Cucumber
Cucumbers are closely related to pumpkins, zucchini, watermelon and other squashes. The flesh of cucumbers is mainly composed of water, but it also contains some Vitamin C.
Cucumbers are usually eaten as a vegetable, mostly raw in salads, but there are also some recipes in which cucumbers are cooked. Cucumbers are also used in skin care; slices of cucumber are used to treat dark circles under the eyes; the sliced cucumbers lighten and cool the skin.
This page provides some basic information about cucumber together with some photos, some proverbs, and some cucumber recipes.
Basic information on cucumber
| Scientific name: | Cucumis sativus L. |
| Family: | Cucurbitaceae |
| Order: | Cucurbitales |
| English: | Cucumber Cuke |
| French: | Concombre |
| Dutch: | Komkommer |
| German: | Gurke |
| Spanish: | Pepino Cohombro |
| Italian: | Cetriolo |
| Other names: | Young cucumbers (3-8 cm long) that are pickled in vinegar are called gherkins. The French name for gherkin is Cornichon. |
| Origin: | Cucumber originates in India |
| Distribution: | From Western Asia it has spread first to Europe and later to Americas. |
| Annual, biennial, or perennial: | |
| Flowers: | |
| Leaves: | Large leaves that usually form a sheltering roof over the fruits. |
| Fruits: | Cucumbers have cylindrical green fruits with a thin green rind. The fruits are elongated, with tapered ends. The flesh is white or very light green and contains many soft seeds. |
| Climate and weather: | |
| Pollination: | Pollination by bees. But some cucumber varieties are parthenocarpic and produce seedless fruits without pollination. |
| Height: | The cucumber is a creeping vine. If not supported in spreads out over the ground. It grows up on supporting frames or over other plants. |
| Blooming period | |
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| Insect pests: | Aphids, cucumber beetles, red pumpkin beetle. |
| Diseases: | Bacterial wilt. |
| Fruit development: | Cucumber fruits grow very fast. |
| Harvesting: | Cucumbers are picked by hand. They can be harvested at any stage during their development, but preferably when immature (before the seeds become hard). Cucumbers used for pickles are harvested before they are 5 cm long. Cucumbers for slicing are usually 15 to 20 cm long, but some cultivars are longer. Pick them before they turn yellow; the best quality is when the skin is uniformly green. |
| Uses: | Cucumbers are usually eaten fresh (in salads) but sometimes cooked. Small cucumbers are pickled in vinegar (gherkins). Cucumbers are sometimes used in skin care. |
Cucumber photos
Proverbs
- As cool as a cucumber. (Meaning: calm, unruffled)
- To sell cucumbers to the gardener. (Meaning: a useless act)
Quotes
No cucumber quotes yet. Who can help?
Did you know that?
- The sea cucumber is not a vegetable but an animal that lives in the sea. It has a cucumber-like shape.
Recipes
No cucumber recipe yet :(