Cucumbers are the oldest vegetable crop. Cucumbers the smaller, greener and more unripe, the better and tastier. In ancient times, the Greeks called them "aguros": which means "unripe, unripe." Hence their name - cucumber. Cucumbers came to us from India, the country of eternal summer. A wild cucumber in its homeland, a tropical liana, grows in forests, long whip branches climb high into the trees, and the fruits hang down. For almost six thousand years, people have known and loved this culture, as evidenced by finds in the ruins of the Khazar city of Sarkepa, where cucumber seeds were found.
The Roman emperor Tiberius demanded that he always be served fresh cucumbers for dinner. And one and a half thousand years ago there were no greenhouses: boxes with cucumber seedlings were placed on wheels, the wheels turned after the sun. Cucumbers have long occupied second place on the table after cabbage, but more recently, tomato has begun to compete with them.
Composition of cucumbers
Cucumbers contain a lot of water (95-96%), mineral salts (phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, iron), trace elements (copper, manganese, sulfur, cobalt, zinc, silicon, iodine). There is more iron than in strawberries or grapes. Useful for cardiovascular diseases, kidney diseases, because they contain calcium salts and gently remove water.
Cucumbers consist of 95% water and are attracted not so much by their nutritional value, but by their taste and aroma, which activates the activity of the digestive glands. In a small amount, cucumbers contain vitamins (C, B1, B2). Of the mineral salts, they contain the most potassium. Cucumber fiber stimulates the motor function of the intestine, so cucumbers are useful for chronic constipation .
Walker assured that "cucumbers are an excellent natural diuretic that improves urine secretion, helps to remove excess uric acid from the body, and therefore indirectly treats rheumatic diseases, gout." Cucumber is a champion in the content of alkaline equivalents, therefore it eliminates acidosis (from Latin acidis - sour), heals chronic inflammatory processes, suppuration, wherever they are located.
Cucumbers are contraindicated: with acute and chronic nephritis, exacerbation of chronic renal failure, kidney stones; with nephritis with alkaline urine. It is necessary to limit the use of cucumbers during exacerbation of peptic ulcer, gastritis, enterocolitis, colitis.
Pickled cucumbers are not advised to use: with obesity, obesity, acute and chronic nephritis, pyelonephritis, exacerbation of gastritis, hepatitis, cholecystitis, biliary dyskinesia.
Cucumbers are indispensable for fasting days. They are combined with all products except milk.
Seeds of cucumbers have healing properties, which remove excess cholesterol from the body. And cucumber juice has a healing and rejuvenating effect on the body and skin.
Cucumber Recipes
pickled cucumber recipe
Especially delicate taste of pickles, if you chop yellow and large cucumbers and put them in the bottom layer. Put good little cucumbers on it. Sprinkle each row with chopped cucumbers. Salt, blackcurrant leaves, garlic, water should not be poured. It doesn't hurt to add a little bit of shredded horseradish.
Delicious pickled cucumbers can be made without vinegar with redcurrant juice (150 g of juice per 1 liter of water).
To prevent pickles from becoming soft, cherry and oak leaves should be added to the brine; in order to preserve the color of cucumbers during salting, first soak them for 2-3 seconds in boiling water.
Recipe for constipation cucumbers:
soak cucumbers in salt water for a month, strain the brine, store in the refrigerator. Drink 2-3 tbsp. brine several times a day after meals after 20-25 minutes. Discard the cucumbers.
cucumber lotion recipe
Wash the cucumber and squeeze out the juice, pour it into a saucepan, bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes over very low heat. Cool down. Strain. Boil twigs and leaves of hazelnut (hazelnut). For 2 tbsp. cucumber juice add 1 tbsp. decoction of hazel. Store the mixture in the refrigerator. You can add 4 tablespoons to the mixture. decoction of mint or lemon balm.
cucumber wine recipe
This cucumber wine should be wiped on the face in the morning and evening.
Cucumbers can be cut into slices, put in a bottle, pour vodka or diluted alcohol, put the bottle on a sunny windowsill for 2 weeks. Shake periodically. After 2 weeks, cucumber wine is ready. It should be stored in a dark place.
