Fresh cucumbers: composition, useful properties and contraindications

One of the most popular vegetables in the world today is the cucumber. This can be argued based on the fact that July 27 is celebrated annually as International Cucumber Day.

But, few people know that a cucumber is not a vegetable, because it belongs to the pumpkin family and is sometimes called a "false berry".

Types of Cucumbers

Thinking about what kind of cucumbers to give preference to, first of all you need to decide on the purpose of their purchase.

Cucumbers come in:

1. Universal. They have medium flavor qualities and have a medium flesh density. This type is the most popular and suitable for any purpose: for the preparation of salads, canning and pickling. It belongs to the early maturing. A distinctive feature of their appearance is the white and black small spikes on the light green fruit, with light stripes. Its fruit tastes sweet, crisp and flavorful. Universal cucumbers are highly resistant to drought and many diseases, and do not require special conditions in care.
2. Pickles. These varieties of cucumbers are characterized by thin skin and dense flesh, which help them with the least losses to endure culinary manipulation and evenly absorb the brine. This special structure allows them to withstand even very long storage in brine without deformation. They are ideal for both pickling and preserving. Their size can reach up to 16 cm in length, which is ideal for placing them tightly in a jar. The taste qualities of the pickled cucumbers also allow them to be successfully used both fresh and for salads. The disadvantage of this variety is the short shelf life - they quickly wilt, turn yellow and spoil. These cucumbers often have many small black spikes and a dark green rind.
3. Snack cucumbers - gherkins. They get their name because of their small, pleasant size and crunchy texture. Most often they are grown in the greenhouse. They are cylindrical in shape and can reach a length of only 4 cm. They are harvested before they are fully ripe. Their main advantage is their special, pleasant taste and convenient shape. They are widely used in the preparation of pickles and then eaten as a separate appetizer or added to sandwiches, pizzas, or salads. They also make a particularly tasty sauce. Most gherkins are grown in India.
4. Salad cucumbers. They have larger fruits (both in length and width) and have a richer flavor and aroma. Their rinds are dense and smooth, most often monochromatic. They contain much more sugar. When cooked, such cucumbers are likely to lose their shape and flavor, and the thick skin will not allow salting evenly. This type is most commonly used on the market, as it keeps much longer than other cucumbers.

What is the difference between pickled cucumbers and pickled cucumbers

Not everyone will be able to answer the question of what the difference between pickled and pickled cucumbers. Thinking about it, the first thing that catches your eye is the different composition of the brine for their preparation and completely different processing.

For pickled cucumbers, it is mandatory to prepare a rich marinade. In terms of taste, it strongly resembles seawater, hence the name - in translation from Latin, "marinus" means "sea". Its name also refers to the fact that the first marinade for cucumbers, meat and other products was the usual sea water.

The main distinguishing feature of marinade for vegetables is the presence of acid, which provides the process of conservation. Its composition usually includes: salt, sugar, various spices (the main part of which is pepper peas), vinegar or citric acid. Cucumbers are poured into the hot brine, pasteurized and then sealed in 1,5-3 liter jars. For the preparation of such canning products should be carefully selected: if you miss a cucumber, even with a slight rottenness, the jars may explode, and the brine will certainly be spoiled by unpleasant fermentation. When choosing cucumbers for canning, you should pay attention not only to their variety (universal or pickling), but also to a good inspection for the absence of external damage, yellowing and softness. It is best to choose crispy cucumbers of medium, about the same size.

Pickle brine does not contain acid, which is their main difference from pickles. They are traditionally salted in large wooden barrels. A lot of spices, herbs, various leaves, garlic, onions, coriander, mustard, pepper and cumin are used for pickling. Cucumbers are first washed well, then placed on a bed of currant leaves, periodically laying layers with other vegetables and herb leaves. Then this is all poured with a salt solution (about 15-20% salt). The brine of such cucumbers is considered useful - it is saturated with potassium, many spice oils, the juice of the vegetables themselves, perfectly quenches thirst and relieves the symptoms of a hangover.

Composition and calories

The calorie content of cucumbers varies from 10 to 16 calories per 100 grams, depending on the variety.

Cucumber consists of 95% liquid - structured water. This bears a huge benefit for the human body, since the structured water removes harmful toxins, excess salt and impurities from the body, and is good for cleansing the kidneys.

