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Cool as a CucumberBy Dan "The Produce Man" AvakianThat's what they say. It's true. While out in the cucumber field with the hottest of hot sun beating down on them cucumbers internal temperature remains 20° cooler than the surrounding air! Now if there is a way to tap into them we could reduce our air conditioner costs. Maybe growing cukes on vines attached to the outside of buildings instead of ivy? How 'bout boring holes through cukes, inserting a straw, hooking up a shop-vac to it and sucking the cool air into the house? No... still uses electricity. Okay, I've got it! Genetically modify them so that they grow as big as a house and carve a floor plan into them. Could you imagine a home improvement program called "This Old Cuke?" That's it! I knew I would come up with it if I put enough of my ejacashon into it!
If you're still reading this than you have lots of patience. My wife would have left the room by now. Cucumbers are members of the cucurbit family. A vine like group of plants that include melons, pumpkins & squashes and in their own strange botanical way, they are berries. Several varieties of cucumbers hit the market during the summer months. Let's run through them real quick:
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There are a couple dozen species. Divide those into sub species and varieties within those sub-species into sub-varieties within those species... that's as botanically correct as I get. Any further interest in that one contact my buddy Guido the Gardener.
Cucumbers are believed to have originated in India and are relatives to musk-melons. The Egyptians, Greeks & Romans enjoyed cucumbers as well. Columbus carried the seeds with him to Haiti where European traders traveled and of course they made their way into Spain, France & Italy. Here in the U.S. Florida leads the way as the #1 cucumber producing state for the commercial market. California, New Jersey, & New York to follow.
When selecting cucumbers in the store, look for firm cukes deep in their varietal color. Over mature cucumbers will be puffy and yellow in color and will have a sour bitter flavor. Check the stem & blossom ends for shriveling. This is the sign of and old cuke. Keep away from sunken dis-colored areas as well.
Store cucumbers in the refrigerator at home. Cover cut end with plastic wrap and don't expect it to last more than a week.
 | Jakuh (Cucumber Soup) Cut 4 cucumbers (any variety) in 4 pieces lengthwise. Then cross cut in ¼ " chunks. Place in a bowl and add 1 quart plain yogurt a few cloves of garlic crushed, salt, pepper, and an generous sprinkling of fresh chopped or dry mint. If too thick add a little water and then chill for an hour or two. Fresh Relish A fresh relish is always a refreshing treat. Cut 1 medium size Armenian or several Picklers into ¼" chunks. Dice some Italian Sweet red onions, chopped parsley, julienned cut fennel bulbs and tomatoes. Add olive oil (extra virgin is best) and some wine vinegar. Chill some rice wine vinegar (super cold) and add it without the olive oil. |
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2 medium cucumbers, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped 1 medium tomato, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped 1 tablespoon white vinegar |
1 clove garlic, minced 1/2 teaspoon dried basil 2 tablespoons olive oil 8 oz. spaghetti, cooked and drained |
| In medium bowl combine cucumbers, tomato, vinegar, basil and oil; stir gently to combine. Toss with hot pasta and serve immediately Yield: 4 servings Nutritional Information per serving: Approximately 255 calories, 8 grams protein, 4 grams fat, 0 milligrams cholesterol and 4 milligrams sodium. | |
| 2 medium cucumbers, diagonally sliced 1 cup plain nonfat yogurt 1/4 teaspoon dried dill | |
| In medium bowl, combine all ingredients. Gently toss to mix. Cover and refrigerate until serving time, at least 2 hours. Yield: 4 servings Nutritional Information per serving: approximately 40 calories, 3 grams protein, 4 grams fat, 14 milligrams cholesterol and 43 milligrams sodium | |
| Memorial Day, The Fourth of July, the county fair, Labor Day, summer picnics etc. You get the picture. I love fresh corn on the cob. I prepare it many ways and I'm going to share them with you, but first, stock up on the dental floss! Corn is grown commercially in 30 states, and I'm not going to name them all! In the winter fresh eating corn comes from Florida & Mexico. As spring progresses and the summer weather arrives the Coachella Valley kicks in & then right around the first couple of weeks of June (weather cooperating) we see corn from Brentwood, Stockton, & Dixon just to name a few of our common local growing areas. |  |
History
Corn is native to North, Central, and South America. The Indians of the Western Hemisphere had grown corn for thousands of years before Christopher Columbus' voyage to North America. In ancient Indian villages, petrified corncobs have been discovered that are over 5,000 years old. Columbus traded with the Indians and took corn back to Spain and from there it was introduced to other Western European farmers and from there so on and so forth. The early settlers were taught how to plant, store and prepare corn by the Indians. Recipes included corn bread, corn pudding, corn soup and fried corn cakes. The Indians saved the early settlers from almost certain starvation their first winter in America with, yes that's right, corn to eat!
Varieties
On the commercial market today three varieties are common. White, Yellow and Bi-colored (White & Yellow mixed on the same cob!)
It used to be that when you wanted sweet corn you would have to pick it and rush to an already boiling pot of water and throw it in! It also used to be that whit corn was sweeter than yellow. Those days are long gone. Super sweet varieties and even super than super sweet varieties have been developed and now dominate our local market. "Brentwood Diamonds" is the latest super-super sweet variety. These varieties will stay sweet for up to seven days after being harvested if you keep them refrigerated.