Cucumber dressing recipe
From the cucumber, you can make lotions for the eyes with fatigue and redness.
Peel the cucumbers, grate and squeeze the juice. Put in refrigerator. Soak two pieces of cotton cloth in water, then dip in cold cucumber juice and apply to the eyes 2-3 times a day. If you add 2-3 drops of lemon juice to the water, then there will be less wrinkles in the eye area.
Cucumber salad recipe without salt
Finely chop 4 fresh cucumbers, 2 boiled eggs, green onions, dill, parsley, 200 g white cabbage; add vegetable oil.
fresh cucumber soup recipe
1.5 liters of water, 4 fresh cucumbers, 1 carrot, parsley root, 3-4 potatoes, 2 tbsp. vegetable oil, 0.5 cups of sour cream, 1 tbsp. wheat flour, parsley, dill, citric acid, salt.
Peeled carrots, parsley root, chop onion and stew until cooked in a sealed container in a small amount of water and oil. Peeled cucumbers cut into cubes, add a little water, citric acid and simmer for 10 minutes in a sealed container. Dip peeled and chopped potatoes in boiling water, cook for 10 minutes, add carrots, parsley, cucumbers, dried flour, diluted with vegetable broth. Salt and cook for another 10 minutes. Season the soup with sour cream, finely chopped parsley, dill.
Recipe for cucumbers in batter
2 cucumbers, 2 tbsp. flour, 1 egg, salt.
Beat egg, flour, salt into a homogeneous mass. Cucumbers cut into circles, dip in batter and fry until golden brown.
Recipe for cucumbers baked in sour cream
4 fresh cucumbers, 2 tbsp. butter, 70-100 g sour cream, 1 egg, 3 tablespoons of wheat flour, salt.
Peel large cucumbers, cut in half lengthwise, roll in flour and fry on both sides in a pan with hot oil until golden brown. Then put in a frying pan, greased with oil, pour over sour cream mixed with egg and salt, bake in the oven.
Stuffed Cucumber Recipe
2 cucumbers, 20 g potatoes, 10 g beets, 15 g carrots, 10 g onions, 1 tbsp. vegetable oil, 25 g sour cream, salt, sugar, pepper to taste.
Cut cucumbers lengthwise into two parts. Remove the pulp, chop, combine with boiled and diced potatoes, beets, carrots, fried onions. Mix the mass, season with salt, pepper, sugar, butter. Fill the cucumbers with the minced meat. Serve with sour cream.
cucumber juice
Cucumber juice combined with carrot It has a beneficial effect in diseases that are the result of retention of uric acid in the body. The addition of some beet juice to this mixture accelerates the favorable process...>>
Folk healers recommend: "Eat cucumbers, and you will not be affected by the disease associated with thyroid disease." Indeed, cucumbers contain iodine, and it is in an easily digestible form. In general, cucumbers are rich in the original composition of trace elements: copper, manganese, cobalt, zinc, iodine. Copper is needed for the normal functioning of the central nervous system, for the regulation of the motor functions of the body. Zinc is essential for the production of insulin, which regulates carbohydrate metabolism. Iodine, in addition to normalizing the functions of the thyroid gland, has a noticeable anti-sclerotic effect.
Of the mineral salts, cucumbers contain potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium and iron. They contain more iron than radishes, currants, strawberries, and grapes. There is fiber, pectin, proteins, a small amount of vitamins A, C, B1 in cucumbers. Their nutritional value is low, but the enzymes present in cucumbers contribute to better absorption of protein foods, and the presence of alkaline salts helps the body get rid of harmful decay products that are formed during metabolism. The pectin substances present in cucumbers help better digestion and inhibit putrefactive processes.
If you regularly eat cucumbers, then in the body there is a decrease in the processes of converting carbohydrates into fats. Unloading cucumber days have been developed, which are prescribed for patients with obesity, gout, cardiovascular disorders, liver and kidney diseases. Beauticians also paid attention to cucumbers: rubbing the face with a green peel, you can get rid of freckles and blackheads, make the skin velvety. All of the above suggests that cucumbers are a very necessary product for a variety of painful human conditions.
It is not necessary to remove the skin from vegetables, but wash them with a brush and remove damaged areas. Vegetables must be ripe and of good quality. It is better to focus on those that are the most productive in a given season.
