Cucumber

“Cool as a cucumber” isn’t just a catchy phrase. The inner temperature of a cucumber can be up to 20 degrees cooler than the outside air temperature due to the cucumber's high water content.

Did You Know?

• Cucumbers are very low in calories. Half a cup of sliced cucumbers contains fewer than 10 calories.
• Cucumbers are packed with vitamin K. Vitamin K is essential for the functioning of several proteins involved in blood clotting.
• There are two main types of cucumbers, slicers and picklers. Slicers are the cucumbers that you find on vegetable trays or in salads, and picklers are used to make pickles.
• Puffy eyes? Place sliced cucumbers over your eyes to help reduce swelling.
• Cucumbers are a member of the gourd family along with melons, squash and pumpkins.

Shopping, Preparing and Storing 

• When choosing a cucumber, look for one that is firm, unblemished and is either light or dark green but never yellow.
• Store cucumbers in the refrigerator, unwashed in a perforated plastic bag or crisper drawer so they can breathe.
• Never freeze cucumbers.

Cooking Tips

• To seed cucumbers, simply slice them in half lengthwise and use a teaspoon to scoop out all of the seeds.
• When adding sliced or chopped cucumber to a yogurt- or sour cream-based sauce or soup, do so at the last moment as the cucumber will release water the longer it stands.

Cucumber Nutrition

Serving size: 1 cup 

Calories: 14; Total Fat: 0 g; Saturated Fat: 0 g; Total Carbohydrates: 3 g; Protein: 1 g; Sodium: 2 mg

Download a flyer to print about Florida cucumbers [ 2.9 MB ] .