Selection
When selecting corn in the store, look for plump, firm ears (isn't it weird how we name our vegetables and fruits after body parts? Ear of corn, hand of bananas, rib of celery, heart of artichokes, head of lettuce, navel oranges etc. How about...neck of squash? Could you hear the folks in the produce market? "Hey Joe, give me three necks of squash!" Or in the grocery store produce department a customer might ask, "How do you pick out a good neck?" One might answer by saying "come back tonight and ask my buddy with the sharp teeth who works the graveyard shift!")
Back to seriously selecting corn. Look at the husks. Make sure they are green and moist. Feel the ear for any sunken areas that may be under the husks. Sometimes corn doesn't mature all the way or the husk doesn't fully develop. The silk should be white or yellowish green. At times it may have a small amount of browning at the end of the silk, but the rest should be fresh and healthy. Pull the husks back enough to reveal the tip of the ear about ¼ of the way. The kernels should be firm, plump and shiny. Avoid sunken kernels. Dry or yellowish husks and black spotted husks. This is a sign of age and is better suited for cattle. There is no reason for corn like this to be on the rack, especially this time of year when the fresh harvest is in.
Cooking
Corn on the cob is easy to prepare. Here are some alternatives to boiling, buttering and salting. When corn is fresh, instead of shucking all the husks off and dumping them in the barrel in the produce department, bring em' home husks and all. Throw them on the grill with whatever else you may be barbecuing and let em' cook right there in the husks! Keep turning them when you turn the other stuff. In fact if you peel away some of the husks a little bit and let some of the kernels get charred; it will add a fantastic flavor to the corn. You could even eat it without any stuff on it!
Another way that works well is, again, leaving it in the husks and cooking it in the microwave. 5 minutes per ear. So 15 min for 3 ears and so forth. I've never cooked more than 3 ears at a time in the microwave so you may have to adjust time as you add more ears.
Do not peel back the husks right away, as they are very hot. Let them cool for a few minutes and then peel away. At colder times of the year, roasting them in the oven in the husks does them well!
Whatever you do, after you get em' naked, brush them with olive oil and sprinkle some cayenne pepper on it. MMMMMMMMM-MMMMMMMM -MMMMMMMMMMM! Absolutely delicious! I did this last night but instead of cayenne, I used some of the essence of Emeril Vegetable Dust. It was great!
Corn does not have to be cooked to enjoy! For all you raw vegetable fanatics out there. When purchasing bins or palletized boxes of corn, I always open it, break an ear in half, and then biting into it to make sure its good. As negotiating on price with either the grower or wholesaler progresses, I usually finish eating the whole ear. I always get the price I want. Maybe the salesperson is uncomfortable with the fact that I'm eating it raw or he's grossed out from the little corn chunks flying onto him as we haggle on price. Nah its charm and personality, that's it, yeah that's it. All kidding aside it really is good raw and does not have to be cooked. I remember as a boy in Vermont my cousin Louie & I sneaking into a big huge garden and picking the corn. We would peel it and eat it right there .
Experiment with it. Cut it off the husks and add it to salad or fry it up in a pan with some olive oil and spices. Add it to an omelet or make pancakes. It's crispy, juicy, and sweet!
Nutrition
A serving size of corn is 3 oz./90 grams-kernels from 1 medium ear.
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Join Dan "The Produce Man" every Saturday @ Noon as he co-hosts the National Radio Show "The Produce Pair" heard on the Talk America Radio Network! www.producepair.com
E-mail Dan with your produce questions produceman@producepair.com
Field Grown/Common - This is your basic grocery store cuke. Dark green to lighter green with white spines. Field Grown cukes are graded for the commercial market as select & super select. Super select are dark green, uniform in shape & size. Select are sometimes a little mis-happened in form and pale in color. Other grades are loose packed and hook shaped, but just as crisp as a "super select."
Field grown cucmbers are great for salads sandwiches and garnish. They have large moist seed cavities and usually thick skin. Available year round. Mexico in the winter, California in the summer.
Pickling Cucumbers/Kirby - Smaller than field grown, but still grown in a field. Paler in color with white spines. Usually very crisp due to the size the seed cavity is small. Pickling cukes are great for salads and work real well for sandwiches because they can be sliced lengthwise without falling apart. The are also great for pickling! And make great relishes. Available year round. Mexico in the winter, California in the summer.
Hothouse, Greenhouse, English. Usually describes the varieties that you find in the stores that are long with tight plastic warp on them. They are hybrids that have been developed to adapt to artificial climate. Sometimes called burpless. Small seed cavity and very crispy. Thin skinned makes it a great all around cuke. Available year round
Armenian. This is my favorite. I'm not being biased here either. His cucumber is usually hook shaped or flat out curly. It is pale in color with fairly deep ridges which give it a scalloped appearance when sliced. A small compact seed cavity gives this cuke the crisp of all crispness! A relative of cantaloupe & honeydew. The flavor is mild and refreshing. Great in salads, sandwiches, pickled, relishes and platters. Usually available in July & August from California.
Lemon Cucumber. My second favorite cuke. Named for its shape & color. Yellow skinned and shaped like a lemon. Came on the cucumber scene in about 1894. The flavor is outstanding! No matter where I have purchased these cukes they have always had a back yard flavor. Not as crisp as the others described, but pleasantly tender. Large seed cavity. It is a
great slicer and is easy to digest. Great in salads, sandwiches, cucumber soup. Available May to August from California.
Japanese. Used in oriental dishes and cooking. Thinner and smaller usually flabbier, but crisp with a tender texture. Usually prickly skinned and deep in color. Available year round.