Beit Alpha cucumbers greatly benefit from trellising.
As a vining plant, cucumbers grow best with a trellis. Keeping the plant off the ground and growing up a trellis allows for better air circulation and can reduce the potential of disease as well. When grown on a trellis, cucumbers can also produce higher yields.

There are many reasons why cucumbers can have a bitter taste. While some cucumbers are grown specifically for their bitter taste, others can turn bitter from excessive heat, dry soil, or a lack of sunlight or water.
The bitterness of harvested cucumbers can be reduced by cutting a half inch off of each end of the vegetable before peeling. You can also rub the cut end’s skin against the inside of the cucumber and rinse off the foam it produces. These methods are known to remove cucurbitacins, the compound responsible for the bitter flavor.

Prepare brine by bringing water, vinegar, and salt to a boil to dissolve the salt. Put a dill blossom or sprig, 5 black peppercorns, 3-4 cloves of garlic, and a bay leaf at the bottom of each jar. Mix in the rest of your spices and tightly pack your cucumbers up to the neck of the jar. Once the brine has come to a boil, carefully pull it over the pickles leaving about 1/2” space at the top of each jar. For quick pickles allow some time for cooling, then move your jars to the fridge. For long-term storage, process each jar for 15 minutes.
Check out our Planters Library for the full recipe!

Select a fully ripe cucumber. Scoop the seeds and surrounding pulp into a container, add water, and allow it to ferment for a few days. Seeds that will be viable for planting will sink to the bottom. Skim off the floaters and gel on the top of the water. Then, rinse the remaining seeds thoroughly, removing all pulp and debris. Allow the seeds to dry completely before storing.