Also in the composition of the cucumber includes:

1. Beta-carotene, which is a powerful antioxidant and a vital element. It slows the oxidation process in the body, has preventive properties against eye disease and visual impairment.
2. Vitamin A, it is also called anti-infective due to its positive effect on the body's defenses and its antimicrobial action. It is also good for strengthening nails and speeding up the healing of wounds.
3. Vitamin B1 plays an irreplaceable role in fat, protein and carbohydrate metabolism. It reduces appetite and slows the aging process, neutralizes the negative effects on the human body of alcohol and smoking.
4. Vitamin B2 plays an important role in the process of blood formation, regulates growth processes and has a positive effect on reproductive function.
5. Ascorbic acid plays an important role for human immunity and hormone production. Vitamin C is involved in the production of collagen and prolongs the youth of the body.
6. Vitamin PP (or B3) is necessary for maintaining health and normal functioning of the body, it normalizes heart function, hormone production and supports healthy skin.
7. Potassium regulates water balance and supplies oxygen to the brain, increasing its performance and improving memory.
8. Magnesium is necessary for the health of the nervous system and normal muscle function. It provides the ability to obtain energy from sugar in the blood and normalizes the endocrine and cardiovascular system.
9. Zinc is necessary for bone formation and helps prevent the development of diabetes and arthritis.
10. Copper helps the body produce hemoglobin, activates cell growth and collagen production.
11. Manganese lowers cholesterol and promotes the health of connective tissue, cartilage, and bones.
12. Iron is essential in the production of hemoglobin in the blood and protects the body from harmful bacteria.
13. Chlorine cleanses the liver of fat and regulates the acid-alkaline balance.
14. Iodine is necessary for good brain function, increases human performance and helps to combat excess weight.
15. Chromium is involved in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, and strengthens bone tissue and helps keep weight in check.
16. Phosphorus improves metabolism and the ability of cells to regenerate, and strengthens dental enamel.
17. Sodium keeps the body's acid-alkaline balance normal and promotes the production of gastric juice.
18. Vitamin B9 is essential for growth and the formation of new cells, and is especially necessary for children during the period of active growth.

Cucumber is a champion in fiber content. Regular consumption normalizes digestive processes and improves the absorption of useful substances from food.

What is the usefulness of fresh cucumbers

For Women

The benefits of consumption:

1. Maintaining the beauty and tone of the skin.
2. Prevention of digestive disorders.
3. Improve the metabolism.
4. Giving luster to the hair, accelerating their growth and prevent split ends.
5. Slow down the aging process.
6. Regulate the level of hormones in the body.
7. Prevent weight gain.

For men

The benefits of eating fresh cucumbers:

1. Prevention of cardiovascular diseases.
2. Increased efficiency.
3. Improved memory.
4. Decrease in cholesterol levels.
5. Normalization of the digestive organs.
6. Increase potency.
7. Purify the liver.
8. Analgesic effect.

During pregnancy.

Vitamins, fiber and trace elements found in properly grown cucumbers are a real boon for future mothers. Women who are carrying a child just need a large amount of healthy plant foods to avoid exhaustion of the body and avitaminosis, as well as to ensure the baby all the conditions for proper development.

The benefits of consumption:

• Reducing the risk of weight gain and overeating during pregnancy;
• Prevention of edema;
• normalization of stool;
• improvement of mood;
• normalization of sleep;
• Increased physical activity.

During pregnancy, preference should be given to fresh cucumbers, and the consumption of salted and pickled cucumbers should be limited and their quality strictly monitored. It is best to avoid buying ready-made pickles and give preference to homemade. In this way, you can avoid eating substances that are harmful to the baby.

When choosing between pickled and pickled cucumbers, it is best to eat the latter. The high level of acid in pickles has a negative impact on the body. The consumption of pickles should be limited due to the high salt content and possible consequences in the form of edema and weight gain. You should also not use pickles because of the high content of vinegar - in future mothers it can provoke anemia.

To ensure that the future mother does not crave "salty", it is necessary to maintain a balance of carbohydrates, proteins and fats in the diet, adhere to a diet regime - eat often and in small portions, do not eat processed foods.

