Despite being consumed as if it were a vegetable, in reality cucumber is a fruit that belongs to the same family as watermelon, melon and pumpkin. However, it clearly differs from these in that its flavor is not sweet. It is a cylindrical fruit.

The discovery of the cucumber took place 3000 years BC in the high mountains of the Himalayas, particularly in India, but it is currently consumed all over the World.

Its interior reveals a composition with high potential for the food and cosmetics industries. The first use of cucumber in the latter occurred via the pulp as a natural cosmetic to clean the skin.

Currently, its calming, healing and freshness properties have led to cucumber being considered a key ingredient in creams intended for the treatment of various skin problems, such as wrinkles, sunburn and dry skin. Furthermore, it is a great ally in reducing puffiness under the eyes.

How to consume:

Contrary to all other fruits, their harvest must be carried out when the state of maturation is still incomplete, a condition in which the skin is rigid and has an intense dark green hue and the seeds are small in size and have no hardening.

It is a sensitive fruit and, therefore, its storage must be carried out carefully, for a maximum period of 14 days.

Additionally, it must be done in the coolest place (10ºC to 12.5ºC) in the kitchen, since, when subjected to temperatures lower or higher than this range, deep stains begin to appear on the skin (temperatures lower than 10ºC). or with a change in its tone to yellow (temperatures above 12.5ºC). Cucumber is normally consumed in two different ways.

It can be consumed raw, in salads, for example.

In this case, it is normally cut into thin slices, with some keeping the skin completely or partially, and some peeling it. In addition to the aesthetic effect, maintaining the cucumber skin has important consequences for its digestibility.

Many people don't eat cucumber because they complain that it is quite indigestible. In this case, maintaining the shell can help solve the problem.

Since cucumber can (and should!) be consumed with its peel, it is important to ensure that it is washed properly, to avoid contamination with pollutants and/or pesticides.

One of the problems with cucumber is that it contains a lot of water, which can make salads too watery. To avoid this situation, you can leave them in salt water for a while (before cutting!).

This way the cucumber will lose some water, but will retain all of its nutritional potential. Cucumber is also widely used in cold soups, especially gazpacho, or in cold sauces, such as guacamole.

In recent times, cucumber has also gained great attention as an ingredient in juices or smoothies, and can also be used to prepare flavored water, for example.

You can also cut it into thin slices and use it as a sandwich filling, or break it into sticks and eat it as a snack. Finally, you can use raw cucumber (cut into small cubes) in spicier dishes, such as stews or curries.

The other main way of consuming cucumber is pickling.

In this case, it is customary to use a small variety, which is normally between 5 and 15cm, and has a rougher surface. Its hard texture, combined with its characteristic flavor make it an ingredient much appreciated by many people.

Potential benefits:

The nutritional composition of cucumber has some added value and therefore its consumption has been associated with several potential benefits... Being mostly made up of water (around 95% of its weight is water), cucumber contributes very significantly for the hydration of those who consume it.

Furthermore, it only contains around 15 calories per 100g, making it a food with a very low calorie potential.

Because of this, its consumption can contribute very significantly to a reduction in calories consumed, as it satiates and takes up volume in the stomach, which, in turn, can help reduce the intake of other foods with more calories.

Cucumber has several antioxidants in its composition. Among these, we highlight beta-carotene, several flavonoids, triterpenes and lignans.

In general, antioxidants will help cells to better deal with the possible aggressions to which they are subjected daily, reducing the risk of the appearance of various chronic diseases and certain types of cancer.

Finally, in addition to being a food very rich in water, cucumber also contains some fiber. These two characteristics are fundamental to ensuring adequate intestinal transit, so consuming cucumber can also help in this context.

In the case of pickled cucumber, this effect may be even more pronounced, as it may also have some probiotic effect, due to the conservation process. In other words, there are plenty of reasons to include cucumber in your diet…

Source: minuteaminute