Vegetables for vitality: cucumbers

Cucumbers are cool to the tongue and refreshing to the mouth. They go well with hot foods such as curries, and also add crunch and a little fibre to salads and salsas.

Packed into 250 millilitres (one cup) of sliced cucumber:

• about 14 calories
• plenty of water to help maintain normal body temperature
• vitamin C to help your body absorb iron from other foods

Season

Available all year, but best in summer months. Pickling cucumbers, like Kirbys and gherkins, are also at their peak in warm weather. Kirbys are crisp and delicious without being pickled. Hydroponic cucumbers are hothouse grown in water and available all year, wrapped in plastic.

What to look for

Select firm cucumbers that are heavy for their size, with no soft spots or shriveled skin.

Storing

Cucumbers that are plastic-wrapped will keep for up to a week in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator. Cut cucumbers must be tightly wrapped and checked daily for signs of decay – soft spots develop quickly.

Preparation

• Some people prefer to remove the seeds from cucumbers before eating.
• Peel the cucumber, if you wish, then cut lengthwise in half. Use the tip of a spoon to scoop out the centre row of seeds from each half. Discard seeds.
• Chop, slice or fill the cucumber as directed in a recipe.

Basic cooking

Cucumbers aren't just for eating raw in salads. Sliced or chopped, they can be steamed, sautéed or stir-fried in a little oil, sprinkled with salt and chopped fresh dill and served warm as a side dish.

Best uses in recipes

Cucumbers are most commonly eaten in salads and mixed vegetable platters, as snacks, and as part of chilled, uncooked soups such as gazpacho. They are also the basis for many types of pickles.

• To make a speedy sweet-and-sour cucumber salad without pickling, simply marinate thinly sliced cucumber and onion in vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper for several hours in the refrigerator.
• Serve chilled with meat or fish.

• Add slices of chilled cucumber to almost any sandwich.
• Stir grated or diced cucumber with plain yogurt, chopped mint, ground cumin and pepper to make the Indian condiment raita that is a cooling accompaniment to curries.
• Slice a cucumber lengthwise, scoop out seeds, poach in water to cover for five minutes and fill with hot, seasoned rice.
• Sauté cucumber slices in butter or oil and sprinkle with dill.
• Purée peeled cucumber in a food processor with yogurt, a peeled garlic clove, fresh dill, lemon juice, salt and pepper for a chilled soup.

• Scoring the skin of a cucumber gives slices a green and white edge that looks attractive in salads.
• Trim the ends, stand the cucumber on one of them, and, pressing gently, run the tines of a fork down its length.
• Repeat the process around the circumference of the cucumber.