Contraindications to the use of cucumbers during pregnancy can be upset stomach, excessive gas and allergic reactions.

Breastfeeding

Of course, breastfeeding mothers need cucumbers, since they contain many useful substances that she and the baby need.

The benefits of consumption:

• improving the digestibility of protein;
• the normalization of digestion;
• diuretic effect;
• normalization of stools;
• increase of work capacity;
• improvement of brain function;
• improvement of mood;
• normalization of weight after childbirth;
• Improvement of skin and hair.

Introducing cucumbers into the diet of a breastfeeding mother should be careful, since newborns often suffer from abdominal pain caused by the fermentation process. Cucumbers can intensify this process. They should be introduced into the diet no sooner than 5 months after birth, when the baby's stomach has settled down.

It is best to eat the product in the morning, in small quantities, so that during the day to monitor possible side effects. If afterwards there is bloating in the baby's stomach, diarrhea and colic - a woman should refrain from eating cucumbers. If the baby is feeling well - you can continue to increase the amount of vegetable, but do it gradually and do not abuse it.

You should refrain from eating cucumbers in the winter - they are most often grown in greenhouses with a lot of chemicals, which can lead to poisoning and stomach pain.

You should also avoid pickles and limit the use of salted cucumbers.

Abuse can cause problems for the baby such as:

• bloating of the abdomen;
• increased thirst;
• nervousness and sleep disorders;
• allergies;
• Stool disorders.

For children

The benefits of eating cucumbers:

1. Availability of useful minerals, vitamins and trace elements necessary during the period of active growth.
2. Prevention of the development of diseases.
3. Strengthen the immune system.
4. Improvement of digestion.
5. Normalization of the thyroid gland.
6. Increase brain function.
7. Formation of healthy bone tissue.

To avoid problems with the stomach, you should not start giving cucumbers to your child before he turns one year old. This is because your baby's body is not yet fully adapted to digest this kind of food. Cucumbers may cause liquid stools and increased gas.

To start introducing them into your baby's diet, a piece of 5 grams is enough at the initial stage. If this is not followed by stomach upset, you can gradually increase the portion. Baby must necessarily peel the cucumber, otherwise it just can not digest.

It is best to begin to introduce cucumbers in the menu in the form of mashed potatoes. This way it will be easier for the child to digest the product. After a while, when he gets used to it, you can make finely chopped salads and add to the cucumber first dill and parsley, and then tomatoes.

You should make sure that the products included in the child's menu were as natural as possible, avoid buying cucumbers in the winter time. If your child suffers from gastritis, it is necessary to abstain from cucumbers. They may also be contraindicated in problems with the liver or kidneys.

Salted and pickled cucumbers should not be given to children under three years. Then you should strictly limit their amount.

The benefits and harms of pickles and pickled cucumbers

Pickled cucumbers and their brine are considered much more useful than pickled, since in the second case, most of the useful trace elements are destroyed by acid and a long shelf life.

When pickled, cucumbers continue to "live" in a biosphere of fungi, while in an acidic pickle all life dies. Of all the useful qualities remain only a pleasant taste and aroma. This explains the usefulness of pickled cucumbers and the uselessness and sometimes even harm of pickled cucumbers.

A common advantage of pickles and pickled cucumbers is their long shelf life. Because of this, you can eat your favorite vegetables without buying store-bought products of dubious quality during the colder seasons.

It will be best to avoid store-bought canned products and give their preference only to homemade pickles. So you can control the quality of cucumber fruits, and the absence in the brine additives harmful to the human body: high levels of acetic acid, artificial preservatives and flavorings.

Pickled and pickled cucumbers differ from fresh cucumbers with richer flavors. Their consumption has a mild laxative effect, improves digestion and increases appetite.

Both types of pickles are most often eaten as a stand-alone appetizer, but they can also be added to hot dishes, sandwiches, or salads to give them a special zest.

How Cucumber Juice Helps

Freshly squeezed cucumber juice is a concentrate of all the useful qualities of the cucumber. It regulates perfectly the acid-alkaline balance of the intestine and has both a preventive effect against diseases and helps to combat existing ones.

Cucumber juice helps to fight against cardiovascular diseases, gastrointestinal pathologies, and also restores the balance of potassium and sodium and removes harmful substances from the body.

