There are nearly 100 varieties of cucumbers grown in most countries in the world. Since cucumbers are generally used as a type of fresh or pickled vegetable in the culinary world, we will refer to them as such in this article.
What are different species of cucumbers?
Considered an annual plant, there are three main varieties of cucumber — slicing, pickling, and burpless/seedless — within which several cultivars have been created. The cucumber originates from South Asia, but now grows on most continents, as many different types of cucumber are traded on the global market.
What is the most common cucumber?
Garden cucumbers are the most common cucumbers in North America. They are relatively smooth-skinned and dark green. Cucumbers sold at grocery stores tend to be waxed to help them retain moisture. For this reason, you’ll want to peel these cucumbers.
What are the best cucumbers for eating?
The best-tasting cucumbers are those that are slicing cucumbers. English cucumbers don’t have the bitter chemical cucurbitacin that some cucumbers have. They also have higher natural sugar content, making them sweeter. The lack of seeds and thinner skin also English cucumbers more enjoyable to eat.
What are big cucumbers called?
Armenian cucumbers, also called snakemelon or snake cucumber, have very long, twisted fruit with dark green, thin skin and pale green stripes the length of the fruit – which turns yellow and aromatic as it ripens and has a mild flavor.
Which is the sweetest cucumber?
Striped Armenian is one of the sweetest cucumbers. It has small seeds and thin skin. Though it looks like a cucumber, it is actually a melon—a species of Cucumis.
What is a purple cucumber called?
This oval-shaped, smooth-skinned fruit is native to South America. Also known as Pepino Dulce, or sweet cucumber in Spanish, the Pepino turns from green to yellow as it ripens and develops striking purple stripes when mature. Pepino Melons have a pear-like texture and a mellow cantaloupe-cucumber flavor.
Which type of cucumber is best for salads?
Long English Cucumber
Long English Cucumbers have a good crunch with thin, delicate skin that’s easy to digest. The best part: you don’t even need to peel them—just slice ’em up and eat them as the perfect quick snack. This type of Cucumber is great in salads as well as a ton of other things, too!
Which cucumbers are not bitter?
Grow Bitterless Cucumbers
These will be labeled as bitter-free or burpless and includes these cultivars: Carmen, County Fair, Diva, Garden Sweet, Green Knight, Marketmore 76, Sweet Slice, Slice More, Sweet Success, Sweeter Yet, and Tasty Green. Step two is to grow them so they form less bitter compounds in the fruit.
Which cucumber is best for weight loss?
A cup of sliced cucumber has only 14 calories, which makes up for less than 1 per cent of the daily calories allowed on a weight loss diet. A medium-sized cucumber has only 24 calories, which makes it a very low-density food.
How should you store cucumbers?
Wrap individual whole cucumbers in a paper towel to soak up the water the cucumber releases and prevent them from getting mushy. 3. Place the cucumbers in a storage container. Place the wrapped cucumbers in a zip-top bag or in an airtight container to keep them from drying out.
What does Burpless mean?
Adjective. burpless (not comparable) (of foods) Not causing the eater to burp.
Are baby cucumbers just small cucumbers?
Mini-cucumbers are typically cucumbers that are harvested early, when the fruit is small. They are usually quite tender, and can be consumed with or without the skin. Additionally, some varieties of cucumber have smaller vines and produce smaller fruit as a rule. The mini-cucumber is eaten both raw and pickled.
What is the easiest cucumber to grow?
Spacemaster
Spacemaster cucumbers are ideal for small gardens because they grow on compact vines. They can be planted in containers and even hanging baskets. Spacemaster cucumbers are also one of the fastest growing cucumbers and you can start harvesting them after only 56 days.
What do British call cucumbers?
an English cucumber is just the kind you’d buy normally in a British supermarket as ‘a cucumber‘. They differ from the ones usually sold in the US, which are shorter, thicker- and smoother-skinned, and have bigger seeds.
What kind of cucumber is used for pickles?
What kind of cucumbers to use? Kirby cucumbers, which are small with bumpy skin, are the more popular choice for pickling. I prefer Persian cucumbers, which are smaller and have thin skin. If those are not available, I use English cucumbers (again, thin skin that is not waxy).
What are the tiny cucumbers called?
While you may think that Mini Cucumbers are the smallest variety of Cucumber, the smallest is actually the Cocktail Cucumber! Mini Cucumbers typically grow to be 4-6 inches long, while Cocktail Cucumbers are half that size, measuring in at around 2 ½ inches long.
Why are my cucumbers prickly?
Some might have tiny little hairs and others all out spines. The slicing varieties are usually less prickly while the pickling types are spinier. Native to India, cucumbers may have become spiny for the same reason that some animals are camouflaged or have horns…to protect themselves from predators.
How do you get a super cucumber?
The Super Cucumber is a fish that can be caught in the ocean at The Beach during Summer and Fall evenings, and on Ginger Island South, Southeast, West (ocean), and the Pirate Cove during any season. It can also randomly be found in Garbage Cans during Summer and Fall or at the Traveling Cart for 750-1,250g.
Are sea cucumber poisonous?
All sea cucumbers possess an extremely potent poison, known as holothurin. This is concentrated in the socalled Cuvierian tubules, threadlike appendages in the end of the gut. In the event of a serious attack the sea cucumber expels these Cuvierian tubules through its anus towards the aggressor.
Are wild cucumbers poisonous?
As its name suggests, wild cucumber, or manroot (Marah macrocarpa), is a relative of the garden cucumber, as well as watermelon and squash. Unlike its relatives, all parts of the wild cucumber plant are toxic to some degree.
Gerardo Gonzalez loves cooking. He became interested in it at a young age, and has been honing his skills ever since. He enjoys experimenting with new recipes, and is always looking for ways to improve his technique.
Gerardo’s friends and family are the lucky beneficiaries of his delicious cooking. They always enjoy trying out his latest creations, and often give him feedback on how he can make them even better. Gerardo takes their input to heart, and uses it to continue refining his culinary skills.