Cucumber

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 is commonly harvested while still green, though generally after the fruits outgrow

their spines. They are eaten as a vegetable, either raw, cooked, or made into pickled cucumbers.

Although less nutritious than most fruit, the fresh cucumber is still a very good source of vitamin

C, vitamin K, and potassium, and also provides some dietary fiber, vitamin A, vitamin B6, thiamin,

folate, pantothenic acid, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper, and manganese. The pickling

process removes or degrades much of the nutrient content, especially that of vitamin C.

Cucumbers 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. Cucumbers may also be pollinated by flies.

Symptoms of inadequate pollination include fruit abortion and misshapen fruit. Partially

pollinated flowers may develop fruit which are green and develop normally near the stem end, but

pale yellow and withered at the blossom end.

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.

It is claimed that the seeds can cause some people to burp, though there are also references

to this being caused by bitterness of the skin. Burpless varieties are available.

Check out the following recipes that are tagged "Cucumber":
The Tuna Burger, Tuna Nicoise Topping, Tuna Patties, California Goat Cheese Crepes With Sweet Oni, Crab Delights In The Garden Sandwich, Seared Scallops With Cucumber-Pepper Relish, Salmon-Cucumber Rounds, Lomi Lomi Tuna, Andalusian Gazpacho, Apricot& Cucumber Soup, Avocado Gazpacho, Avocado Gazpacho Soup, Basic Cream Soup And Variations, Basic Red Gazpacho, Black Bean Gazpacho, Blender Gazpacho, Bloody Mary Party Soup, Bobbie's Gazpacho, Borscht Energy Soup, Cheeco Lodge(Florida Keys) White Gazpacho, Chilled Cream Of Cucumber And Celery Soup, Chilled Avocado Soup, Chilled Cucumber Soup(Weir), Chilled Tomato Soup(Awsome), Cold Buttermilk And Shrimp Soup, Cold Cucumber Soup, Lobster Gazapacho, Cucumber And Potato Soup, Cucumber Soup, Cucumber Soup With Lemongrass And Spinach, Cucumber Soup with Pistou, Cucumber Yogurt Soup With Fresh Mint, Cucumber-Cream Soup, Curried Cucumber And Tomato Soup, Tuna Danish, Garlic Gazpacho, Gazpacho, Gazpacho De Madrid, Gazpacho Ice with Cucumbers, Gazpacho, Gazpacho, Gazpacho Without The Tomatoes(Mf), Gazpacho De Los Angeles, Gazpacho(Salad Soup), Gazpacho Verde, Gazpacho(Cook), Trout With Almonds & Cucumber Batons, Hot Gazpacho, Iced Strawberry Soup, Iced Cucumber Soup