Spices and Medicinal Herbs
A complete guide to vegetables, spices & herbs
A complete guide to vegetables, spices & herbs
The cucumber is believed to be native to India, and evidence indicates that it has been cultivated in Western Asia for 3,000 years. From India, it spread to Greece, Italy, China and was then introduced into other parts of Europe, England, France and North America.
The cucumber is the edible fruit of the cucumber plant Cucumis sativus,
which belongs to the gourd family Cucurbitaceae.
The cucumber plant is an annual climber which grows to a height of 15-30
cm and has large leaves that form a canopy over the fruit. The vine is
grown on the ground or on trellises, often in greenhouses.
It requires a rich, well-drained moisture retentive soil and a warm very
sunny position. The seeds are sown early to mid spring in rich soil.
Germination takes place within 2 weeks.
It is in flower from July to September, and the seeds ripen from August to
October. The flowers are monoecious (individual flowers are either male or
female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant). The plant is
self-fertile.
The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow
in the shade and requires moist soil.
The male flowers should be removed in order to prevent fertilization,
since the fertilized fruits have a bitter taste.
The roots of cucumber plants secrete a substance that inhibits the growth
of most weeds. Cucumbers make good companion plants for sweet corn, beans
and sunflowers, but they dislike growing with potatoes and aromatic herbs.
A few varieties of cucumber are parthenocarpic, the blossoms creating
seedless fruit without pollination. Thousands of hives of bees are
annually carried to cucumber fields just before bloom for this purpose.
Cucumbers may also be pollinated by flies.
The edible parts are fruits, seeds and leaves.
Cucumbers grown for pickling (picklers) and those grown for fresh market
(slicers) are the same species. Fruit of fresh market cucumbers are
longer, smooth rather than bumpy, have a more uniform green skin color and
a tougher, glossier skin than fruit of picklers.
The dietary value of Cucumber is negligible, there being upwards of 96
per cent water in its composition. The oil in the cucumber contains 22.3%
linoleic acid, 58.5% oleic acid, 6.8% palmitic acid and 3.7% stearic acid.
The fresh cucumber is a very good source of vitamin C, vitamin K, and
potassium. It also contains vitamin A, vitamin B6, thiamin, folate,
pantothenic acid, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper, and manganese.
| Calories | 39 | % Calories from Fat | 7.8 |
| Total Fat (g) | 0.4 | % Calories from Carbohydrates | 73.8 |
| Saturated Fat (g) | 0.1 | % Calories from Protein | 18.5 |
| Monounsaturated Fat (g) | 0.0 | % Refuse | 3.0 |
| Polyunsaturated Fat (g) | 0.2 | Vitamin C (mg) | 16 |
| Cholesterol (mg) | 0 | Vitamin A (i.u.) | 647 |
| Carbohydrate (g) | 8.3 | Vitamin B6 (mg) | 0.13 |
| Dietary Fiber (g) | 2.4 | Vitamin B12 (mcg) | 0 |
| Protein (g) | 2.1 | Thiamin B1 (mg) | 0.07 |
| Sodium (mg) | 6 | Riboflavin B2 (mg) | 0.07 |
| Potassium (mg) | 433 | Folacin (mcg) | 39.1 |
| Calcium (mg) | 42 | Niacin (mg) | 0.7 |
| Iron (mg) | 0.8 | Caffeine (mg) | 0.0 |
| Zinc (mg) | 0.6 | Alcohol (g) | 0.0 |
| Daily Values: | ||
| % Daily Value (2000 Cal diet) | % Daily Value (2500 Cal diet) | |
| Total Fat (g): 0.4 | 1% | 0% |
| Saturated Fat (g): 0.1 | 0% | 0% |
| Cholesterol (mg): 0 | 0% | 0% |
| Sodium (mg): 6 | 0% | 0% |
| Carbohydrate (g): 8.3 | 3% | 2% |
| Dietary Fiber (g): 2.4 | 10% | 8% |
| Protein (g): 2.1 | 4% | 3% |
