Yep! When I  saw these heart and star shaped cucumbers I reacted the very same that you just did, before you clicked on to read this article. My mind went straight to how on earth does one pull that off. I found out that this cool idea has its origins in Japan. Why am I not surprised? Well, just like magic exposing the trick is never as exciting as the first time you view the trick. It turns out that to grow these crazy shaped cucumbers you need some special tools.

Ok, are you ready? Here is the ‘big’ expose. These shaped cucumbers are grown using special plastic molds, that you have to purchase. The process is very simple, you use the provided pins to keep the mold together in your desired shape. Then you take a finger size baby cucumber and put it into the mold. The hooks and the net will hold the molds up. Now all you have to do is water the plant as you would normally do, and it will adopt the shape of the mold as it grows. When the cucumber fills 70-80% of the mold, it is time to release it and harvest! The salad you make from these cucumbers will have everyone asking you ‘how did you do that’? To which I would respond, if I told you I would have to kill you! 🙂

The two molds are available from the Japan Trend Shop, here…

Heart Shaped Cucumber Mold Set

Star Shaped Cucumber Mold Set

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