Summer Season Feature: Cucumbers

Hello Everyone!

Do you like to bite into a nice, refreshing, cool cucumber during the summer? They are a very versatile produce item that happens to be a fruit and not a vegetable. The cucumber comes from the Curcurbitaceae family, where different types of squash and melons also come from. Cucumbers are classified in three categories: slicing, pickling, and seedless. There are numerous types of cucumbers worldwide that fall under these three categories, and cucumbers can be prepared and consumed in a variety of ways depending on their type.

Cucumbers originated in India approximately 3000 years ago. Cucumbers originally grew in the wild until Indians learned how to domesticate and cultivate them. They were eventually introduced to the Greeks and Romans and the rest of Europe. They were later introduced to China, the Middle East, and other parts of Asia. Cucumbers were then introduced to the rest of the world through the Age of Discovery.

Cucumbers are a low calorie food item that is approximately 95% water. Most of the nutritional content resides in the peel and seeds. They contain some phytonutrients that have anti inflammatory and and anti cancer qualities. While cucumbers are known to be a decent source of fiber and Vitamin K, they also contain some potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, and Vitamin C.

Here are some of my favorite ways of consuming cucumbers:

• sliced and eaten with or without a dip/salad dressing
• cut, seeded, and cooked as an ingredient in creamy cucumber soup
• sliced as an ingredient in my house salad
• cut as an ingredient in my tomato and cucumber salad
• prepared as a pickle or relish
• sliced as an ingredient on a sub sandwich

What are some of your favorite ways of consuming cucumbers?