How to make

To prepare a cucumber fraiche, you will need a juicer and a few pieces of cucumbers. Such juice can be consumed not only as an independent product, but also add to it the juice of other vegetables or fruits, yogurt or honey.

A mixture of cucumber juice and honey will serve as a good remedy for coughs and facilitate the expectoration of phlegm. You can drink up to 1 liter of juice per day. But it is recommended not to consume it more than 100 ml at a time.

The benefits of tomato and cucumber salad

Tomato and cucumber salad is one of the most common in the world. Both of these products have a valuable composition for humans, rich in micronutrients, vitamins and nutrients.

Tomatoes, like cucumbers, are a powerful antioxidant, help prevent the risk of cardiovascular disease, and keep people beautiful and young. But the benefits of such a salad are greatly questioned. Nutritionists argue that the digestion of tomatoes and cucumbers is very different, so the frequent consumption of such a dish can lead to severe consequences for the digestive system.

Digestion of such food can cause an imbalance of digestive processes and lead to colic, indigestion, and excessive gas. Frequent consumption of tomato and cucumber salad can cause problems with sugar processing and starch digestion.

However, before removing the salad from the menu, you should first of all be guided by your feelings - if it does not cause discomfort in the stomach, then it can be used in moderation.

Is it possible to eat cucumbers for weight loss

Cucumbers have the perfect composition for active weight loss: a large amount of water helps in cleansing the body of toxins, and high fiber content gives a feeling of rapid saturation.

Thus, eating cucumbers, we sort of cheat our stomach - they consist of 95% water and have a very small calorie content. This vegetable can be consumed as a diuretic to normalize stools.

It is also possible to carry out days of discharge on cucumbers - it will help to cleanse the intestines and get rid of excess fluid as quickly as possible.

Of course, you should not make cucumbers a staple food, because they cannot replace a complete diet. Soon a person may get an upset stomach and general weakness. It is necessary to follow the rules of healthy eating, to regulate the number of calories eaten and to maintain a balance of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. And then cucumbers will help to speed up the metabolism, to strengthen the health of the body in general and to see in the mirror a desired slender figure.

Cucumbers in medicine

Cucumbers are widely used for prevention and treatment of diseases. In medicine, not only their fruits, but also the flowers are used.

For Diabetes Mellitus

Diabetes mellitus is most often caused by obesity. Thus, if you eat cucumbers regularly, you will reduce the risk of disease, because the vegetables help to normalize the metabolism, speed up the metabolism and reduce the number of calories. They can also be on the menu of a diabetic patient due to their low glycemic index.

Important: The glycemic index of fresh cucumber is 20 units.

In pancreatitis

During the exacerbation of the disease, cucumbers should be excluded from the menu. It is necessary to consume them only when the attacks of acute pancreatitis have stopped. Introduce them into the diet carefully, so as not to provoke an upset stomach. It is better to start with half a cucumber, peeling it and crushing it into a puree, since the skin has a high level of fiber and can provoke irritation. When the patient's condition stabilizes, cucumber salad dressed with vegetable oil can be introduced into his menu.

Regardless of the stage of pancreatitis, the patient needs to completely eliminate from his menu salted and pickled cucumbers, since a large amount of salt, vinegar and spices will aggravate the disease.

Also dishes of fresh cucumbers can be used for good discharge days with pancreatitis: the stomach will not have to digest heavy food, and the pancreas will be able to normalize during the diet.

With gastritis

With gastritis with high acidity should be completely excluded from the menu of pickles and pickled cucumbers. Fresh cucumbers for this disease are relatively neutral, so you can eat them. The main thing is not to do this during periods of exacerbation of the disease and not to abuse them.

It is necessary to follow some rules:

1. Avoid buying cucumbers grown with nitrites.
2. Before eating vegetables, not only rinse, but also peel the skin.
3. Do not salt or pepper them.
4. Do not do unloading days with gastritis.
5. Consume the product in moderation, when preparing a salad, the volume of cucumbers should not dominate over other vegetables.
6. Exclude cucumbers in any form with gastritis with reduced acidity.

