A Guide to Types of Cucumbers
Cucumbers have been cultivated for at least 3,000 years. There are around 100 kinds of cucumbers around the world right now.
5-Minute Crafts is going to tell you about some kinds of cucumbers.
What can be considered a cucumber
A cucumber is:
- In botanical terms, it’s a berry with a thick outer skin and no inner sections.
- Gastronomically speaking, it’s a vegetable.
- Visually, it’s a creeping vine with fruits that are cylindrical, elongated, and sharp on both ends.
It’s 95% water, 4% carbs, and 1% protein.
The rind is edible, but it can taste bitter because it serves as protection against herbivore animals.
Usually, cucumbers are eaten fresh or pickled.
A fresh cucumber doesn’t need to be cooked. They usually form on vines with big leaves that provide shade.
A pickle is a cucumber that was pickled in a brine, vinegar, or a different mix.
Cucumbers for pickling are usually 3-4 inches long and 1 inch wide. They have bumpy skin and might have a creamy-yellow or dark color.
Cornichons are pickled cucumbers measuring 1-5 inches long.
Types of cucumbers
There are around 100 types of cucumbers. They vary in taste and flavor, and some of them have bitter skin. In most cases, they look like each other, but some of them can be quite unusual.
Northern pickling
These cucumbers are grown for the sole purpose of pickling, but they can also be eaten fresh. They are short and thick, so they are good for storing in jars. On the outside, they are green with yellowish lines along the entire length. The firm flesh and skin mean that they retain their crunch after pickling.
Gele Tros
It’s a kind of cucumber that has a light color, ranging from white to light yellow. The size varies from 6 to 10 inches. It has tender skin and crisp flesh. It’s recommended not to prune the shoots entirely, otherwise, the tip will be bitter.
Persian
Persian cucumbers have a thin skin and narrow shape. You don’t have to peel it, you can eat it fresh or fry it a little. It’s usually 4-5 inches long. It has a sweet, soft taste and is quite crunchy. There are almost no seeds in such cucumbers.
English
English cucumbers are elongated with a thin skin that you don’t need to peel and rarely have seeds. They are like Persian cucumbers but longer — up to 11 inches. The taste is softer but not as sweet, and they can be more watery. This kind of cucumber was made to exclude any undesirable characteristics, like a bitter taste, firm skin, and big seeds. It’s good for eating fresh, like on salads, for example.
Lebanese
It has a soft, sweet taste, it’s crunchy, and it has a thin, green skin. Puffy, short cucumbers without seeds are good for salads and pickling. This type has a few hybrids.
Japanese
These are long and thin cucumbers without seeds. The thick dark-green skin has spikes. They are often added to sushi and valued because they are not bitter. They are like sweet melon — crunchy and juicy.
Armenian
Armenian cucumbers have rough but thin pale-green colored skin with ridges that run lengthwise. They are often rolled into funny shapes. These cucumbers grow around 30 to 36 inches and have small seeds. They are actually melons but are related to cucumbers too. They’re great for salads and sandwiches. These cucumbers are not bitter but crunchy, and they are usually eaten fresh.
Lemon
