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Vegetables

CUCUMBERS


Cucumbers are related to squash and melons. They are produced in allstates and are available twelve months of the year. During the winter monthssupplies from California, Florida, and Texas are supplemented by importsfrom Mexico and the islands of the Caribbean.

There are many varieties of cucumbers, but they can be broken down intothree basic types: the run-of-the-mill, smooth-skinned garden cucumbers;the small, warty-skinned pickles; and the elongated, almost seedless Europeancucumbers.

The regular cucumbers can be found in all retail outlets and usually sellat modest prices. They are used primarily in mixed salads but are used occasionallyin cold soups. They may be hollowed out and stuffed with rice and groundmeat, using the same recipe as you would for baked stuffed peppers.

Garden-variety cucumbers are shipped to market in four grades, but the consumeris not privy to this information. All grades of cucumbers usually come fromthe same field. They are sorted and graded at the packing houses and thegrades are stamped on the shipping containers. The retailer is not requiredto post these grades. The best cukes are graded as super select or smallsuper. To earn this top ranking the cucumbers have to be clear-skinned,dark green in color, straight and symmetrical in shape, and fairly thinin diameter. The next best grade is called select. These are not quite assymmetrical and may be slightly off-color.

The cukes that do not meet the super select or select standards are gradedas commercial and the oversized, very thick cucumbers are graded as slicers.While the slicers look impressive, they usually sell at wholesale for lessthan half the price per bushel of the super selects. The slicers are nobargain because they are sometimes puffy rather than firm and they alwayshave very large, coarse, oily-flavored seeds. The smaller the cuke,the smaller the seeds, and the better the flavor.

The best flavored cucumbers, but not the best looking ones, are called picklesor Kirbys. The Kirby is a variety that is pale green and off white in color.They are quite small, but the smaller the better. They aren't very symmetricaland the skin is warty. However, in this case looks are deceiving. They arecrisp, crunchy, and the tiny seeds give them a fine flavor. The Kirbys arealso used to make the dill pickles that you buy in jars.

The smallest variety of pickle is called the gherkin. These are alsovery tasty when eaten raw, but they are seldom found in retail markets.The commercial processors contract for them by the ton and pay the growertop dollar.

The European cucumbers rate an A for color, size, and shape, but not forflavor. They are practically seedless, but it is the seed of the cucumberthat carries most of its flavor. Because they lack seeds, they are sometimesmarketed as burpless cucumbers. While they can be grown outdoors on trellises,they are usually grown in greenhouses. They are always more expensive thanregular cukes.

When choosing any type of cucumber, the darker the color (except for theKirbys), the better. A yellow color indicates old age and possibly hardseeds. The slim medium or small cucumbers are preferable to the big fatones. Avoid any cucumbers that are puffy, soft, withered, or shriveled (softones sometimes have a bitter flavor). Cucumbers keep for more than a weekin the refrigerator, but it is preferable to use them in a day or two afterpurchase.

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