For the intestines

Fiber, which is rich in cucumbers, serves as a powerful adsorbent for all poisons accumulated in the intestines, as well as cleanses it and normalizes stools. Cucumber puree has a positive effect on intestinal peristalsis and treats inflammation. Vegetables are especially useful for spastic colitis.

For constipation

Cucumbers can serve as a good laxative - just eat them in large quantities, make cucumber juice and mix it with yogurt, or eat them as a salad, well seasoned with sunflower oil. Eating them regularly will help prevent constipation.

For Gout

Fresh cucumbers for gout can be eaten almost in unlimited quantities - they help to remove excess salt and acid from the body with urine. They also have a diuretic effect and help get rid of excess fluid.

Pickled and salty cucumbers should be completely removed from the menu, since they contain a high concentration of substances that aggravate the disease.

In colitis

The diet for colitis should be made for each patient individually. Salted and pickled cucumbers should be excluded completely, but fresh cucumbers may well be used in the composition of the patient's daily menu.

In hemorrhoids

Patients suffering from hemorrhoids should avoid canned vegetables and focus on fresh cucumbers. They will help to avoid the discomfort associated with loose stools.

In case of cholecystitis.

Patients suffering from cholecystitis are allowed to eat fresh cucumbers and their juice, as well as prepare salads, mixing them with other vegetables.

Recipes of folk medicine based on cucumbers

Remedy for cough and phlegm

Prepare 200 grams of cucumber juice and add 1.5 tablespoons of honey. Such a remedy should be consumed every three hours by 1 tablespoon.

If you are obese

It is necessary to carry out a discharge day on cucumbers once a week. You can eat them in any quantity on this day.

If you have a rash or itch

Grate a cucumber on a grater and apply this mush to the irritation on the skin. You can put a bandage over it and walk like that for half an hour.

For hyperacidity and gastritis

It is recommended to drink half a glass of cucumber juice an hour before meals. You can also use cucumbers with honey instead.

For tuberculosis or a tumor of the spleen

Dry ripe cucumber seeds, grind them and take orally 1 tbsp. in the morning with water.

In diseases of the liver

1 tbsp. crushed raw material of overripe fruits and dried stalks should be poured in 200 ml of cold water, then bring to a boil. According to the recipe, boil for 5 minutes. (no longer) over low heat, then cool the decoction, be sure to strain. Take on a regular basis 2 tablespoons 3 times a day before meals.

When hepatitis.

Grind ripe cucumbers and roots (about 20-30 grams of the mixture per 1 cup of water), boil for 20 minutes. Then strain and take internally half a cup three times a day.

Cucumbers in cosmetology

Cosmetic remedies based on cucumbers are among the most popular remedies around the world. This is due not only to the general availability of cucumbers, but also, of course, with their rich composition of useful trace elements.

Cucumber has beneficial effects on human beauty in two ways:

1. On the inside: cleansing the body of toxins, neutralizing the effects of smoking and alcohol.
2. Outside: moisturizing and whitening the skin, treating rashes, healing wounds, moisturizing and nourishing hair, regulating the sebaceous glands.

Facial masks from cucumbers

At home, you can safely use facial masks to eliminate swelling, dark circles under the eyes, to rejuvenate and moisturize the skin. Cucumber effectively adjusts the sebaceous glands, removes pigment spots and brightens the skin. This vegetable is also a real salvation against rashes: it fights both acne and allergic rash.

If there is no time and desire to bother with the preparation of a cosmetic mask, it will be enough to make a puree of cucumber or just spread it on the skin, pre-cut into thin circles. It will also be good if you even just wipe your skin with a slice of cucumber. By doing so, you can saturate the skin with useful substances and get rid of pimples in the process.

Note! Cucumber juice is rich in silicon dioxide and rejuvenates the skin well, giving it elasticity, restoring the facial oval and eliminating redness.

It is important to remember that cucumber is a seasonal product, so in the cold season vegetables sold in stores have little to no benefit. Using for a face mask cucumbers grown in greenhouse conditions with a lot of pesticides can lead to irritation and inflammation of the skin.

Facial Tonic

1. Squeeze the juice of 1 medium-sized cucumber, add to it 2 teaspoons of honey and mix.
2. This mixture is best stored in a glass jar in the refrigerator for no longer than 4 days.
3. Shake the tonic well before use, apply it to the skin with a cotton pad and wash it off in 20 minutes with cold water.