Sweet wines are not made from vegetable materials, because in this case they turn out to be tasteless. Below are recipes for wines from the most common vegetables in our country.
Characteristics of vegetable wines:
- quite strong, similar to port wine.
- dry sherry
- White wine.
- dry white wine without smell.
A fairly strong white wine.
- dry, very strong white wine.
- dry golden white wine.
- pink wine.
- dry, rather strong white wine.
BEET WINE
2 kg of raw beets, 3.5 liters of boiling water, 50 g of ginger, for 4.5 liters of juice 4 cups of sugar, 1 tablespoon of yeast, juice of 2 lemons.
- Wash and cut the beets into slices.
- Pour boiling water over and add ginger.
- Let stand 4 days. .
- Measure the amount of juice, add sugar, yeast and lemon juice.
- Put in a warm place (18–24 °) for fermentation.
- Mix well after fermentation is complete.
- Let stand 3 days.
- Strain, pour into a barrel and leave for 8-9 months.
- Pour into bottles, seal them and store in a cool dark place.
CARROT WINE
2 kg of carrots, 4 liters of boiling water, for 4.5 liters of juice 4-5 cups of sugar, 1 tablespoon of yeast, juice of one lemon, juice of one orange, 1 cracker. Made according to the previous recipe. In point 4 of the change: after measuring the juice, add sugar, lemon and orange juices and yeast, spread on breadcrumbs.
CELERY WINE
2.5 kg of celery, 4.5 liters of boiling water, for 4.5 liters of juice 6 cups of sugar, 1 tablespoon of yeast, juice of one lemon, juice of two oranges, 25 g of ginger. It is made in the same way as WINE, but the aging period is 10-12 months.
WINE FROM Zucchini
3 kg of zucchini, 4.5 liters of boiling water, 25–50 g of ginger, for 4.5 liters of juice 6 cups of sugar, 1 tablespoon of yeast, juice of three lemons.
- Use zucchini completely.
- Cut into pieces and add ginger, pour boiling water.
- Insist for 6 days, daily increasing the press.
- Measure the amount of liquid, add sugar, lemon juice and yeast.
PEA WINE
2.5 kg of green peas, 4.5 liters of boiling water for 4.5 liters of juice 6 cups of sugar, 1 tablespoon of yeast, juice of one lemon, juice of one orange. Made according to the WINE recipe.
POTATO WINE
2 kg of potatoes, 3.5 liters of boiling water, 40 g of ginger, for 4.5 liters of juice 4 cups of sugar, 1 tablespoon of yeast, 125 g of raisins, 1 cracker, juice of one lemon, juice of one orange, 225 g of barley grains.
- Wash and cut the potatoes without removing the skin.
- Add ginger and pour boiling water over.
- Insist 4 days.
- Measure the amount of liquid, add sugar, raisins, barley, yeast spread on breadcrumbs, lemon and orange juices.
WINE FROM RUTTAN
2 kg of swede, 6.5 liters of boiling water, for 4.5 liters of juice 4-5 cups of sugar, 1 tablespoon of yeast, juice of two lemons, juice of one orange. Made according to the WINE recipe.
TOMATO WINE
4 kg of tomatoes, 1.2 liters of boiling water, a pinch of salt, for 4.5 liters of juice 4 cups of sugar, 1 tablespoon of yeast, juice of two lemons.
- Cut the tomatoes, sprinkle them with salt.
- Pour in boiling water and squeeze.
- Insist 4 days, and then strain.
- Add sugar, yeast and lemon juice.
TURP WINE
2 kg of turnip, 3.5 liters of boiling water, for 4.5 liters of juice 5-6 cups of sugar, 1 tablespoon of yeast, juice of two lemons. Made according to the WINE recipe.
PARSLEY WINE
225 g of parsley, 4.5 liters of boiling water, 6 cups of sugar, 1 tablespoon of yeast, 25 g of ginger, juice of one lemon.
- Pour boiling water over parsley and boil for 10 minutes, adding ginger.
- In a warm broth, add sugar and lemon juice, and then yeast.
- Put in a warm place for fermentation.
