Cucumbers
Recipes Preserving Nutritional Information
Recipes Preserving Nutritional Information
Our customers greatly anticipate the start of cucumber season here at Carter's. Fresh cucumbers straight from the garden... no more waxy, shriveled, small things from the grocery store! We grow both "burpless" as well as "regular" cucumbers and start bringing them in to sell right about mid June until about mid to late September. Wonderful any way you slice 'em, try some today!
The cucumber is believed native to India, and evidence indicates that it has been cultivated in western Asia for 3,000 years. From India it spread to Greece and Italy, where the Romans were especially fond of the crop, and later into China. It was probably introduced into other parts of Europe by the Romans, and records of cucumber cultivation appear in France in the 9th century, England in the 14th century, and in North America by the mid-16th century.
Cucumbers are a good source of Vitamin C, Vitamin A, and also contain calcium and potassium. They are about 95% water.
The green color indicates it is a great source of chlorophyll which is a valuable phytonutrient.
Pickles are made from cucumbers. According to the pickle industry over 5 million pounds of pickles are consumed daily.
Store cucumbers in plastic to protect them and maintain their natural moisture. Store in a refrigerator crisper or in a cool environment at about 45 degrees F.
Cucumbers should be used within 4 or 5 days of purchase.
Bitterness in cucumbers can be caused by any stress on the plant such as high temperature, low moisture, low soil nutrients, etc. Bitterness is also associated with fruit harvested late in the season from poor yielding, unhealthy plants. If you have bitter cucumbers, cut off the stem ends and peel them. Most of the bitterness is in the stem end and the peel and just below it.
Or...If you cut the end off one and find that it is bitter, rub the cut-off tip against the end of the cucumber, and it will kind of foam or bubble a little as some stuff oozes out, and that's the bitterness. That's what I was told, and I have only come across one bitter cucumber since, but it seemed to help.
The inside of a cucumber can actually be up to 20 degrees F cooler than the outside temperature.
USES & PREPARATION - Wash; removing seeds and peeling depends on the variety and is optional. To seed, slice in half lengthwise and scrape out with the tip of a teaspoon.
Add a decorative touch to your veggie platter. Run tines of a fork down the entire length of the cucumber, penetrating the peel. Slice crosswise.
Add sliced cucumbers to tossed salads.
Shred cucumbers and mix with dill and low fat or fat free sour cream for a tasty dip or accompaniment to a salmon entree.
Use cucumbers as an edible garnish to your main dishes.
Serve cucumbers on your veggie platters at your next gathering.
Try cucumber gazpacho with diced cucumbers, bell peppers, scallions, garlic, and tomato juice, stir, chill and serve!
Cucumbers are a good source of Vitamin C, Vitamin A, and also contain calcium and potassium. They are about 95% water.
The green color indicates it is a great source of chlorophyll which is a valuable phytonutrient.
Pickles are made from cucumbers. According to the pickle industry over 5 million pounds of pickles are consumed daily.
Store cucumbers in plastic to protect them and maintain their natural moisture. Store in a refrigerator crisper or in a cool environment at about 45 degrees F.
Cucumbers should be used within 4 or 5 days of purchase.
Bitterness in cucumbers can be caused by any stress on the plant such as high temperature, low moisture, low soil nutrients, etc. Bitterness is also associated with fruit harvested late in the season from poor yielding, unhealthy plants. If you have bitter cucumbers, cut off the stem ends and peel them. Most of the bitterness is in the stem end and the peel and just below it.
Or...If you cut the end off one and find that it is bitter, rub the cut-off tip against the end of the cucumber, and it will kind of foam or bubble a little as some stuff oozes out, and that's the bitterness. That's what I was told, and I have only come across one bitter cucumber since, but it seemed to help.
The inside of a cucumber can actually be up to 20 degrees F cooler than the outside temperature.
USES & PREPARATION - Wash; removing seeds and peeling depends on the variety and is optional. To seed, slice in half lengthwise and scrape out with the tip of a teaspoon.
Add a decorative touch to your veggie platter. Run tines of a fork down the entire length of the cucumber, penetrating the peel. Slice crosswise.
Add sliced cucumbers to tossed salads.
Shred cucumbers and mix with dill and low fat or fat free sour cream for a tasty dip or accompaniment to a salmon entree.
Use cucumbers as an edible garnish to your main dishes.
Serve cucumbers on your veggie platters at your next gathering.
Try cucumber gazpacho with diced cucumbers, bell peppers, scallions, garlic, and tomato juice, stir, chill and serve!
