The dark green fruit of the cucumber is elongated and cylindrical with rounded ends and slightly bumpy skin. There are both straight and curved cultivars. Some grow over a foot long and some are very short such as pickling cucumbers.
Cucumber fruits develop in the leaf axils (where the leaves join the stem).
cucumber = cuke:These gourd relatives are crisp, cool, and juicy, but get only so-so marks for flavor and nutritional content. A slicing cucumber = table cucumber is usually served raw in salads, sandwiches, drinks, sushi, and hors d'oeuvres to add crunch, but they can also be cooked like zucchini. Pickling cucumbers are usually smaller than slicing cucumbers, and often have thick, warty skins. They're hard to find in supermarkets, but you can often find them during the summer months in farmers' markets.
Select firm, unblemished cucumbers that are rounded at the tips and heavy for their size. Reject those with soft spots or withered ends. Within each variety, try to pick cucumbers that are relatively small and slender--they'll often have better flavor and fewer seeds.
Supermarket cucumbers are often waxed to seal in moisture; unwaxed cucumbers can be sealed by wrapping them tightly in plastic wrap. Store cucumbers unwashed in the refrigerator crisper, where the higher humidity will help keep them crisp. Don't freeze cucumbers--they get mushy if they're too cold. Use them within a week or so of purchase.
Many cooks remove the tips, peels and seeds, which are tough and bitter in some varieties. To seed a cucumber, cut it lengthwise and scrape the seeds out with a spoon or knife.
Varieties:
Best for slicing: garden cucumber, English cucumber, Armenian cucumber, lemon cucumber
Best for pickling: gherkin, cornichon, Kirby cucumber, lemon cucumber
Equivalents: One pound yields about 2 cups sliced.
Substitutes: zucchini OR beets
Complements: dill OR mint OR vinegar OR yogurt OR salt OR sugar OR fish OR cream OR celery seed OR tarragon
Varieties:
American dill Substitutes: gherkin (smaller) OR cornichon (smaller)
Armenian cucumber = snake melon = snake cucumber = uri This is hard to find, but one of the best-regarded slicing cucumbers. It's crisp, thin-skinned, and mild-flavored, and it has soft seeds. Like the English cucumber, it doesn't need to be peeled or seeded. It's not good for pickling. Substitutes: English cucumber
Cornichon:This is a small pickling cucumber. Substitutes: gherkin,cuke
English cucumber = burpless cucumber = English cucumber = European cucumber = hothouse cucumber = seedless cucumber = gourmet cucumber = greenhouse cucumber This foot-long slicing cucumber is pricier and less flavorful than other varieties, but it has less conspicuous seeds, a thinner skin, and a plastic wrapper--instead of a wax coating--to improve shelf life. All of this saves preparation time, since there's no need to peel or seed the cucumber before slicing it. This is a good variety if you focused on looks--you can cut it into round, green trimmed slices. Substitutes: garden cucumber, peeled and seeded
gherkin:These are very small pickling cucumbers. Substitutes: cornichon OR American dill (larger)
Kirby cucumber:This short, versatile cucumber is used for both slicing and pickling. It's small, with bumpy yellow or green skin. Like the English cucumber, it has a thin skin and inconspicuous seeds. Substitutes: burpless cucumber (much larger)
lemon cucumber:This versatile cucumber is sweet and flavorful, and doesn't have much of the chemical that makes other cucumbers bitter and hard to digest. Though it's often served raw, it's also a good pickling cucumber. Substitutes: green cucumber (not as delicately flavored)
garden cucumber = market cucumber = common cucumber = regular cucumber = outdoor cucumber = field-grown cucumbers You can find these throughout the year at all but the most poorly stocked markets. The ones you find in supermarkets are usually waxed to hold in moisture and improve shelf-life--these should be peeled or at least scrubbed well before serving. Unwaxed cucumbers don't need to be peeled, but better cooks often do so since the peels tend to be thick and bitter. It's also a good idea to remove the seeds from these kinds of cucumbers; just cut them in half lengthwise and scrape them out. Select cukes that are firm, dark green, and rounded at the tips. Substitutes: English cucumber (Less flavorful, but doesn't need to be peeled or seeded.) OR Armenian cucumber OR lemon cucumber
Along with squash, melons, and pumpkins, cucumbers are part of the Cucurbitaceae family and collectively with these crops belong to the group of vegetables known as cucurbits or vine crops. The family (also known as the gourd family) consists of about 96 genera, but only three are of commercial importance in the U.S. These include Cucumis (cucumber and muskmelon), Citrullis (watermelon), and Cucurbita (pumpkin and squash).