WINES FROM CEREALS
When making wines from cereals, more yeast is required than for other wines, because the natural sugars and starches contained in cereals must be forced to ferment. Wines made from most cereals are similar to very strong ports.
600 g of wheat, 4.5 liters of boiling water, 50 g of yeast, 7 cups of sugar, 1 kg of raisins.
- Put the wheat, sugar and raisins into the vessel.
- Pour in boiling water and chill.
- Add yeast.
- Infuse for 3 weeks, stirring occasionally.
- Strain into a vessel.
- Allow to ferment, cork after fermentation.
- Aged at least 6 months (preferably a year) before bottling
Vegetables are not only a source of nutrition, but also a natural medicine, measured by nature itself in the doses necessary for the body.
M. S. Bunin
To live long, you need to eat right. In addition, food should be varied, and vegetables must be included in the diet of any person. Cucumbers as part of the vegetable world are of particular value.
Before other vegetables, cucumbers began to be grown in Russia. Having fallen in love with this early ripening crop, the peasants began to inventively master the means, techniques and methods of its cultivation, as well as various options for preparing cucumber dishes.
Culinary art as an ancient field of knowledge consists of many secrets accumulated over the centuries. Knowledge of the basic principles and important details, the organic combination of both, constitute culinary science.
In this book you are offered recipes for cucumbers for every taste. By using them creatively, you will find your signature dish. Most of the recipes in the book are distinguished by simple cooking technology, they are within the power even for those who have never tried themselves in cooking before.
We are used to salted, pickled cucumbers, cucumber salads, but many of us did not even think about the fact that cucumbers can be used to make jam or compote. Jam, marmalade, meringue, cake, as well as various honey and sweet salads are successfully prepared from cucumbers.
Despite the fact that we are used to eating cucumbers in a salty form, dishes such as cucumber adjika, cold cucumber soup, cucumber cutlets, cucumber mayonnaise, fish soup with fresh cucumbers, dumplings with cucumbers, cucumber meatballs or fish cutlets with them are unusual for us. .
Try making homemade cucumber wine. It will become your favorite drink at a family celebration.
We advise you to try everything new and unusual, because without trying, you will not learn anything about these wonderful, delicious dishes. Sometimes it is difficult for us to believe in such unusual recipes, because our culinary consciousness is basically conservative, we hardly get used to new food, not believing that something exotic can be prepared from ordinary, everyday vegetables. Don't be afraid to push your boundaries. Cook with the recipes in this book and experiment with new ones.
Snacks
Pickled cucumber pilaf
Required
250 g of rice, one onion, 50 g of margarine or vegetable oil, 300 g of pickled cucumbers, 50 g of tomatoes, salt, 250 g of water, parsley and dill, lettuce.
Cooking method
Peel and finely chop the onion, fry it until golden in margarine, then add the chopped cucumbers and tomatoes, start the rice and, pouring water, put it in the oven. Bringing the pilaf to half-cooked, salt it and put it back in the oven.
Sprinkle the finished pilaf with herbs.
spicy cucumbers
Required
2 kg of fresh cucumbers, 30 g of vinegar and paprika each, salt, cinnamon, 3 cloves, 60 g of sugar, 10 g of adjika, 250 ml of water, 90 g of vegetable oil.
Cooking method
Cucumbers cut into thin circles. Prepare the sauce by diluting vinegar, salt, sugar, cinnamon, cloves and paprika, adjika and vegetable oil in water. Mix everything thoroughly, pour cucumbers and soak for 2 hours.
Caviar from cucumbers
Required
1 kg of fresh cucumbers, 300 g of carrots, one onion, 2 cloves of garlic, 90 g of olive oil, salt, ground pepper, 10 g of sugar, paprika and saffron, 30 g of tomato paste.
Cooking method
Peel cucumbers and grate. Do the same with carrots. Chop onion and garlic. Put the vegetables in a heated pan and fry for about 20 minutes. Then salt, add sugar, seasonings and tomato paste and keep on low heat for a few more minutes. Serve chilled.
cucumber paste
Required
500 g cucumbers, 100 g melt
...Here is an excerpt from the book.
