Attack of the Monster Cucumber!
 

I just went oout to check up on my garden a little while ago and I found a 12 inch long, big fat boston pickling cucumber. I swear it wasn't there a couple of days ago.

I am new to all of this gardening stuff so just about everything amazes me.

Has anyone else had this kind of experience where it seems like a veggie just seems to come out of nowhere?

And by the way, are pickling cucumbers good to eat without pickling them? I wasnt quite prepared to start pickling yet.

It has happened to me as well, and it was there a couple of days ago it was just hiding:D . And yes pickling cukes are good for fresh eating without being pickled

Squash and okra can grow really fast like that, too.

For eating fresh, I prefer pickling varieties to the slicers. I'd scoop the seeds out of that monster you just found if using it for salad. Otherwise, I try to pick them when they're five inches or under. The seeds are small then, too, and the pickling varieties usually have good crunch.