Cucurbits are generally annuals that are extremely intolerant of cold weather. They are grown mainly for their fruits, which are derived from a single ovary containing many ovules or seeds. In some parts of the world, flowers and leaves of some species are also used for food. Among vegetable crops, the cucurbits are somewhat different, along with sweet corn, in that they bear different kinds of flowers on the same plant. Insects serve as the main pollen carriers.
The cucumber is classified Cucumis sativus. The genus comprises about forty species, including muskmelons, honeydews, and cantaloupes.
The cucumber is the edible fruit of the cucumber plant Cucumis sativus, which belongs to the gourd family Cucurbitaceae, as do melons and squash. The plant has been cultivated for 3000 years and is widely cultivated today. The cucumber plant has large leaves that form a canopy over the fruit. The vine is grown on the ground or on trellises, often in greenhouses.
The fruit, which is a vegetable in the culinary sense, is commonly harvested while still green and is eaten raw or cooked or is made into pickles. Cucumbers have only small amounts of nutrients. Pickles are more nutritious than fresh cucumbers because of the ingredients, especially dill, added during pickling.
CucumbersCucumbers are usually green-skinned, roughly cylindrical, elongated, with tapered ends, and may be as large as 30 cm long and 5 cm in diameter. Cucumbers grown to be eaten fresh (called slicers) and those intended for pickling (called picklers) are similar. Slicers grown commercially for the North American market are generally longer, smoother, more uniform in color, and have a tougher skin. Slicers in other countries are smaller and have a thinner, more delicate skin. Picklers are generally shorter and thicker.
A few varieties of cucumber are parthenocarpic, the blossoms creating seedless fruit without pollination. Pollination for these varieties degrades the quality. In the US, these are usually grown in greenhouses, where bees are excluded. In Europe, they are grown outdoors in some regions, and bees are excluded from these areas. Most cuke varieties however, are seeded and require pollination. Thousands of hives of bees are annually carried to cucumber fields just before bloom for the purpose. Symptoms of inadequate pollination include fruit abortion and misshapen fruit.
Traditional varieties produce male blossoms first, then female, in about equivalent numbers. New gynoecious hybrid cultivars produce almost all female blossoms. However, since these varieties do not provide pollen, they must have interplanted a pollenizer variety and the number of beehives per unit area is increased. Insecticide applications for insect pests must be done very carefully to avoid killing off the insect pollinators.
Several varieties of Cucumis melo, which are technically melons, are commonly called--and grown and used as--"cucumbers", notably the so-called Armenian types.
A Brief History of Cucumbers:
From Producing Vegetable Crops by Swiader et al; and A History of Horticulture in America to 1860 by U.P. Hedrick.
The cucumber is believed native to India, and evidence indicates that it has been cultivated in western Asia for 3,000 years. From India it spread to Greece and Italy, where the Romans were especially fond of the crop, and later into China. It was probably introduced into other parts of Europe by the Romans, and records of cucumber cultivation appear in France in the 9th century, England in the 14th century, and in North America by the mid-16th century.
The Spaniards brought cucumbers to Haiti in 1494. In 1535 Cartier found "very great cucumbers" grown on the site of what is now Montreal. DeSoto, in 1509, saw cucumbers in Florida "better than in Spain." Captains Amidas and Barlow found cucumbers in Native American gardens in Virginia in 1584. They were also being grown by the Iriquois when the first Europeans visited them.
