The Answers To Your Top 10 Cucumber Questions
Whether you love snacking on them or you’re adding them to your meal, cucumbers are a delicious way to add a refreshing crunch to your day.
Every day, people ask us dozens of questions about the Cucumbers that we grow in our greenhouses—and our experts are here to answer! Below you will find the answers to the Top 10 Cucumber questions that people ask us most frequently. Read the FAQs below and wonder no more!
What are the health benefits of Cucumbers?
One of the best health benefits of Cucumbers is their water content. Since Cucumbers are made up of over 90% water, they are extremely hydrating! This means that eating a Cucumber on a hot summer day can keep you energized and refreshed, and is almost as hydrating as drinking your recommended eight glasses of water per day!
Along with being high in water content, Cucumbers are also low in calories. This means that if you are trying to fill yourself up with healthy plant-based foods, Cucumbers are an excellent option that doesn’t result in high calorie intake!
What vitamins and minerals are found in Cucumbers?
Cucumbers are high in many essential vitamins and nutrients.
In terms of vitamins, Cucumbers are loaded with vitamin K, an essential vitamin for the blood-clotting process. Cucumbers also have a healthy dose of vitamin A and vitamin C, which help maintain healthy skin, vision, neurological function, and bones.
Cucumbers also contain a healthy dose of many nutrients, Phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, and potassium are four of the most prominent nutrients found in Cucumbers. These four nutrients are essential for health and wellness, including bone health, a functioning immune system, and a strong heart.
Are there different varieties of Cucumbers?
Many different varieties of Cucumbers exist all over the world, but our Cucumber growers only grow a small number of varieties in the greenhouse. These varieties exist within two categories – Long English Cucumbers and Mini Cucumbers. Long English Cucumbers are considered the classic Cucumber, whereas Mini Cucumbers look the same as Long English – just in a miniature, snackable form!
Have you ever seen a Field Cucumber? These Cucumbers look very different from, for example, a Long English Cucumber, for many reasons. One of the biggest reasons is because they are a completely different variety, and all varieties will have a different appearance, texture, and even taste, from one another. Field Cucumbers are also grown in a completely different environment from the Cucumbers grown in greenhouses. Because Field Cucumbers are grown in – you guessed it! – a field, they are exposed to outdoor elements that will affect their appearance, taste, and texture.
What is the best way to store Cucumbers to keep them fresh?
The best way to store Cucumbers and keep them fresh is by placing them in your fridge, preferably in a crisper without any other fruits. Although putting them in the fridge will keep your Cucumbers from going bad, it is important to note that the flavor may change.
It is also very important to keep your Cucumbers in their vacuum-sealed plastic wrapping until you are going to eat them. Since Cucumbers are made up of over 90% water, the moisture in a Cucumber needs to be retained to keep it from going limp and rotting. By keeping the plastic wrapping on your Cucumber, you are helping it retain its water content, and thus are keeping it fresher longer!
To help keep Cucumbers fresher longer, also make sure the plastic packaging on the Cucumber is dry before putting it in the fridge – excess water can lead to a spoilt Cucumber.
How long does it take Cucumbers to grow?
The amount of time it takes to grow Cucumbers in a garden is very different than in a greenhouse. This is due to a host of factors, but the main reason is that the growing conditions in these two environments are extremely different from one another.
Even in a greenhouse, the time of year still determines the length of time It takes for a Cucumber to grow.
In the summer months, it only takes 10 days for a Cucumber to grow from flower to harvest!
In the winter months, it still only takes 14 days for a Cucumber to grow from flower to harvest!
This quick growing season means that there are lots of greenhouse-grown Cucumbers to go around during every season of the year!
How do you know when Cucumbers are ready to pick?
We grow our Cucumbers according to Canadian growing standards, which means that there are certain characteristics that our growers look for when deciding if a Cucumber is ready to be picked. Many people assume a Cucumber’s length is the largest determining factor, but really, a Cucumber’s diameter is most important!
We use a special tool, a plastic ring, to measure for a standard diameter. If a Cucumber’s diameter matches that standard measurement, it is ready to pick!
Unlike a Tomato, picking a Cucumber has nothing to do with color! If you’re interested in reading more about when is the prime time to pick a Tomato, check out our Tomato FAQs and Facts blog.
What should you look for when choosing a Cucumber?
There are many important attributes to look for when choosing a Cucumber at the grocery store.
First, you don’t want to pick a deformed Cucumber. You want to find a Cucumber that is stiff, straight, and has minimal to no damage to the skin. A stiff Cucumber means that it is fresh and was grown under the proper conditions.
A Cucumber that is a lighter weight is also not ideal because it won’t have all the vitamins and nutrients in it that every Cucumber should contain. Finally, you want to find a Cucumber with a dark green skin – the darker the green, the more nutrients and vitamins are in the fruit!
Can you eat the skin of a Cucumber?
Many people are unsure about if it is a healthy choice to eat the skin of a Cucumber. We are here to tell you that it is one of the healthiest choices you can make!
A Cucumber’s skin is where most of its vitamins and nutrients are stored. This means that if you cut the skin off your Cucumber, you are losing most of its health benefits.
What are some of the best ways to enjoy or prepare Cucumbers?
Our on-site chef, Zach L., gave us some great tips for the best ways to enjoy and prepare Cucumbers!
- Eat Them Raw. You want to utilize and maximize the freshness of a Cucumber, so one of the best ways to eat a Cucumber is to eat it raw!
- Enjoy In Water. Cucumber water is an increasingly popular way to enjoy Cucumbers. Make sure that when you are cutting up your Cucumber for Cucumber Water, you cut it into very thin slices. Cucumber water is extremely refreshing, especially during the summer months!
- Pair With Fruit. Since Cucumbers have a more mild, neutral flavor, pairing options with Cucumbers are endless! One of the best pairing options is with other fruits, especially apples!
- Make Fresh Salads. The great part about enjoying Cucumbers in a salad is the endless ways you can cut them – you can prepare them in rounds or quarters, cut them thick or extra thin, or even spiralize them! Adding unique Cucumber slices to a salad always makes eating it more fun, exciting, and delicious!
What is the best Cucumber recipe?
We also asked Zach L. what his favorite Cucumber recipe is, and he answered that his favorite recipe is our Spiralized Mini Cucumber Salad! He really enjoys the fun colors, delicious taste, and cool texture that spiralizing gives to Cucumbers. You can find out exactly how to make this awesome dish here!
Find more produce facts by reading our frequently asked questions about Tomatoes and Bell Peppers.
