The cucumber is a fruit that is eaten mainly raw as salad in the Netherlands and Belgium. The cucumber belongs to the genus Cucumis sativus, which is cultivated for over 3000 years. On one stalk can grow dozens of cucumbers. The currently cultivated cucumber only has female flowers, which without pollination or fertilization cucumber growing. The yellow and white cucumber do have male and female flowers.
The genome of the cucumber plant has been mapped and comprising 25,000 genes.
Cultivation
The plant is a vine with tendrils, but can also be grown horizontally growing on the ground. Later the flat glass was put upright and formed a greenhouse. In the greenhouse, the plants along stitching headed up. In the Netherlands and Belgium since about 1960, the cucumber grown in heated greenhouses so that cucumbers are available throughout the year. In such greenhouses the cucumbers to grow after they have flowered in about 10 to 14 days to a full cucumber, so of a cucumber of less than 50 grams for a cucumber of between 400 and 450 grams. To planted and harvested during the whole year, to be able to be delivered, two to three crops per year.
The fruit is harvested when it is still dark. A ripe fruit changes color to yellow-green. Because the fruit is parthenocarp is also there if no fertilization occurs it formed a fruit but no seeds; Sometimes, however, are still rudimentary seeds to see the seeds. The varieties grown in the professional cultivation forms only female flowers, so no pollination takes place. Some old varieties, such as the "Yellow Bunch 'used by allotment holders, however, are beside female to male flowers. This can be done by honeybees or bumblebees self-pollination and seed formation occur. When fertilization of ovules all growing cucumber normal, but with seeds that are still edible at the young stage. Incomplete fertilization, the fruit grows more spherical and is known as seed butts.
The fruits, which are eaten in the Netherlands and Belgium, as a rule, 35 to 39 centimeters long and 5 cm in diameter with a weight of 350 to 450 grams. Smaller cucumbers, the so-called mini cucumbers, but also occur, especially in England. These cucumbers are 14-18 cm in length having a weight of 110-130 grams. There exists a yellow and a white variant. In the vicinity of Utrecht are far from the yellow cucumbers grown under glass shelf. By disappearance of the flat glass and by the yellow cucumber is bitter free, this crop is gone.
Preparation
The cucumber is generally eaten as a salad, or may not be peeled. Sometimes the seeds are removed. The cucumber can be grated or cut into thin slices. Cucumber salad is mixed with oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Possibly also add chopped onion or other herbs, such as dill or parsley.
Cucumber salad is very humid. If this is not desirable, one can only drain the sliced or grated cucumber in a sieve. By the addition of this salt to drain faster.
Cucumber can also be braised, stuffed with minced meat to roast cooked in the oven or as a garnish used.
Keep for consumption
Cucumbers may be kept best sealed, that at a temperature of 10 ° C to 13 ° C. If kept in the refrigerator, they remain less long. This is because the organisms that are already sitting in thrive better at a low temperature than at room temperature, and therefore, the cucumber spoil faster.
Cucumber nutrition
Cucumber contains mostly water and few nutrients. The nutritional content expressed per 100g unpeeled product is:
Water: 94 g
Energy value: 33 kJ / 8kcal
Carbohydrates: 2 grams
Protein: 0.6 grams
Vitamin: B1 0.03 mg
Vitamin: B2 0.01 mg
Vitamin C: 10 mg
Potassium: 124 mg
Calcium: 14 mg
Phosphorus: 34 mg
Iron: 0.2 mg
Fibres: 0.3 g