"DeSoto history freak," that corrects this paragraph: DeSoto could not have seen cucumbers in 1509 in Florida as he did not come to florida until 1539. I suspect this is a typo. Furthermore, I suspect that quote is referring to squash or gourds, rather than cucumbers. Although a garrison of his troops did grow a garden which likely did contain cucumbers.
Throughout the 1500s, European trappers, traders, buffalo hunters, and explorers bartered for the products of Native American agriculture. The tribes of the Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains learned from the Spaniards how to grow European vegetables. The best farmers on the Great Plain were the Mandans in what is now the Dakotas. When the Europeans came to Mandan villages, the tribe were growing some dozen or more varieties of corn, at least six kinds of beans, and an amazing number of pumpkins, squashes, and gourds. To these they quickly added cucumbers and watermelons obtained from the Spaniards.
Colonial New England was famous for its love of gardens of all types, and for its superior gardening techniques learned from the Dutch. John Winthrop, the first governor of Massachussetts Bay Colony, planted a garden on Conant's Island in Boston Harbor that was long known as "The Governor's Garden." There is a glowing description published in London in 1630 by the Reverend Francis Higginson in his book New-England's Plantation:
The countrie aboundeth naturally with store of roots of great varietie and good to eat. Our turnips, parsnips, and carrots are here both bigger and sweeter than is ordinary to be found in England. Here are store of pompions, cowcumbers, and other things of that nature which I knw not...
William Wood came to New England in 1629, and, returning to England in 1633, published in the next year's New Englands Prospect, in which he describes the flora, fauna, and agriculture of the new country:
The ground affoards very good kitchin gardens, for Turneps, Parsnips, Carrots, Radishes, and Pompions, Muskmillons, Isquoter-squashes, coucumbars, Onyons, and whatever grows well in England grows as well there, many things being better and larger.
In the later 1600s, a widespread prejudice developed against fresh fruits and salads, or any product of the orchard or garden that had not been cooked. Newspapres, magazines, and books contained articles by writers on health claiming that these esculents uncooked brought on a whole train of summer diseases and should, in particular, be forbidden to children. Even when soon afterwards, diet reform swept over the colonies and "simple, natural, plain foods" were recommended (as well as eating less meat), the cucumber had difficulty shedding its bad reputation: "Fit only for consumption by cows," by which came the name cowcumber. Samuel Pepys wrote in his diary on 22 September 1663: "This day Sir W. Batten tells me that Mr. Newhouse is dead of eating cowcumbers, of which the other day I heard of another, I think."
Though cucumbers were brought early from the Old World, grown in many a garden, and are mentioned in several eighteenth-century advertisements, nothing is found to be said about varieties until 1806, when M'Mahon, in his Gardener's Calendar, named eight, all from the Old World. Modern cucumbers gradually evolved from these and other European varieties without planned hybridization, or much selection, until 1872, when Tailby's hybrid was exhibited. After that, especially from 1880 to the present, much interest has been shown in breeding this vegetable. Most of the kinds now grown by gardeners and truckers have originated since 1900. Modern cucumbers are little like those listed by M'Mahon in 1806.
Cucumbers Nutritional Analysis:
Nutritional Analysis for 1 medium cucumber:
Calories
39
% Calories from Fat
7.8
Total Fat (g)
0.4
% Calories from Carbohydrates
73.8
Saturated Fat (g)
0.1
% Calories from Protein
18.5
Monounsaturated Fat (g)
0.0
% Refuse
3.0
Polyunsaturated Fat (g)
0.2
Vitamin C (mg)
16
Cholesterol (mg)
0
Vitamin A (i.u.)
