What type of fruit is a cucumber?
The cucumber belongs to the Cucurbitaceae (gourd family). The cucumber belongs to the genus Cucumis of which there are 20 to 25 species found mostly in Asia and Africa. Only two Cucumis sativus (cucumber) and Cucumis melo (melon, muskmelon and persian melon) are of commercial importance in North America.
How to fertilize cucumber plants for your best harvest ever?
What Is the Best Fertilizer for Cucumbers?
- Cucumber Nutrient Requirements. Cucumbers have low nitrogen requirements, but they need high potassium and high phosphorus levels. ...
- Nitrogen Precautions When Feeding Cucumbers. Beware of overfeeding your cucumbers with general, all-purpose formulas that contain high nitrogen levels.
- Well-Aged Compost for Cucumbers. ...
- Growing Cucumbers in Containers. ...
Is a cucumber in the melon family?
While cucumbers aren’t melons, they are both members of the Cucurbitaceae family. These two fruits are very closely related and grow in similar ways. The Cucurbitaceae family contains approximately 975 species of flowering gourds, including cucumbers and various types of melons.
What are some good recipes for cucumbers?
Creative recipes for cooking with cucumbers
- Pickled cucumbers (aka pickles)
- Tzatziki dip with cucumbers
- High-protein stuffed cucumbers
- Cucumber juice
- Cold cucumber summer soup
- Smashed cucumber toast
Is a cucumber a fruit or a vegetable?
The botanical classification: Cucumbers are fruit. A botanical fruit would have at least one seed and grow from the flower of the plant. With this definition in mind, cucumbers are classified as fruit because they contain tiny seeds in the middle and grow from the flower of the cucumber plant.
Why is a cucumber a vegetable and not a fruit?
Cucumbers are a type of edible plant that belongs to the gourd family. It's widely cultivated and makes a nutritious addition to any diet. Cucumber is usually considered a vegetable because of how it's used in the culinary world. However, as it grows from flowers and contains seeds, it's botanically a fruit.
What vegetable is actually a fruit?
Pumpkins and other squash contain seeds, so they are botanically considered a fruit. Peppers are also botanically considered a fruit but would be grown by a vegetable specialist. Avocados are a fruit — the pit inside is a giant seed.
Is a tomato fruit or veg?
To a botanist, a fruit is an entity that develops from the fertilized ovary of a flower. This means that tomatoes, squash, pumpkins, cucumbers, peppers, eggplants, corn kernels, and bean and pea pods are all fruits; so are apples, pears, peaches, apricots, melons and mangos.
What makes a fruit not a vegetable?
Botanically, fruits and vegetables are classified depending on which part of the plant they come from. A fruit develops from the flower of a plant, while the other parts of the plant are categorized as vegetables. Fruits contain seeds, while vegetables can consist of roots, stems and leaves.
What makes a fruit vs vegetable?
Fruits come from the flowering part of a plant and contain seeds. In contrast, vegetables are the edible parts of a plant, such as the leaves, stem, roots, and bulbs. People often associate fruits with sweetness and vegetables with a savory taste.
Is a pineapple a fruit?
FruitPineapple / Fruit or VegetableA pineapple is neither a pine nor an apple, but a fruit consisting of many berries that have grown together. This also means that Pineapples are not a single fruit, but a group of berries that have fused together. The technical term for this is a “multiple fruit” or a “collective fruit”.
Why is a tomato considered a fruit?
Tomatoes are fruits that are considered vegetables by nutritionists. Botanically, a fruit is a ripened flower ovary and contains seeds. Tomatoes, plums, zucchinis, and melons are all edible fruits, but things like maple “helicopters” and floating dandelion puffs are fruits too.
What is a cucumber?
What is cucumber? Formally known by their scientific name Cucumis sativus, cucumbers are a member of the gourd, or Cucurbitaceae, family of plants ( 1.
What family is cucumber in?
Cucumbers belong to the gourd family and come in several varieties, including slicing and pickling. They’re nutritious and make a tasty addition to a healthy diet.
What is cucumber in the gourd family?
Cucumbers are a type of edible plant that belongs to the gourd family. It’s widely cultivated and makes a nutritious addition to any diet.
What to do with cucumbers in homemade face masks?
Try adding cucumber to homemade face masks and hair treatments for added moisture and a fresh scent — or include it in your favorite homemade soaps, facial toners, and body mists.
How to make a salad with cucumber?
Shake things up by making cucumber the main focus of your salad. Try slicing it into thin strips and topping it with fresh herbs, lemon, and crumbled feta cheese. Or add Asian-style flare by using rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and toasted sesame seeds.
What is cucumber best known for?
Size and color can vary considerably depending on the variety, but cucumbers are best known for their long, cylindrical shape and bright green skin.
Is cucumber a good source of antioxidants?
Trusted Source. ). They’re also rich in several unique plant compounds, such as cucurbitacins and cucumegastigmanes, which have potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties ( 4. Trusted Source. ). Cucumbers are low in calories, carbs, and fat, making them a viable option for almost any diet.
What is a cucumber?
The cucumber ( Cucumis sativus) is a widely grown plant in the family Cucurbitaceae. This family also includes squash. A cucumber looks similar to a zucchini ( British English: courgette ).
Is cucumber a vegetable?
This family also includes squash. A cucumber looks similar to a zucchini ( British English: courgette ). To a botanist, cucumbers are biologically fruits even if they are commonly considered vegetables: that is their value as a food.
Cucumbers have been called vegetables forever, but are they actually fruits?
