern California produce markets in mid 2018 - see below.

Buying:

Here in Southern California, every produce market has a mountain of these - they are wildly popular. The price varies wildly too, depending on season and availability. The photo specimens were purchased in January from a large multi-ethnic market in Los Angeles (Altadena) for 2019 US $1.49 / pound, which is near the high end - they can be as low as $0.69 / pound.

Storing:

These cukes are unwaxed, so you should not try to store them for more than 5 days. In longer storage they will start to get soft spots.

Cooking:

While most are consumed raw in salads or with dips, these cukes are fine for soups, stir fries and other recipes calling for cooking cucumbers. They are much better for this than the conventional "green blimps".

Mini Persian Cucumber

[Cucumis sativus]

These small Persian Cucumbers appeared in Los Angeles produce markets in mid 2018. They are still seldom seen, but may become popular. They were typically 3.5 inches long and 0.8 inch diameter and 0.9 ounces. Texture and taste were pretty much identical to the full size Persians.

These re-appeared at a large multi-ethnic market in Los Angeles (Altadena) packed in small clamshell containers at 2025 US $1.99 for 9 ounces.

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©Andrew Grygus - agryg@clovegarden.com - Photos on this page not otherwise credited © cg1 - Linking to and non-commercial use of this page permitted