647
Carbohydrate (g)
8.3
Vitamin B6 (mg)
0.13
Dietary Fiber (g)
2.4
Vitamin B12 (mcg)
0
Protein (g)
2.1
Thiamin B1 (mg)
0.07
Sodium (mg)
6
Riboflavin B2 (mg)
0.07
Potassium (mg)
433
Folacin (mcg)
39.1
Calcium (mg)
42
Niacin (mg)
0.7
Iron (mg)
0.8
Caffeine (mg)
0.0
Zinc (mg)
0.6
Alcohol (g)
0.0
Daily Values:
Daily Values:
% Daily Value (2000 Cal diet)
% Daily Value (2500 Cal diet)
Total Fat (g): 0.4
1%
0%
Saturated Fat (g): 0.1
0%
0%
Cholesterol (mg): 0
0%
0%
Sodium (mg): 6
0%
0%
Carbohydrate (g): 8.3
3%
2%
Dietary Fiber (g): 2.4
10%
8%
Protein (g): 2.1
4%
3%
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: Is a cucumber a fruit or a vegetable?
A: It is technically a fruit. From a botanical perspective, a fruit is the mature ovary of a plant, such as an apple, melon, cucumber, or tomato. From the common, every day "grocery store perspective," we tend to use the word fruit with respect to fruits eaten fresh as desserts - apples, peaches, cherries, etc. - and not to items cooked or used in salads. So, cucumbers tend to be lumped in with vegetables because of the way they are used (cooked and in salads), but botanists will call them fruits because they develop from the reproductive structures of plants. From the Cornell Department of Horticulture.
Q: I'm looking for a recipe for a) my Great-Aunt Bertha's Cucumber sandwich, b) this fabulous cucumber soup I had in Chicago, c) an old recipe for cucumber salad I cut out of a magazine years ago but seem to have misplaced, d) some other recipe that is not on your page. Could you please send it to me?
A: All the recipes I have are posted. I'm not holding anything back, so I can't send anything to you. If you don't see what you're looking for, you can try posting to the newsgroup rec.food.recipes, or, for pickles, try rec.food.preserving.
There are as many recipes for cucumber salads and cucumber sandwiches as there are Great-Aunt Berthas who make them. They are not difficult, are very forgiving, and if you come up with something gross, cucumbers and vinegar are cheap so you can try again. You should experiment yourself to figure out what suits your taste or memory.
Cucumber Salads: Most cucumber salads have cucumbers in vinegar. You can add water to cut the acidity. Sugar and salt are common too, add to taste. Any herbs and seasonings you like can be added, including dill, basil, oregano, garlic, cilantro, rosemary, pepper, chives, chili powder, curry powder, worchestershire sauce, tabasco sauce, plum sauce, fish sauce, etc etc according to your taste. Just experiment to see what you like. Other vegetables such as tomatoes, onions, peppers, shallots, green onions, and jicama are also common additions. For a twist, try adding fruits such as watermelon, apple, orange, mango, or papaya. If you want your salad to be creamy, add yogurt, sour cream, or mayonnaise. Just mix to taste, but don't leave it in the fridge too long after adding the creamy ingredient.
Cucumber Sandwiches: The traditional English cucumber tea-sandwiches consist of sliced cucumber on white bread spread with butter, with the crusts cut off. Many variations substitute cream cheese for butter, try whichever one you like better. You can also add any herbs you like, try mixing them into the cream cheese. You can also add thin slices of smoked salmon, pickles, sandwich meat, or anything else your heart desires.
Q: Can I freeze cucumbers or cucumber salad?
A: I've heard back from some people who tried this, all with terrible results. The cucumbers turn limp and mushy, and dewater quite a bit. They should be enjoyed fresh.
Q: My grandmother used to cut the ends off the cucumber and rub them together to draw out the bitter juices. What's up with this?
A: It is an old wives' tale. Really. Try it with 100 cucumbers and not on another 100 if you don't believe me. Some cucumbers can be bitter, especially at the ends, and you might want to cut off the ends because of this. In particular, cut off the blossom end of fresh cucumbers, as the blossoms contain enzymes that are bitter and others that cause excessive softening of pickles.
You can draw out the bitterness in the rest of the cucumber by slicing, salting, and draining it before adding to a salad. This works on the principle of osmosis. The principle of bitterness spontaneously leaving the cucumber because you rubbed the end... well, it does no harm, so do it if you want.