Such a product nourishes the skin well, neutralizes inflammation, narrows pores and heals wounds.

Nourishing cucumber and avocado mask

1. Prepare a puree of a quarter of a cucumber and avocado, add to them the white of one egg and one tablespoon of milk or natural yogurt.
2. The resulting mixture should be applied with circular massage movements to face, neck and cleavage area. In 20-30 minutes wash off the mask with warm water and apply moisturizing cream.

Mask for dry skin prone to irritation

1. It is necessary to grate half of one cucumber and mix it with a tablespoon of natural yogurt.
2. Apply the mush to the skin and wash off after 30 minutes with cold water.

Mask for problem skin
It is necessary to grind a quarter of a fresh, preliminary cooled cucumber, add a drop of essential oil (you can use rosemary or tea tree oil) and the white of one egg. Mix the mixture until homogeneous, apply it to the skin, avoiding the eye area, hold it for 10-15 minutes and wash off with warm water. Afterwards apply moisturizing cream.

For oily skin
Prepare cucumber-apple puree (proportion 1:1). Apply the ready mixture to the face and hold for 15-20 minutes. If you do such a mask regularly, 2 times a week, the work of the sebaceous glands will be adjusted.

Also for a similar effect, you can apply a mask made from finely chopped cucumber and oatmeal. They must be mixed to the consistency of homemade sour cream, apply to the face and wash off after 30 minutes with warm water. Then wipe your face with a tonic.

From pimples
Cucumber has good antiseptic and soothing properties, so it is enough to prepare a puree and apply to the problem areas. Then rinse after 20 minutes with clean, cold water.

Also to get rid of acne can be mixed in proportions of 1:1 cucumber pulp and sour curd, hold for 15-20 minutes and rinse with warm water.

Regular use of such masks stimulates the skin to renewal, gives a healthy and well-groomed appearance.

Hair Masks

For dry hair
To prepare the mask you need to grind with a blender 1 medium cucumber, then squeeze the juice from it, add one tablespoon of olive oil and one egg. The resulting mixture should be well mixed and applied to the entire length of the hair, hold for 20 minutes, and then rinse with shampoo. This mask not only saturates the hair, but also perfectly protects it from water (for example, when swimming in the pool or at sea).

To strengthen and normalize the sebaceous glands of the scalp
This mask can be done even every day. It is believed that it stimulates hair growth and gives them volume. For its preparation, you need to prepare and mix in equal proportions of cucumber juice and cabbage, and then rub the composition into the scalp. You can wash it off after 20 minutes with warm water.

Harms and contraindications

Pickled and pickled cucumbers have many contraindications: from the harmful composition of store products, to certain diseases that require to limit or completely remove them from the menu:

1. liver diseases;
2. disorders of water-salt balance in the body;
3. atherosclerosis;
4. thyroid disorders;
5. cardiovascular diseases;
6. obesity and metabolic disorders;
7. personal intolerance to the body and allergies;
8. stomach abnormalities.

Harm from fresh cucumbers is also possible, but only in case of violation of growing rules, the use of large amounts of pesticides and growth stimulants. Improperly grown fruits can cause poisoning and provoke damage to the digestive system, liver and kidneys. Therefore, you should choose vegetables by examining them carefully, avoiding the "glossy" and plastic look. Buy them only in season, giving preference to local producers and varieties.

Take note! The use of fresh cucumbers should be limited to people who are contraindicated to drink plenty of water (for example, with kidney disease). In this case it is better to limit their consumption to 100-150 grams per day.

How to choose and store cucumbers

Cucumbers are seasonal vegetables, and in summer it is much easier to find a quality product. It is best to choose local varieties - such products are usually as natural and fresh as possible.

It is also necessary to consider what you need the product for: there are salad cucumbers, snack cucumbers, pickles and all-purpose cucumbers.

When choosing vegetables, you should carefully examine their appearance: the presence of yellowing could mean the use of nitrates during cultivation or spoilage of the fruit.

Cucumbers with bumps have a better flavor, and smooth-topped ones keep longer. Fruits with white spikes are good for pickling. If you got cucumbers with bitterness, the taste of bitterness can be neutralized by salting or pickling them.

