By Mike Gillespie
CanWest News Service
OTTAWA - A garden, we're told, is a symbol of man's arrogance-perverting nature to human ends. If that's true, we've been a smug lot for an awfully long time. The cucumber is a case in point. While you may never have given it a whole lot of thought, cucumbers are really, really old. Truth be told, they're older even than Methuselah.
But not only have they not changed much in appearance since they were first spotted in the wilds of southern Asia 3,000 years ago and wound up as lunch (prompting their cultivation by "arrogant" gardeners), they are still just as nutritious as ever. The fact that ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle gave the lowly cuke two thumbs up for its curative powers didn't hurt its image either - a testimonial taken to heart by the world's beauty spas, which continue to administer them to puffy-eyed patrons.
In gardens across Canada, cucumber plants are now nearing the peak of their growing season. Those brave souls who defied lingering frost warnings and planted seedlings on the May 24 weekend should soon be seeing the first signs of flowering and setting of fruit.
Most varieties of cucumbers take up to 80 days from planting to picking and will be ripening in most gardens in mid August, if the rules have been followed - planted when the threat of frost is long past and night-time temperatures are staying above lO*C, located in a sheltered, well-fertilized, well-drained site and kept watered (crucial, especially when fruiting).
Cumbers are not the easiest of seedlings to plant. On the transplant scale, they'd rate "poor," unless planted from single-cell containers, which cause less root damage.
The best bet is to grow them from seed, planting them in mounds about 15 centimetres high to provide drainage, with two to three seeds per mound and about two centimetres deep, with the seeds on their sides. Bear in mind when planting in the spring that the seeds germinate quickly (three to 10 days) and are totally intolerant to cold weather.
Transplanted seedlings should be popped into a 30-centimetre-deep hole that's been packed with well-rotted compost and then mounded up with the plant in the centre. The mounds should be a good half-metre apart.
Some studies have shown the temperature of cucumbers can be as much as eight degrees Celsius lower than that of surrounding plants (hence, the "cool as a cucumber" description for cool, imperturbable people).
Some varieties of cukes (climbing rather than bush cultivars) can also be grown on trellises or nets. Plant them about a metre apart against a two-metre high structure. To make the branches stronger, nip out the growing point on the plant after six or more leaves have appeared. You can also tie them up to provide extra support. Outdoor cucumbers are quite different (spiny and smaller) from, the hothouse variety found in stores through the winter. Indoor cukes, like the English variety, are smooth-skinned and require no pollination to set fruit. Traditionally, hothouse growers use all-female cultivars to prevent accidental pollination, which can result in bitter fruit.
You should start harvesting cucumbers when the fruit reaches about 15 centimetres in length. They should be a rich green with no soft spots. Larger fruit can become bitter as it matures, although you can scoop out the seeds and still enjoy them. One trick is to cut off the stemmed end, which is generally the most bitter part, and peel them.
There are really only two types of cucumbers - for slicing or for pickling (such as the American dill, which grows only about 10 centimetres long). Cucumbers, which are part of the gourd family, are all built the same way - about 95-per-cent water and containing small amounts of such vitamins and minerals as A, B and C, folic acid, phosphorous, potassium, calcium, zinc, iron and magnesium.
One medium-sized cucumber will add 39 calories to your frame. It's the cucumber's water content that gives it the remarkable ability to remain cool to the touch - even while sitting in the hot sun. Some studies have shown their temperatures can be as much as eight degrees Celsius lower than that of surrounding plants (hence, the "cool as a cucumber" description for cool, imperturbable people).
Apart from its use for tired eyes (thanks to its soothing acids), cucumbers have been a popular folk medicine for a range of illnesses from heartburn to acid stomach, to chest problems, gout and even tapeworm.
The fact cucumber plants are so prolific also helps reduce the pain of having to throw out the fruit after only a week or so in the fridge. But you can give them extra shelf life by not storing them with other fruits such as apples, tomatoes and melons, all of which give off ethylene gas - a cucumber's worst nightmare that quickly turns it to mush.
*(OTTAWA CITIZEN)
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