Q: I read that putting cucumber slices on your eyes/using cucumber puree on your skin is a good facial. Why?
A:Cucumbers are common ingredients in a lot of facial creams, masks, cleansers, etc. Cucumbers have a long folk-medicine history of being used as an astringent, or something that tightens your pores. Astringents are good at soothing sunburns and acne and reducing the appearance of pores and oily skin. In addition, cucumbers are usually cold from the refrigerator, and so help to reduce swelling (like a cold compress) and are conveniently the perfect size to put over your eyes. You can find some recipes for cucumber masques here and here. Most preparations use cucumber in combination with another astringent like lemon juice or rose water, but you can just use cucumber puree on its own.
Q: I'm looking for cucumber extract to use in my facial lotion. Where can I find some?
A: I did a search for "cucumber essential oil" on Google, and here is a selection of web-based companies selling it: cucumber essential oil.
Q: Where can I buy cucumber seeds?
A: Again, try doing a web search for cucumber seeds.
Q: My cucumber plant is droopy/yellow/bitter/unhappy. What do I do?
A: I have no idea, since I don't grow cucumbers, I just eat them. My suggestion is to visit your local library and check out a book on home gardening, or try calling your local Cooperative Extension.
Q: I am doing a report about cucumbers and I want you to do my research for me. Please send me all your information and pictures, because my report is due tomorrow.
A: No. All the information I have is posted, and the reference books I used are fully cited, so you can go get them from your library. Might I suggest also to beware of the Web while doing research in general. Anyone can post anything, whether it is true or false, and you have no way to tell the difference. Your local library has encyclopedias, gardening books, and history books that will suit you much better. Also your librarian can almost certainly help you find other sources of information as well.
Q: What is the world's record for largest cucumber?
A: 59 lbs, in 1988 in Australia. Sorry to everyone who were saving their 5-lb backyard cucumbers, you'll just have to find a way to eat it all!
Cucumber Fashions:
Cucumber Eye Refreshers:
At the end of a trying day, pamper yourself with the cooling, soothing pads cleverly disguised as nature¡¯s remedy. Each is pre-moistened with pure cucumber juice, and other rejuvenating extracts including chamomile, aloe vera and green tea. As eyes cool, puffiness and dark circles are reduced. Refrigerate for added pleasure.
Scientific References:
1.Cucumber...
Claims & Warning:
Claims: Information this web site presented is meant for Nutritional Benefit and as an educational starting point only, for use in maintenance and promotion good health in cooperation with a common knowledge base reference...Furthermore,it based solely on the traditional and historic use or legend of a given herb from the garden of Adonis. Although every effort has been made to ensure its accurate, please note that some info may be outdated by more recent scientific developments......
Pharmakon Warning: The order of knowledge is not the transparent order of forms and ideas,as one might be tempted retrospectively to interpret it; it is the antidote....(Dissemination,Plato's Pharmacy,II.The Ingredients:Phantasms,Festivals,and Paints;138cf. Jacques Derrida.).
And as it happens,the technique of imitation,along with the production of the simulacrum,has always been in Plato's eyes manifestly magical,thaumaturgical:......and the same things appear bent and straight to those who view them in water and out,or concave and convex,owing to similar errors of vision about colors, and there is obviously every confusion of this sort in our souls.And so scene painting (skiagraphia) in its exploitation of this weakness of four nature falls nothing short of witchcraft (thaumatopoia), and so do jugglery and many other such contrivances.(Republic X,602c-d;cf.also 607c).
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MDidea Extracts Professional
Proper Special Extract Series:
Enjoy Daily Cartoons:
Serie No.:P032.Basic Data Sheet Download
.
seminal trace...Cucumber extract.Fresh cucumber extract.CAS.NO.089998-01-6.Popular Cucumber Extract.Cucumis sativus extract.strong moisturizing.anti-inflammatory.skin tightening.soothing effect....
Basic Botanical Info of Cucumber...
Varieties:
Scientific References:
Claims & Warning:
