Cucumbers are September’s Harvest of the Month

This month’s Harvest is a cool and refreshing summer staple. This month we celebrate cucumbers. Cucumbers are originally from South Asia but there are several varieties grown around the world The most common variety seen in grocery stores in the United States is called the garden Cucumber.

During the month of September, you may find cucumbers used more abundantly in a variety of recipes from our cafeterias.

Did You Know?

• Cucumbers are closely related to watermelon, pumpkin and squash.
• Florida is the largest producer of cucumbers in the United States.
• The phrase “as cool as a cucumber” stems from the theory that the inside of most cucumbers is 20 degrees cooler than the surrounding room temperature.

Try These Delicious Recipes

Cucumber Sandwiches
Cucumber Lime Mocktail
Cucumber Salad with Pickled Onions

How to Buy, Store & Prepare: Garden cucumbers can be bought fresh year-round at most grocery stores. Fresh cucumbers can be stored in either the refrigerator or at room temperature. Avoid storing them near produce that emits a large amount of ethylene gas, such as apples. This will make your cucumbers overripen quickly. While any vegetable can be pickled, it is pickled cucumbers that are called pickles. Cucumbers that can be pickled are appropriately named pickling cucumbers. Pickles can be stored at room temperature as long as they remain submerged in their brine.

Making it Kid-Friendly: There are several ways to incorporate cucumbers into the diet of kids. Consider slicing cucumbers into “chips” that can be used to dip your child’s favorite dip. Sliced cucumbers are also a great addition to open faced sandwiches. When a berry is placed on a sliced cucumber they resemble eyes- which can be helpful and fun when making faces with food.

Nutrition and Health Benefits: Cucumbers contain a larger amount of water, up to as much as 95%. This high water content is helpful in many ways, including a great addition to the diet of a person who is working on becoming or staying more hydrated. It is also helpful to add cucumbers to meals and snacks during the hotter months of the year to aid in maintaining hydration levels. In addition to being mostly water, cucumbers are also very low in calories, making them great to incorporate into the diet of individuals striving for weight loss. Cucumbers can also aid in bowel regularity as dehydration is one of the most common culprits in constipation.

Calories: 8	Protein: 0g
Total Fat: 0g	Potassium: 76mg
Total Carbohydrate: 2g	Vitamin C: 1mg
Phosphorus: 13mg	Magnesium: 7mg

Serving Size: 1/2 cup sliced cucumber