Fruits and vegetables mean different things to different people, but most of us classify produce based on how it tastes (fruits are sweet, and veggies are savory) and how we eat it. That doesn’t stop us from wondering how certain foods are technically classified. Is cucumber a fruit? And for that matter, is tomato a fruit? Is avocado a fruit?
Is cucumber a fruit or a vegetable?
Well, it depends. How you classify cucumbers really comes down to whether you’re coming at the question from a botanical or culinary standpoint. So let’s dive in and answer the question at hand: Is cucumber a fruit?
Does it actually matter what we call cucumbers?
Yes and no. It’s important to know the facts about what we’re eating, and cucumbers and tomatoes are fruits, no matter what you grew up believing. Is cucumber a fruit? It is from a botanist’s point of view. Is cucumber a vegetable? Yes, from a culinary and cultural point of view.
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Awanthi Vardaraj has written varied pieces for publications such as The Washington Post, BBC Travel, Saveur, NPR, Brooklyn Mag, GOOD, Buzzfeed, The Kitchn, and more. She lives in a small beachside home in Chennai, India, and is owned by two cats and several hundred books.
What is a Cucumber?
Members of the gourd family of plants, cucumbers originated across Southeast Asia. Currently, they are one of the most accessible types of produce, as they can be grown around the world.
Botanically, Cucumbers Are Fruits
The botanical definition, which focuses on physiological elements like the structure and organization of the plant, classifies the cucumber as a fruit. A botanist would explain that fruits grow from the ovary of a flowering plant, and they possess seeds.
Culinarily, Cucumbers Are Vegetables
If you were to ask a chef or dietitian how they would categorize a cucumber, chances are they will say that cucumbers are a vegetable. This is due to the cucumber's appearance, texture and flavor.
Is cucumber fruit or vegetable?
Cucumbers are botanically classified as a fruit although many people tend to think that they are vegetables because of their mild, fresh flavor and appearance as well as their culinary use.
What is the nutritional profile of cucumbers?
Cucumbers are very water dense containing 95% of water while being low in calories but high in essential vitamins and minerals.
Conclusion
In this brief blog, we have answered the query, “Is cucumber a fruit or vegetable?” We have looked at the nutritional profile of cucumbers. We have also discussed the health benefits associated with eating cucumbers.
Is the Cucumber a Fruit or Vegetable?
Botanically, the cucumber is a fruit because science classifies plant parts as fruits or vegetables according to a particular plant’s composition and biology. But for cultural and culinary uses, the cucumber is also classified as a vegetable because of its uses in the kitchen and our diets.
Why Are Cucumbers Fruit?
Botany defines fruit as the product of a flower’s fertilization, and that fruit is a reproductive structure that contains the seed or seeds necessary for reproduction.
Why Are Cucumbers Vegetables?
Culturally and for culinary purposes, the cucumber is also considered a vegetable.
Health Benefits of Cucumbers
When it comes to our diet, cucumbers provide lots of vitamins and minerals, although they are primarily comprised of water. Here are some important health benefits to enjoy when including cucumbers in your diet.
Adding Cucumbers to Your Diet
Cucumbers are easy to introduce to your diet and are usually eaten raw, requiring very little preparation.
Is Cucumber a Fruit or Vegetable? Final Thoughts
The cucumber is a versatile fruit and vegetable that can be used in many ways. It can be added to any dish where its flavor would enhance the overall experience.
What are the nutritional contents of cucumber?
Cucumbers are low in calories but high in many important vitamins and minerals.
10 health benefits of cucumber
Cucumbers are quite popular in ancient Egypt and Greece. Cucumber is rich in nutrients, plant compounds, and antioxidants that help treat and reduce certain diseases.
When were vegetable marrows first used?
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the first mention of vegetable marrows dates to 1822, zucchini to 1929, and courgettes to 1931. Before the introduction of Cucurbita species from the New World, marrow signified the immature, edible fruits of Lagenaria, a cucurbit gourd of African origin widely grown since Antiquity for eating ...
What is the difference between courgettes and marrow?
However, there are some slight horticultural differences between courgettes and marrows. Courgettes [Courgette plants] tend to be bushy and [have] thin-skinned [fruit], whereas marrows [marrow plants] tend to trailing and have [fruits with] a thicker skin.
Can cucurbitacins be eaten?
Members of the plant family Cucurbitaceae, which includes zucchini, marrows, pumpkins and cucumbers, can contain toxins called cucurbitacins. These are chemically classified as steroids; they defend the plants from predators, and have a bitter taste to humans. Cultivated cucurbitaceae are bred for low levels of the toxin and are safe to eat. However, ornamental pumpkins can have high levels of cucurbitacins, and such ornamental plants can cross-fertilise edible cucurbitaceae – any such cross-fertilised seeds used by the gardener for growing food in the following season can therefore potentially produce bitter and toxic fruit. Also, dry weather conditions or irregular watering can stress the plant and favour the production of the toxin, which is not destroyed by cooking.
Can pumpkins have cucurbitacins?
However, ornamental pumpkins can have high levels of cucurbitacins, and such ornamental plants can cross-fertilise edible cucurbitaceae – any such cross-fertilised seeds used by the gardener for growing food in the following season can therefore potentially produce bitter and toxic fruit.
Is marrow a vegetable?
In a culinary context, marrows are treated as a vegetable; usually cooked and presented as a savory dish or accompaniment. Botanically, marrows are fruit, a type of botanical berry, being the swollen ovary of the marrow flower. Marrows, like all squash, have their ancestry in the Americas.