Cucumber Cider?

Yesterday I harvested a few of the cucumber plants that were growing in my garden. These things get HUGE in the Midwest, and really sweet.
I have a bunch of them lying around, and long story short, I started thinking, "What would a cucumber cider taste like?" I think maybe the mellowness of the cucumber might round out some of the cider dryness.

I'm a new brewer, but I've already finished a couple good batches of sweet cider. My question would be, can you successfully ferment cucumbers in cider? I think I'm going to give it a try If anyone has any ideas on how to get started.

I dunno. If they're sweet, I guess something might happen. A cucumber here must be pretty damn different to over there though. Here they are pretty much all water?

This thread on another winemaking forum might help:
http://www.winepress.us/forums/index.php?/topic/1150-cucumber-wine/
You'll have to read through a few posts to get an actual recipe, but it's only a couple pages. Regards, GF.

oldmate said:

I dunno. If they're sweet, I guess something might happen. A cucumber here must be pretty damn different to over there though. Here they are pretty much all water?

Click to expand...

You're right, they are still only 80-85 percent water, but the interesting thing is that cucumbers apparently are a fruit. Related to melons or some such rubbish. So perhaps a mixture of melon/cucumber goodness might be appropriate in my soon to be implemented cider. :rockin:

I'm going to start with this:
10-12 peeled cucumbers (these things are huge)
2 bananas
4 cups cantaloupe/ honey dew Mellon juice (experimenting)
1 lb raisons
2 Gallons local stayman juice.
2 lbs sugar

Still considering yeasts

I don't know anything about actually doing this, but if you want the cucumber lightness, i would avoid other melons too.

I'm not sure i'd put bananas with cucumber either...

Also, it isn't cider if it doesn't have apples. It would be a wine, I guess....

Cucumber is paired well with mint.

Alright, my idea was to use the melons to sweeten my cucumber juice, melons and bananas have high sugar levels after all, without an acidic or citric bite. I'm using Stayman apples, home grown. I think Kansas is kinda the Stayman capital of the world, (no offense Virginia).
I'm gonna give this a go, and see how it turns out.

If it's nasty, at least I have something to clean out my drains

mint's a good Idea. Mint cider though? It would definitely be smooth....

You could just use sugar. On the cucumbers, make sure not to use the seeds or skin, it will make it bitter.