The cucumber is a member of the same family as gourds, melons, and squash. Although the cucumber is botanically a fruit, it is more commonly thought of and used as a vegetable.
It is usually oblong and 1 to 8 inches long. It has glossy, dark-green skin and tapering ends. Its interior is generally pale green to white, with rows of tender, edible seeds down the center.
Cucumbers are largely water. They are moist but crisp, and their flavor is sweet and mild.
Varieties
Cucumbers grow in a variety of shapes and sizes, from tiny gherkins to greenhouse types that are up to 20 inches long. All have a similar flavor.
Those grown primarily for eating fresh are called slicing varieties and include both field-grown and greenhouse cucumbers.
The greenhouse varieties, sometimes called English cucumbers, tend to be longer and narrower, milder, and seedless. One type of English cucumber is sometimes referred to as “burpless.”
Other varieties are cultivated for pickling. These are usually smaller than slicing cucumbers and have bumpy, lighter-colored skins. The smallest is the gherkin, which is only 1 or 2 inches long. One of the pickling varieties, the Kirby, is often sold fresh and is enjoyed for its thin skin, crispness, and very small seeds.
Origin and botanical facts
The cucumber is believed to have originated in wild form in the mountains of northern India, where a similar wild species still grows. It was also in India that the cucumber was first cultivated, about 3,000 years ago. From there it was brought to Greece and then to Western Europe.
Columbus transported the cucumber to the Americas, where it eventually was cultivated by American Indians and European colonists in eastern North America and as far north as Canada.
Today, the leading producers of cucumbers in the United States are Florida, North Carolina, Texas, Georgia, and South Carolina.
Cucumbers require warm temperatures and should not be planted until all danger of frost has passed. Distinct male and female flowers develop on one cucumber plant, and pollen is carried by insects; 10 to 20 bee visits per flower per day are required to produce long, straight fruit.
In contrast, greenhouse cucumbers are not pollinated, so they form without seeds. Both field and greenhouse types are picked as soon as they are of edible size so that the plants will continue to produce flowers and fruit.
Uses
Whole cucumbers can be refrigerated in a crisper up to 1 week, tightly wrapped in plastic.
With its high water content, the cucumber is especially refreshing in warm weather, chilled and eaten fresh, pickled and eaten alone, or added to green salads or sandwiches.
In the Mediterranean region, cucumber often is grated into yogurt, to which spices and raisins or nuts are added to make a cooling condiment for spicy dishes.
Nutrient composition
Cucumbers are composed mostly of water and contain only small amounts of nutrients
