Fruits larger than 2 inches in diameter are called "culls" or "oversize" but they do not constitute an official grade. There are no length requirements for those fruits. In addition to the grades above, most buyers separate the fruit at the grading or receiving station into two or more subgrades (Plate 7). These grades are for the convenience of the processor only and are not NCDA&CS or USDA official grades. Growers are often paid on the basis of subgrades.
(left to right) 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B.
Slicing cucumbers
The following is a summary of the U.S. standards for slicing cucumbers
- U.S. Fancy: No more than 2 inches in diameter and no less than 6 inches long.
- U.S. Extra No. 1: No more than 2 inches in diameter and no less than 6 inches long.
- U.S. No. 1: No more than 2 inches in diameter and no less than 6 inches long.
- U.S. No. 1 Small: No less than 11/2 or more than 2 inches in diameter. No length requirement.
- U.S. No. 1 Large: No less than 21/4 inches in diameter and no less than 6 inches long.
- U.S. No. 2: No less than 2 inches in diameter and no less than 5 inches long.
Note that there is no size difference between the first three grades: The difference between U.S. Fancy (the best grade), U.S. Extra No. 1, and U.S. No. 1 lies in quality (color, shape, and defects allowed). U.S. Extra No. 1 is a combination of at least 50% U.S. Fancy with the remainder being U.S. No. 1 grade. Size is the only difference between U.S. No. 1, U.S. No. 1 Small, and U.S. No. 1 Large. To maximize yield, harvesting should be done to obtain the maximum number of U.S. Fancy and U.S. No. 1 cucumbers per acre.
Labor for Pickling and Slicing
Cucumbers
At present, virtually all of the North Carolina cucumber acreage is hand harvested (Figure 9). One advantage of hand harvesting is the ability to pick more small fruit which are often lost during mechanical harvest. The harvest labor requirement of cucumbers is quite high, frequently being more than 50% of the cost of production. The amount of labor required to hand harvest an acre will depend on yield, number of times harvested, and the amount of vine growth. As an example, in prolific fields, an individual can pick 300 pounds (up to 6 bushels) of pickling cucumbers each hour. Approximately 24 hours of labor per acre will be needed for each harvest. A field with plants that have a high yield potential is an excellent enticement to labor since no one wants to pick from low-yielding plants.
Growers should secure picking labor well before harvest. Having sufficient labor is critical to the success of a farm operation. More stringent labor rules have been adopted and enforced in recent years. For more information, contact your county Extension center or the U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hours Division.
North Carolina has several different arrangements for paying harvest labor. Most of the harvest labor is migrant crews. For pickling cucumbers, pickers usually receive a share (50% to 60%) of the gross sales for payment. For slicing cucumbers, a piece-work arrangement may be used where pickers are paid an amount per bushel. The disadvantage of a piece-work arrangement is the tendency for pickers to harvest only large fruits, especially with pickling cucumbers because smaller fruit have greater value.
As labor costs continue to escalate, harvesting aids and mechanical harvesters have attracted more interest. Harvesting aids are often farmer-built or rebuilt from tobacco equipment and are designed to eliminate stoop labor by allowing pickers to work in a more comfortable sitting position. The efficiency of harvesting aids varies widely, but growers usually find recruiting and supervising labor easier when these machines are used. Once-over and multi-pass mechanical harvesting aids are frequently used elsewhere but at present are used in North Carolina only on a limited basis (Figure 10). These machines could substantially reduce per-unit harvesting costs of pickling cucumbers, but growers might have to sacrifice some quality because fewer small-sized cucumbers are harvested than with hand-harvested fruit.
Postharvest Handling of Pickling and
Slicing Cucumbers
Proper instruction and careful supervision of the picking crew is essential to the success of any harvesting operation. Postharvest quality control begins in the field. Growers should have a responsible person supervise the picking operation at all times. Harvested cucumbers should be handled as gently as possible and never be allowed to remain in the sun for extended periods. Quick grading and cooling immediately after harvest are essential for top quality.
Although most pickling cucumbers are processed within a day or so of harvest, they may be successfully stored for longer periods of time under optimum conditions. If stored at 45-50°F and 90-95% relative humidity, cucumbers may be held in good condition for 7 to 10 days.
Chilling injury (water spots, pitting, tissue collapse) will result if the fruit is held at temperatures below 45°F (Plate 8). However, rapid ripening may occur if cucumbers are stored at temperatures above 50°F. Cucumbers should not be stored with other commodities that produce ethylene, (e.g., tomatoes, apples, and melons). The presence of even tiny amounts of ethylene can greatly accelerate ripening. Adequate humidity must be provided at all times because pickling cucumbers are especially susceptible to dehydration and shrinkage.
All cucumbers should be cooled as soon as possible after harvest. Hydrocooling with chilled water is the preferred method for pickling cucumbers; however, forced-air cooling has been used successfully where hydrocooling is unavailable. In the absence of sophisticated cooling arrangements, growers often resort to drenching the fruit with cool well water to prevent the build-up of respiration heat in bulk containers or loads. More information on forced-air cooling and hydrocooling for cucumbers and other types of fresh produce is available in the AG-414 series of publications at your county Cooperative Extension Service center.