John Myers
The cucumber, also known as the cucumber, belongs to the gourd family. The plant is annual, decumbent, and grows climbing one to 4 meters long. The plant is bristly-hairy, the leaves are stalked and also hairy. Green, long and slender, that’s how cucumbers present themselves on the market. The flesh is light green, the white seeds are barely perceptible. If the skin turns yellow, the ends become soft, the cucumber has wrinkles or bruises, this is a sign of perishability.
Origin
There is no consensus about the origin of the cucumber. Some say it came from the Himalayas, others believe it came from Africa, while others claim it came to the Mediterranean via Egypt. But today the cucumber is grown all over the world.
Season
The cucumber is mostly grown in greenhouses and is available in supermarkets all year round. In the winter months, it comes from southern Europe and then from central European countries.
Taste
The taste of the cucumber is mild and refreshing.
Use
The cucumber can be eaten unpeeled and peeled. For certain types of preparation, it is better to remove the seeds to avoid watering down the dishes. Halve the cucumber lengthways and scrape out the seeds with a spoon. For salads or to prepare a cold cucumber soup like the Bulgarian tarator, slice or dice the cucumber. For soups or quark dishes, use a kitchen grater to grate the cucumber into very fine slices or pieces. Mix our Munich Mule using the vegetable peeler. Since the cucumber softens very quickly, it is not very suitable for cooking.
Storage
Cucumbers will keep in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator for up to a week.
