USES OF CUCUMBER THAT YOU MAY NOT HAVE KNOWN

Cucumber is one of the most versatile and sought-after vegetables in markets all over the world. Especially when it comes to varieties such as the Almeria Cucumber (or Dutch Cucumber), which apart from being the star product of Francisco Maleno García S.L., stands out for being the variety of cucumber that is most exported from Spain to other European countries.

  • Dpto. Marketing
  • 27/02/2023
  • 10:20 am
  • 0 comentarios
Producción Pepino Almería, Pepino Holandés de MAGAR

The great demand for cucumbers in national and international markets during each season is not the result of chance, but of two essential factors:

  • The know-how of our farmers, who grow and harvest cucumbers of the highest quality in their greenhouses in Almeria.
  • And the versatility of this vegetable both in and out of the kitchen, as well as being a refreshing and healthy vegetable, it has a wide variety of uses that many people do not know about and that can help you to lead a healthier and more sustainable life.

WHAT IS CUCUMBER

Before listing the different uses of cucumber, we would like to talk about its cultivation as producers and distributors of cucumber in Almeria.


The cucumber, also known as Cucumis sativus, is a herbaceous plant that belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family.


Its plant is composed of stems that can reach up to 3.5 m in length, and large, flat, bright green leaves of a very characteristic colour. In Almeria’s greenhouses, the technique of staking is used in order to keep the plant in an upright position so that it grows upwards, erect, and does not remain lying on the ground.


As for cucumber flowers, they usually appear in the leaf axils and used to be characterised by both male and female flowers, in which case they depended on the pollination process carried out by bees and bumblebees. However, the continuous improvement of our greenhouses in Almeria to be at the forefront of fruit and vegetable growing has meant that today the varieties of cucumber cultivated by farmers are parthenocarpic species that do not need fertilisation of the flower for the correct development of the fruit.


You can find many varieties of cucumber and each one of them has different characteristics in terms of size, shape, skin… In this other article you can find out about the types of cucumber that exist and that we sell in our warehouse, as well as the differences between the different varieties.

HISTORY AND ORIGIN OF CUCUMBER

Cucumbers originated in South Asia and have been cultivated in India for more than three thousand years. From there, it reached Egypt and became one of the favourite foods of the pharaohs.


It later became popular in Greece thanks to trade routes and in Rome, from where cucumber was introduced to the markets of Europe via Al-Andalus.


In France, it was not only the benefits of cucumber as a food that were valued, but also its cosmetic effects. Especially King Louis XIV, who used cucumbers for hydration and anti-ageing, invented the first greenhouses to guarantee a year-round supply.


Today, cucumber is one of the most cultivated vegetables in Europe, and Spain is one of the main cucumber producers.

HEALTHY USES OF CUCUMBER

In addition to being one of the essential ingredients in our Mediterranean diet, cucumbers have been proven to have a wide range of aesthetic and household uses. Today we want to share with you some of these healthy and sustainable uses so that you can make the most of your cucumbers.


Effectively treats cellulite

Cucumber is one of the vegetables richest in water and antioxidants, so its consumption and topical application favours the treatment of cellulite to prevent its appearance.


On the other hand, the phytochemicals that cucumbers possess also help to protect the skin’s collagen and elastin, reducing flaccidity and the scars they form on the skin.


To do this:

  1. Mash the cucumber into a paste.
  2. Spread it over the affected areas with a gentle massage and leave it on for 20 minutes.
  3. Rinse with plenty of water and repeat this process at least 3 times a week.


Take care of your oral health

The freshness of cucumber and its properties are also very useful for neutralising the bacteria that cause bad breath after eating certain recipes with garlic or onion.


All you need to do is to bite a slice of cucumber with the skin on for a couple of minutes in your mouth. Cucumber juice is also highly recommended to combat some gum diseases.


Soothes sunburn

Rubbing a more or less thick slice of cucumber on sunburn helps to soothe the affected area thanks to the anti-inflammatory and cooling properties of this vegetable, which make it an excellent natural remedy.


You can repeat this process up to three times a day.


Restore the shine to stainless steel

Cleaning products to polish stainless steel have very aggressive chemicals that can be avoided with sustainable kitchen tricks such as using cucumber to restore its shine.


Serves as an anti-inflammatory for feet and face

In addition to keeping the skin healthy and soothing irritation, cucumber is a natural relaxant that is very useful for soothing the face and feet, and even soothing their pain.


To do this:

  1. You can either place your feet in a bowl of cucumber water
  2. or create natural cucumber face masks.


You can also use the vitamin K contained in cucumber as a treatment for dark circles under the eyes. Its anti-inflammatory and anti-haemorrhagic effect helps to reduce and eliminate dark circles under the eyes if you regularly consume raw cucumber, use natural face masks or treat dark circles under the eyes by placing two slices on the eyes for 5 minutes on a regular basis.

CUCUMBER SPECIALISTS ALMERIA

Now that you know more about the healthy and sustainable uses of cucumbers, don’t forget to contact us to offer your customers high quality cucumbers throughout the season.


At Francisco Maleno García S.L we are specialists in producing, marketing and distributing different varieties of cucumber in Almería in order to adapt to market demands and the different harvesting seasons.