Early Fortune Cucumber
Item Details
Also known as Special Dark Green, this variety was introduced around 1910 by the Jerome B. Rice Seed Company of Cambridge, New York. It originated with George Starr of Royal Oak, Michigan, who discovered it in a crop of Davis Perfect (now extinct). Fruits measure 8" long.
- 55-60 days
- ±1,100 seeds/oz
- Organic
- Best Seller
- Fruits grow up to 8 inches
- Dark green skin
This variety works for:
- Fresh eating
- Pickling
Cucumbers are most often used raw and are perfect in salads. Some chefs prefer to peel the skin off the fruit as it can be bitter.
Cucumbers pair well with mint an dill, which can be added directly to your salad or to dressings. Cucumber and mint can also be added to smoothies and juice. Tatziki sauce is made from shredded cucumber, yogurt, and dill.
Pickling cucumbers, however, are best for preserving in a solution of vinegar, salt, sugar, spices, and water. You can create countless number of combinations for your pickles to use on sandwiches, as a relish, or eaten as side dish.
Growing Instructions
Instructions - When growing plants on a trellis, space seed 6-8" apart and thin plants as necessary; train plants to climb the trellis with an initial guidance. Alternatively, make 12" hills at least 6' apart. Plant 6-8 cucumber seeds per hill 1" deep. After germination, thin to 3-4 plants per hill. Can also be started indoors 2-4 weeks before last frost. Cucumbers benefit from steady moisture.
- Direct Seed: 1" Deep
- Seeds to Hill: 6-8 Seeds
- Thin: To 3-4 Plants
- Light: Full Sun
Ratings & Reviews
8 reviews
Tolerates Partial Shade
by Kelsey
We plant these seeds every year. They're productive in full or partial sun from our experience (since a move, the garden sees approximately 6ish hours of sunlight and the cucs still thrive). Cannot love this variety more!
Poor results.
by Rory
We were disappointed with the results of this variety. We've grown cucumbers every year, but tried these for the first time and they all died of blight right as they were bearing. We got a few jars of pickles but essentially missed a whole year's harvest.
Awesome Cukes!
by PAUL
I have had a lot of success with this variety. Tasty and consistent! I've been growing them for about 5 years now and primarily use them for pickles. I just did a germination test for seeds collected last year and so far, 8 of 10 sprouted. My wife likes them straight off of the vine.
Good reliable all season long cucumber
by Irina
Great tasting cucumber, never bitter. Healthy plants producing plenty of cucs, a fortune, but only it is Not Early :) started producing after my other heirlooms. But lasted longer producing till first frost together with my Himalayan.
"Early Fortune" is a great name!
by Ellen in So Cal
As a first-time gardener, I planted 9 cucumber seeds, but 3-4 would have been enough. They all sprouted and rapidly took over my garden trellises. Soon they produced so many cucumbers that I had to give them away to friends and neighbors. Everyone loved them! Over the summer I harvested 50 HUGE cucumbers before the plants turned yellow one by one and I had to take them out. I was sad because the vines would have produced a lot more had they stayed healthy.
This is a good cucumber!
by Donna
This is a good cuke. Try it and see if you don't agree! Yummy, easy to grow, likes to climb string or a pea fence. I grow this every year now.
Great cuke!!
by DiDi McD
This is my go-to cucumber now. Have been growing it for about 10 years in Colorado and grew it one year in NC. Great in both climates. Prolific all season, never bitter.
Great flavor, easy to peel, addicted to them
by DONNA
The skin is soft and easy to peel. The flavor is excellent, the best I've ever tasted. This is my second year growing them.