As temperatures rise, there’s no better time to enjoy Florida cucumbers!
Cucumbers come in a wide variety of colors, shapes, sizes and textures. There are the traditional green-colored cucumbers, as well as white and yellow ones. They may be short, slightly oval or even round in shape. The skin on the cucumber can be smooth and thin or thick and rough.
Cucumbers are known for being very low in calories – a whole cucumber is only 45 calories, an excellent source of vitamin K and a good source of vitamin C and potassium.
In the United States, Florida is the number one producer of cucumbers. The two main types grown are slicers, produced for fresh consumption, and picklers, produced for processing into pickles.
Cucumber creations:
- Add to smoothies or juice
- Make a wrap with sliced meat, cheese, hummus, lettuce, sprouts and cucumber
- Slice and layer on your favorite sandwich or hamburger
- Chop and add to salsa
- Traditional cucumber sandwich = French bread + cream cheese + mayonnaise + cucumber + dill
- Make a creamy cucumber dip or dip cucumbers into yogurt for a delicious snack
Chef Terah recently provided samples of a delicious nutrient-packed cucumber salad (Cucumber Black Eyed Pea Salad). Encourage your clients to try it at home!
Cucumber Black Eyed Pea Salad
Ingredients
1 can of black eyed peas
1 cucumber with seeds removed, diced
1 tomato diced
½ red onion, diced
¼ cup chopped cilantro or parsley
1-2 tablespoons mayonnaise or olive oil
1-2 tablespoons red wine vinegar (can use white vinegar, rice wine vinegar, etc.)
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
- Drain and rinse peas.
- Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, stir.
Served best when thoroughly chilled.
*Chef Notes: This recipe can easily be doubled. Other additions to this salad could be: diced bell pepper, finely diced Jalapeño pepper, feta cheese, green onions or olives.
This article and image are adapted from Fresh From Florida. You can find more delicious recipes and resources in their cucumber toolkit.