Dorothy FarrarCucumbers
The cucumber , which belongs to the pumpkin family, is often used in salads, soups or other dishes. There are many different varieties, for example the peeling, salad, pickling, pickled, pickled and mustard gherkins. The shape is usually oblong, but there are also oval, round or pear-shaped cucumbers that can reach 7 to 60 cm in length.
Here’s what you should know about cucumber
Exactly how long cucumbers have been around is difficult to trace back as they have not always been clearly distinguished from melons and pumpkins. They probably originally came from India or Africa, but the Mediterranean region is the home of the cucumber plant as it is known today. It came to Europe in the Middle Ages.
Cucumbers grow in gardens and fields and are not found in the wild. In May, as soon as the danger of frost has passed in warm areas, the cucumbers are planted outdoors and grown in greenhouses in cooler areas. The rough stalk of the cucumber plant is supported by corkscrew tendrils. The leaves are also rough, almost prickly hairy and grow to over 30 cm in size.
During the summer, the cucumber plants reach a height of two to three meters. Small yellow flowers appear from June and small cucumber approaches can already be seen on the female ones. The male flowers of the cucumber sit on thin stalks. The fertilized flowers mature into cucumbers within about two weeks. The longer they hang, the bigger and thicker they get.
Cucumbers will later turn yellow, but they should be eaten when they are actually ripe, when they are green. Cucumbers are more than 95 percent water and the energy value is only about 10 kcal per 100 grams, making them a very low-calorie vegetable.
importance to health
The consumption of cucumbers has many positive effects on health, for example on the digestive organs, the urinary tract and metabolism . Cucumbers are also great for diabetes as they lower blood sugar levels and for menopausal symptoms .
Applied externally, cucumber juice helps with skin diseases of all kinds. It is simply applied, massaged in briefly and allowed to dry, for example for sunburn , pimples , lichen , ulcers and wounds that heal poorly. It is also very well known and widespread to use the cucumber slices as a mask to refresh the skin of the face.
In addition to the bitter shell, the valuable ingredients include sulphur, vitamins and mucilage, which smooth and tighten the skin. The cucumbers also have a detoxifying, dehydrating effect and help with kidney and heart disease . They are also beneficial for the intestines and the lungs . Cucumbers contain various vitamins which are mostly found in the peel and provide the body with valuable minerals such as iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus and zinc.
Overall, the cucumber is therefore not only a vegetable that is perfect for losing weight due to its high water and low calorie content, but it is also very healthy. Even a strong summer heat can be coped with much better if cucumbers are eaten every day.
Ingredients & nutritional values
With up to 97 percent, the cucumbers contain a lot of water, valuable bitter substances, but hardly any calories. They are also made up of around 3.5 percent carbohydrates, a very small amount of proteins and fats. B vitamins in particular are found in large quantities in cucumbers, as well as vitamins C and E. In terms of minerals, cucumbers are rich in calcium, potassium, zinc, iron, magnesium and phosphorus. However, in order to preserve the important vitamins and minerals, the cucumber should be eaten with the peel. The bitter substances are mainly found on the bases of the blossoms and stems.
intolerances
Some people get bloating , abdominal pain and, if things get really bad, even diarrhea when eating cucumbers, which is partly due to the seeds. Anyone who has a salicylate intolerance should also avoid it. In general, however, the cucumber is a well-tolerated vegetable.
Shopping and kitchen tips
With regard to the storage of the cucumber, it should be noted that it does not like it too cool and is sensitive to cold. A temperature of 8 to 15 degrees is ideal. Storage in the refrigerator is not well suited because the cucumbers only last three to four days at most. If the temperatures are too low, cold damage occurs, which manifests itself as mushy. Under ideal storage conditions, the cucumbers can be kept for two to three weeks. When purchasing, care should be taken to ensure an undamaged and taut shell that is rich in colour.
Cucumbers that can be bent are no longer as fresh. A cucumber that looks glassy has gotten too much cold. Due to the high water content, the vegetables are not suitable for freezing. Cucumbers should be washed thoroughly with warm water, but not peeled, since the peel contains the nutrients. Since salt removes these and also the liquid, it is advisable to use the spice last when preparing a salad.
preparation tips
Cucumbers are very popular because of their fresh taste. Because of their low calorie content, they are often used in diets in particular. Cucumbers can be served either fresh as a salad or in the steamed form as a cucumber vegetable. They can be optimally combined with other types of vegetables in terms of taste.
The cucumber and dill salad with yoghurt or the Greek preparation form tsatsiki are very popular. For the latter, finely chopped cucumbers are mixed together with garlic and Greek sheep yoghurt. Cucumbers can also be used to prepare soups or other vegetable dishes, such as stuffed cucumbers or risottos. They are also suitable as a small dip for in between meals. Even a juice can be made from the cucumbers.
Hello and welcome to my Health Guide & Encyclopedia! My name is Dorothy Farrar, and I'm the founder and main author of this platform.
My passion for health and wellness started at a young age when I became interested in the connection between the food we eat and the way we feel. This fascination led me to study nutrition and dietetics in college, where I learned about the importance of a balanced diet and the impact of various nutrients on the body.