Summer Cucumbers! Refreshing Recipes, Health Benefits & More
By Mark Mulcahy
We often hear people say they wait eagerly for summer because that’s when you get the best-tasting tomatoes, melons and stone fruit. I am completely aligned with this, and I’d like to add another, more obscure summer favorite to the list!
While Melissa's organic cucumbers are on the shelf year-round, summer brings out more local varieties and, frankly, better-flavored fruit.
Yep, I said fruit! Many of us would consider it a vegetable because of how it’s sold and how we tend to use it—most commonly in salads, sandwiches, or cooked. But technically, it’s a fruit, according to the Cornell Department of Horticulture. The way a botanist sees it, a fruit is the mature ovary of a plant (hence the seeds). Cucumbers are considered fruits because, like an apple, melon, or tomato, they develop into the reproductive body of the plant.
During this time of year, Melissa's organic cucumber section in produce expands to Persian cucumbers/mini cucumbers, Armenian cucumbers, Japanese Cucumbers, Lemon cucumbers and pickling cucumbers, the latter two on that list being some of my favorites—and that's just the start. So, if you’re going to venture outside of the usual slicing cucumber territory, this is the month to do it as August is hot and cucumbers are deliciously cool.
I’m sure you can think of all your favorite ways to use them—in a salad, on a sandwich, or even in burritos where they add a nice crunch to compliment soft or creamy beans. If you’re looking to branch out, you might try making your own Cucumber Rolls, which will fill you up without weighing you down—or this Spicy Cucumber Salad, which will add a nice sweet-hot twist to any summer BBQ!
Something I hadn't heard of but has recently made it onto my list is this refreshing Cucumber Lemonade from Forks in the Dirt Farm. Just peel, scoop seeds (if tough), and puree, then strain out the pulp if desired. Add fresh-squeezed lemon juice, honey to taste, and water - and then sip away!
Curious? There are lots more recipes out there, but I'm sure you get the jest.
Besides refreshment and the familiar term COOL AS A CUCUMBER…
We’ve all seen pictures of people at a spa with cucumber slices on their eyes, right? Have you wondered why one would do such a thing? Is it vanity, or is there some medicinal reason? Wonder no more! Cucumbers have a cooling nature and are used as an astringent. Astringents tighten your pores and are good for soothing sunburns and acne, making them valuable beauty aids. But these same qualities are also medicinal. Cool slices over your eyes can relieve swelling, dryness, or irritation. Cucumbers are also rich in silicon, an element needed in our connective tissue. A lack of silicon reduces normal growth and inhibits repair of the skin, hair and nails.
So cool down, freshen your menu, and just enjoy adding more Melissa's organic cucumber varieties to your August lunch, dinner, or picnic spread!
We often hear people say they wait eagerly for summer because that’s when you get the best-tasting tomatoes, melons and stone fruit. I am completely aligned with this, and I’d like to add another, more obscure summer favorite to the list!
Yep, I said fruit! Many of us would consider it a vegetable because of how it’s sold and how we tend to use it—most commonly in salads, sandwiches, or cooked. But technically, it’s a fruit, according to the Cornell Department of Horticulture. The way a botanist sees it, a fruit is the mature ovary of a plant (hence the seeds). Cucumbers are considered fruits because, like an apple, melon, or tomato, they develop into the reproductive body of the plant.
Something I hadn't heard of but has recently made it onto my list is this refreshing Cucumber Lemonade from Forks in the Dirt Farm. Just peel, scoop seeds (if tough), and puree, then strain out the pulp if desired. Add fresh-squeezed lemon juice, honey to taste, and water - and then sip away!
Curious? There are lots more recipes out there, but I'm sure you get the jest.
Besides refreshment and the familiar term COOL AS A CUCUMBER…
We’ve all seen pictures of people at a spa with cucumber slices on their eyes, right? Have you wondered why one would do such a thing? Is it vanity, or is there some medicinal reason? Wonder no more! Cucumbers have a cooling nature and are used as an astringent. Astringents tighten your pores and are good for soothing sunburns and acne, making them valuable beauty aids. But these same qualities are also medicinal. Cool slices over your eyes can relieve swelling, dryness, or irritation. Cucumbers are also rich in silicon, an element needed in our connective tissue. A lack of silicon reduces normal growth and inhibits repair of the skin, hair and nails.
So cool down, freshen your menu, and just enjoy adding more Melissa's organic cucumber varieties to your August lunch, dinner, or picnic spread!