But remember! Nitrates tend to accumulate in the skin, so the cucumber tips should be cut off.

Cucumbers, rich in liquid content, are easily rotten, so it is best to store them in the refrigerator in a separate container no longer than 7 days. They will keep at room temperature for 4-5 days.

To extend the shelf life, you need to put the cucumbers tail in water and do not forget to change it periodically.

How to Eat Cucumbers

Can I Eat at Night and on an empty stomach?

It is best not to eat cucumbers for breakfast, since during this period of time the stomach is not yet fully awake. This can provoke an upset. A late dinner consisting of cucumbers can lead to unwanted fermentation processes and gas.

How much you can eat per day.

An adult healthy person is allowed to eat 200-300 g of fresh cucumbers per day.

Children under one year should not be given them. After a year to three years, you can try to carefully give them a child in small portions of 20-50 grams, gradually increasing the amount, if they do not cause any side effects.

Pickled cucumbers healthy adults are advised to eat no more than 150 grams per day.

Can I Eat Pickles and Pickled Cucumbers during Lent?

Cucumbers are considered to be a fasting food. During Lent, they can be eaten in any form. But the human menu during this period is limited, so the body does not get a lot of useful substances, to which it is accustomed. Therefore it is necessary to be careful and not to abuse pickles. The weakened body can not cope with a large number of purchased pickles, and it can have serious consequences for the health of the stomach and intestines.

What you can make with cucumbers: recipes

Rolls

Ingredients: 3 cucumbers, 200 grams of soft cheese or cottage cheese, 50 grams of olives, 5 sprigs of dill or parsley, 2 stalks of green onions, 50 grams of capers, 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise (can be replaced with yogurt or sour cream), salt to taste.

Peel the cucumbers and cut into thin strips, using a vegetable slicer. Melt soft cheese or cottage cheese with a fork and add chopped greens. Finely chop the capers and olives and squeeze them out of the brine or let them sit on a paper towel to remove excess moisture. Then add them to the stuffing, dressed with mayonnaise (or sour cream), salt to your taste.

Form long ribbons of sliced cucumbers (overlapping each other), put a small ball of filling on the beginning and roll up the rolls. The finished product can be pierced with toothpicks or special skewers and served fresh to the table.

Fresh cucumber appetizer

Ingredients: 5 pieces of cucumbers, 3 cloves of garlic, a bunch of herbs, French mustard (1 teaspoon), 50 ml of sunflower, unrefined oil, 30 ml of 9% vinegar, 0.5 teaspoon of sugar, salt to taste.

Cut the cucumbers into large slices, add salt and sugar, chopped garlic and the rest of the ingredients. Mix well, allow to stand for 30 minutes at room temperature and serve.

How to salt cucumbers correctly

Properly salt cucumbers is very simple. You will need 1 kg of cucumbers, 1 liter of water, salt (not iodized), a bunch of any herbs.

Cucumbers and herbs should be thoroughly washed, cut off the ends of fruits, put them in a jar mixed with herbs. Pour salted water over them and leave for a day at room temperature.

These cucumbers can be eaten the next day, they are much healthier than the purchased products.

How to make pickles

You will need: 1-2 kg of young cucumbers, 20 grams of salt, 15 grams of sugar, 4 cloves of garlic, a bunch of herbs, paprika.

Cut the cucumbers into slices, chop the dill and garlic with a knife. Mix all the ingredients, put into a bag and let stand for an hour in the refrigerator.

Can I give cucumbers to pets?

Cucumbers are a valuable source of vitamins not only for people but also for pets. They can be given not only to small and large cattle, but also to cats and dogs.

The only thing to keep in mind is that it is strictly forbidden to give salted and pickled cucumbers to pets, since it is fraught with a number of diseases related to the gastrointestinal tract and parasites.

You should not feed your pet vegetables that have been grown with nitrates and growth stimulants.

Interesting facts about cucumbers

1. Cucumbers are "relatives" of the pumpkin and melon.
2. Botanically, they are considered a berry.
3. A kilogram contains less than 100 calories.
4. There are varieties of square and red cucumbers.
5. The more often they are harvested, the more plants produce fruit.
6. Cucumbers have been used as food by humans for more than 6,000 years.

Cucumber Photo