Cucumbers are cylindrical fruits that are also often used as vegetables. These are cultivated widely because of all the benefits that you can get from the plant. This includes having a vegetable that is low in calories but also contains tons of nutrients. The plant is also used in tons of diet plans because of its nutritious benefits that come with a minimal amount of fats. The annual plant also has three varieties that include seedless, pickling, and slicing cucumbers.
The vegetable is overall quite easy to maintain if you understand its maintenance steps. However, there are also some problems that you can run into with the plant. People have recently been asking the question “Why do cucumbers turn orange?”. If you are wondering the same thing then going through this article should help you out. This is because we will be providing you with a list of reasons behind the issue as well as ways that can be used to deal with it.
Why Do Cucumbers Turn Orange?
- Harvesting Cucumbers When They Are Ripe
When growing vegetables in your garden, the most important step that should be kept in mind is telling when these are ripe enough to harvest. Talking about this, if you notice that your cucumbers have started forming an orange shade on them instead of the usual dark green color then it means that the vegetable is too old. These will start to shift their color from green to a yellowish or orange shade as soon as they start getting old.
This means that if you don’t harvest the vegetable after it is ripe then it will change its color within a few days. The main issue with it is that the cucumbers will continue to grow large, but these will also become less firm. Eventually, the vegetable will form small cracks on its outer layer and start to burst open. The best way to check when the vegetable is ripe is by keeping the time they were planted in mind. The plant should be ready for harvest after 60 to 70 days of planting.
You can check their outer layer and if this has completely turned green then harvesting the vegetable is your best option. Just make sure that these are also firm when holding them. If you want the vegetable to grow further, then keep a check over it and harvest it as soon as yellow spots start forming on it.
- Overwatering Your Cucumber Plants
Another reason why your cucumbers might be turning orange can be that you have been overwatering the vegetables. Keep in mind that these are filled up with water and regular watering usually helps them in growing quickly. However, too much water can be dangerous for the harvest as this fills up the cucumbers excessively.
This causes them to grow fat and then form a yellow outer layer which indicates the vegetables are about to burst open. Small cracks should also start forming on the vegetable if you keep up the same level of watering. To avoid this issue, it is best that you only water your cucumbers in a controlled manner. Make sure that you only water the plant enough to keep it healthy and not overwater them.
In some cases, if your vegetables were still growing then the problem can be avoided and these should get their original color back after some days. However, if the vegetable is already ripe enough to harvest then you have no way to save them. Luckily, yellow and orange cucumbers are safe to eat but their flavor might not be as tasty.
- What To Do With Orange Cucumbers
Now that you understand that saving orange cucumbers is not an option. People should keep the steps mentioned above in mind when planting this vegetable. These should help them in ensuring that they can avoid the problem.
If you already have orange cucumbers with you then there are several ways that you can use to consume them. The vegetable usually should have lost its firmness, but you can use it in salads by dicing them. Alternatively, you can pickle them and enjoy the cucumbers like this. There are tons of recipes that these vegetables can be used in even after they have turned orange.