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Cucumbers have been around for thousands of years. It is believed that they originated from either Thailand or India. They are from the gourd family, and considered a fruit.
What varieties are there?
English cucumber or Hothouse cucumber can grow up to 2 feet.
How to choose a cucumber?
Cucumber season is from May to August. Choose a firm cucumber with a smooth brightly colored dark green skin. Avoid cucumbers with soft spots or shriveled areas. The fruit is long and cylindrical, with a mild flesh, edible seeds and a dark green skin. This skin does not require peeling, unless it has been waxed. The cucumber is usually eaten raw, like in salads. Smaller cucumbers are used for pickles.
How do you store a cucumber?
Store whole cucumbers, in a plastic bag in the refrigerator up to 10 days. Wash thoroughly before using. A cut cucumber can be refrigerated if tightly wrapped for 5 days.
Spices
anise seed, basil, caraway seed, chervil, chives, cilantro, cumin, dill, fennel, marjoram, mint, mustard, paprika, parsley, saffron, savory, tarragon, thyme, turmeric
Equivalency
1 medium cucumber = 1 1/2 cups chopped
Herbed Cucumber Salad
4 Servings
Prep 0:10 Cook 0:00 Stand 3:00 Total 3:10
In covered jar, combine Butter Buds, vinegar, sugar, thyme, and tarragon; shake well. Place sliced cucumber and onion in glass bowl. Add dressing and mix well. Chill several hours to marinate. Serve on lettuce leaves.
Source: Cumberland Packing Corporation
Thai Fresh Cucumber Salad (Taeng Kwa Brio Wan)
6 Servings
*Note: The book says to peel the cucumbers only if they are waxed and even then leave on a few strips.
In a bowl, generously salt the sliced cucumbers. Allow sitting for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Combine the other ingredients. Squeeze out as much of the cucumber juice as you can, by wringing a handful at a time in a double layer of cheesecloth or a dishtowel. Twist until you can extract no more juice. Combine the squeezed cucumbers and the sauce in a serving bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Source: Public domain recipes converted from Meal Master
About The Author: This article was originally published at Suite 101.
Copyright 2001 - Jennifer Wickes is the editor at "Cookbook Reviews" and "Cooking With The Seasons", which has been voted to be one of the Top 100 Culinary Sites on the Internet! For more information about Jennifer Wickes or her columns, please go to:
http://www.suite101.com/profile.cfm/CulinaryJen
By bob (Guest Post)
08/05/2004
This is a great pickle recipe using no vinegar or canning, it's super easy and makes exceptional crisp pickles. Also works with zukes! My Hungarian relatives have been making and enjoying these for generations.
Summer Pickles (Vizes uborka)
Recipe from: The Cuisine of Hungary by George Lang
Fermenting vegetables is an ancient Hungarian custom which was brought over from Asia. Although vinegar pickling is also very common, particularly for pickles put away for the winter months, natural fermentationwhich scientist generally call the milk-acid typeproduces a much more natural-tasting relish. When one considers how easy this is to do and the vast difference between the commercial and the homemade article, it is difficult to understand why this natural pickling is not a more common practice. The Hungarians also drink the juice/brinethe women say it helps give them a more beautiful complexion.
30 even-sized cucumbers, each 4-5 inches long
1 large bunch of dill
3 garlic cloves, crushed
6 tablespoons salt (I used canning salt)
1 scant teaspoon flour
1 seeded slice rye bread
Wash cucumbers thoroughly; sometimes you even have to scrub them with a brush. Dry with toweling. Cut off both ends. Make a lengthwise incision in the center of each cucumber, then make a quarter turn and do the same. This way you have a crosscut so liquid can penetrate the inside. Be sure not to cut closer than 1" from the ends so the cucumber will not fall apart. Do this with the rest of the cucumbers.
Place half of the dill in the bottom of a 1-gallon jar. Add 1 garlic clove.
Stand the cucumbers on end in the bottom of the jar. Fit them in as tightly as you can. After you have done one layer, add the rest of the dill and garlic and continue with the tight packing of the cucumbers.
Boil 4 quarts water with the salt. Caution: Stand the pickle jar in hot water to prevent cracking. Pour the hot water-salt mixture over the pickles. Sprinkle flour on top and cover with the slice of bread. Cover the top with a lid, or tightly wrap a moistened cloth around the jar top.
Put the jar in the sun or in a warm place for 4-5 days. Moisten the cloth every morning and every noon. The aroma of the fermenting vegetables is pungent. If you do this inside, use the lid rather than the cloth, but cover the jar loosely. It is better to let the pickle ferment in a sunny place of a yard or garden. By that time the pickles should be what is generally referred to as "semi-sour."
Remove everything from the jar. Strain the pickle juice. Put the pickles in the jar again and pour the strained juice over them. After this, store the pickles under refrigeration.
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