Cucumber // vegetable (botanically a fruit)
🌱🥒🤔 Did you know that cucumber peel is edible and full of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants? The peel and seeds are the most nutrient-dense parts of the cucumber. It will add fiber and vitamin A to your diet. Just be sure to wash the cucumber first. All of us can act at home to reduce our waste and every single one counts!
☀️ Summertime couldn’t exist without delicious cucumbers and Grandma Sita is lucky enough to pick homegrown cucumbers from her garden. There are different varieties of cucumbers worldwide for you to choose from locally. You will never get bored with versatile cucumbers!
👩🍳 Mild with a distinctly crisp and refreshing flavor, cucumbers are commonly enjoyed raw as a low-calorie snack paired with hummus, olive oil, salt, or salad dressing to add more flavor or pickled in everything from salads to sandwiches.
🌼 However, be aware that it will depend on the variety and maturity of the cucumber. Some varieties of cucumbers may have thicker peels that can be tough and bitter. But you can directly place these cucumber peels in the soil and keep those ants away from the plant. The alkaloids present in cucumbers act as a natural repellent. This way, you can save the plant by not throwing some peels. Win-win!
👵💚 Grandma Sita’s tips:
*When stored at room temperature, cucumbers thrive and last longer. You can freeze cucumbers, but they will never have the same crisp snap as fresh cucumbers, resulting in a mushy texture.
*Always check the expiry date on the pickled cucumber jars in your pantry before buying, it could be a starting point to enhance your culinary creations.
*One of the great things about composting cucumbers is that almost every part of the plant can be used. Cucumbers compost down incredibly quickly as they’ve got a high water content.
📗 Though commonly, thought to be a vegetable, because of how it’s used in the culinary world. However, cucumbers are botanically a fruit, like tomatoes and squashes, because they have seeds in the middle and grow from the flower of a plant.
😆 Fun fact, the “silly season” is called “cucumber season” or “cucumber time” associated with cucumbers and cucumber picking in many languages. Typically, the “silly season” is a period in the summer months known for being slow in terms of newsworthy events.
🌎 Eating local and seasonal fruit and vegetables helps to reduce food waste, saves resources, improves food quality and healthy habits, and boosts the local economy.