It seems to happen every year--- we wait and wait for a certain crop, then it finally comes in, and there is suddenly way too much of it.
We had a lot insect and disease pressure on our first cucumber planting back in May, so we planted a whole bunch more just in case. But obviously, they all bounced back and we are rolling in them right now. Growing veggies is fairly manic; supply can swing from famine, to feast, to famine, to.....
It is definitely a pain to have to pick all these cucumbers, when there are so many other things to do. But we think it is worth it. By sharing, bartering,and/or preserving the harvest, these random surpluses give everyone in the CSA a chance to get more involved in our local food system. Spread the food, spread the word, spread the love.
On that note, email me if you know of a shelter or food pantry which could use cucumbers and/or if you want to buy some in bulk, $1/lb. You could even buy them from me and then donate them yourself!
Make Pickles or relish! What i like to do is to give the cucumbers to a friend. They turn them into pickles and give some back to me....
We hope you are enjoying this season's harvest so far.