Data source: USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy, FDC 168409 (Cucumber, with peel, raw).
Fun facts
- Cucumber belongs to the gourd family, alongside pumpkin, watermelon and luffa. Botanically, it is a fruit too.
- 100g of cucumber has only about 15 kcal. A whole medium cucumber has less than half a bowl of rice, which makes it a very easy crunchy snack.
- Most of the fruit is water, with 147mg of potassium and 0.5g of fiber per 100g. Cucumber is not a vitamin star, its strength is being cool, crisp and cutting through rich meals.
- In Vietnam, cucumber is eaten raw with com tam broken rice and banh mi, dipped in chili salt, or made into quick pickles. In the kOBE recipe library, cucumber appears in 71 dishes.
Choosing and storing
Choose straight, firm cucumbers with an even green color that feel solid in your hand, with no soft or yellow spots. Small to medium ones usually have fewer seeds and more crunch than very large ones. Store cucumbers in the crisper drawer, wrapped in paper or in a bag so they do not dry out, and use them within about a week. Keep them away from ripe fruit like bananas and apples, which makes cucumbers go soft faster.
Cooking it well
Cucumber shines raw, so wash the skin well and keep it on for a little extra fiber. The ends sometimes taste bitter because of natural compounds called cucurbitacins, and simply trimming off the ends solves it. For quick pickles, toss cucumber with a little salt, vinegar and monk fruit sugar instead of regular sugar. A plate of vegetables like cucumber before your meal is a nice habit too, see eat vegetables before carbs.
