The Virtues of Cucumbers

 Cucumber Uses?

Can you eat cucumbers? I know a lot of people who turn down the offer of a sandwich if they see even the thinnest slice of the gourd sticking out from the bread as they can produce wind and indigestion. Although they are about 98% water there’s something in them that just doesn’t agree with a lot of people. 

It could be one of a load of trace elements like vitamin B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, Folate (naturally occurring folic acid), Vitamin C, Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium, Iron, Zinc and Phosphorus, but it’s more likely to be something in the skin called Cucurbitacin, which acts as a deterrent for plants in the gourd family keeping pests from nibbling and breaking the skin of the vegetable.  Cucurbitacin is an excellent natural pest control substance and widely used,  but might not agree with your insides.

I called the cucumber a vegetable, but is it? Carrying on from my question last week about if an onion is a root vegetable or not, I’ll ask you this: “Is a cucumber a fruit or vegetable”. It turns out it depends who you talk to.

In horticulture: cucumber is a vegetable.

 The division of vegetable and fruit cultivation in horticulture is that everything that grows on herbaceous plants is a vegetable and everything that grows on a woody plant is a fruit.

Cucumbers don’t grow on a woody plant, but on an herbaceous plant. Therefore the cucumber is seen as a vegetable.

Botany:  Vegetable or fruit?

Neither ‘vegetable’ nor ‘fruit’ is a botanical term. Vegetables are all the edible parts of the plant. In botany, fruits, flowers, leaves and stems can all be seen as vegetables. According to botanists a fruit is the part of the plant that develops from a flower. It’s also the section of the plant that contains the seeds. Therefor a cucumber is most likely a fruit although I wouldn’t like then with custard.

Growing Cucumbers

I’ve had a few great cucumber climbers in my tunnel in the past. They are not too hard to grow if you get the right varieties. . There are two distinct types for growing and it’s worth checking if you are planning to grow them outside.

Outdoor cucumbers are referred to as ‘ridge cucumbers’ and will tolerate cooler climates like ours. They are often spiny or rough to the touch. Greenhouse cucumbers form smoother fruits but do need that extra warmth for success. Some varieties will happily grow inside or out, in a sunny, sheltered spot in the garden. 

Cucumber seeds can be sown in a propagator around now and in May to June if you plan to sow the seeds directly outdoors.

Sow the cucumber seeds on their sides at a depth of 1cm in 7.5cm pots of free-draining, seed sowing compost. Place the pots in a propagator or seal them inside a plastic bag at a temperature of 20°C until they germinate. This usually only takes 7-10 days.

Once they’ve germinated, you can move them to a bright windowsill and grow them there until they’re big enough to be transplanted into their final growing place.

There are a lot of claims about the virtues of cucumbers. I’ve listed a few more believable ones here. Take them all with a pinch of salt I’ve only tested the one that claims it shines shoes (it doesn’t) The rest I’ll probably never get around to testing. As long as the cucumbers liven up my cheese sandwich I’m a happy man.

The Apparent Virtues of Cucumbers

If you tend to get chronic constipation, cucumbers can get things moving again. Cucumbers contain an enzyme called erepsin, which helps the body digest protein.

Cucumber contains a touch of silicon, sulphur sodium, calcium, and phosphorus, which are the vital ingredients for long, beautiful hair. So you can eat it, wash in it, and drink it.

If you want to stop your bathroom mirror from fogging up while you shower, simply rub a cucumber over it before you hop in the shower. It’s cleaner than soap.

You can polish shoes by rubbing a cucumber slice over them. Polish with a soft, dry cloth.

Could help ease sunburn.

Although it won’t last as long as the real thing, if you need something lubricated and you are out of WD-40, you can rub a slice of cucumber on the area.

Remove most crayons, markers, and pen marks by rubbing them with the outside of a cucumber.

Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on the surface you want to clean. Not only will it remove years’ worth of undesirable stains, but it will bring back the shine without leaving streaks.