The first time I saw these little cucumber cups I thought they were such a clever idea to hold just about any small bite - shrimp salad, chicken salad, cheese spread - of course, it's an idea I stole,er, borrowed from someone on the internet.
I did find some hints along the way I thought I'd share. I like to use the English cucumbers because the skin is usually not bitter and there's no waxy coating. I cut the cucumbers into 2" - 2 1/2" lengths and then cut each piece diagonally to give them some interesting shape. I used a small melon baller to remove the seeds, being careful to not break through the bottom. Then I salted them fairly heavily and allowed them to sit to draw out some of the moisture. When they had watered sufficiently I gave them a good rinse and placed them upside down on a flour sack covered sheet pan & covered with another to absorb any more water. I like to use the flour sack towels for tasks such as this because they're cheaper than a bunch of paper towels, they are always available in my kitchen drawer and all I have to do is toss 'em in the washer with a bit of bleach to keep 'em fresh. I think these got filled with some chunky fresh summer salsa (when I had the surplus of homegrown tomatoes).
I did find some hints along the way I thought I'd share. I like to use the English cucumbers because the skin is usually not bitter and there's no waxy coating. I cut the cucumbers into 2" - 2 1/2" lengths and then cut each piece diagonally to give them some interesting shape. I used a small melon baller to remove the seeds, being careful to not break through the bottom. Then I salted them fairly heavily and allowed them to sit to draw out some of the moisture. When they had watered sufficiently I gave them a good rinse and placed them upside down on a flour sack covered sheet pan & covered with another to absorb any more water. I like to use the flour sack towels for tasks such as this because they're cheaper than a bunch of paper towels, they are always available in my kitchen drawer and all I have to do is toss 'em in the washer with a bit of bleach to keep 'em fresh. I think these got filled with some chunky fresh summer salsa (when I had the surplus of homegrown tomatoes).