Only part of the text is open for free reading (restriction of the copyright holder). If you liked the book, the full text can be obtained from our partner's website.
It's hard for modern beauties to imagine, but just 30 years ago there was no such variety of cosmetics in stores. From a series of cleansers, you could only buy Cucumber Lotion from the Novaya Zarya factory.
By the way, it perfectly cleansed and dried pimples, brightened freckles and evened out complexion! It has not lost its popularity to this day. The secret of the effectiveness of a miracle remedy lies in the naturalness of its composition: nothing more - just alcohol and cucumber essence. It is cucumber extract that has a beneficial effect on the skin.
What is useful cucumber?
Cucumber is a vegetable familiar to us since childhood, but what do we really know about it? Many, when asked about the beneficial properties of the fruits of this plant, will shrug their hands: “What is the use? One water…”
There is really a lot of water in cucumbers, almost 97%, but they also bring a lot of benefits to our bodies. The thing is that very important trace elements, such as calcium, iron, potassium, iodine, phosphorus, and many others, are dissolved in the water contained in cucumbers. There are also polysaccharides, organic acids, dietary fiber and vitamins of groups A, PP, C, B. So eating cucumbers is not only tasty, but also extremely healthy.
An interesting fact: not everyone knows that the cucumber is considered a vegetable only according to the culinary classification. Botanists classify this fruit as a false berry, and according to the scientific classification, it is a fruit.
Tonic or lotion - make the right choice
Many well-known cosmetic companies have taken note of the beneficial properties of cucumber and have launched products based on it. In stores and pharmacies, there is a large assortment of products with extracts and extracts from the fruits of this plant: creams, masks, tonics, cleansing wipes and other cosmetics for every taste and budget.
Why don't we try making cucumber lotion at home? The recipe is simple and all the necessary ingredients can easily be found in the kitchen.
But before you start making a lotion or tonic, you need to figure out what is the difference between these cosmetics. They are designed for different skin types and have different effects on it.
- The lotion is intended for skin cleansing and disinfection, it is a good antiseptic, as it contains alcohol. Lotions are recommended to be used if the skin of the face is oily, prone to rashes and acne (acne). The high content of alcohol in the lotion promotes deep penetration into the pores of active substances, dries and disinfects.
- Tonic does not contain alcohol or alcohol is present in a very small amount, therefore it is recommended for dry and sensitive skin. Tonics moisturize, nourish, saturate the skin with active ingredients.
The lotion prepares the skin to receive beneficial nutrients, while the tonic saturates it with these substances. Ideally, we need both.
Making homemade cucumber lotion
To avoid unpleasant consequences after using home care products, you need to know that all products must be fresh and cleanly washed, tap water should not be used, and it is better to take diluted medical alcohol instead of vodka.
From personal bitter experience, I can advise you to prepare cosmetics only from cucumbers that you have grown yourself. Fruits bought at the nearest supermarket can provoke allergies, cause rashes, redness and itching.
If you are already in the mood to make cucumber lotion, you can use the following recipes.
Basic Recipe
You need to take a medium-sized cucumber, finely chop along with the peel and pour vodka. Vodka can be replaced with alcohol diluted to 40. Both ingredients are taken in equal amounts (proportion 1:1). The resulting mixture is transferred to a glass dish, tightly closed with a lid and left in a warm, sunny place to infuse for two weeks.
The lotion is ready - wipe your skin with it once or twice a day and enjoy cleanliness and freshness. This recipe is ideal for problematic and oily skin.
Recipe for dry skin
People with dry or sensitive skin are not recommended to use alcohol-based products, as they dry out the epidermis even more. If, nevertheless, there is a need for deep cleansing, it is necessary to soften the resulting infusion.
To do this, dilute the prepared lotion with clean (preferably distilled) water in a ratio of 1: 2 (part of the infusion and two parts of water) and add glycerin - for every 100 ml of the solution 1 teaspoon. After applying the lotion, do not forget to apply a moisturizing or nourishing cream.
Wine variant
Alternatively, you can prepare cucumber facial lotion in dry white wine. It dehydrates cells less and is suitable for all skin types. Mix 60 grams (4 heaped tablespoons) of finely chopped cucumber peel with a tablespoon of chopped parsley leaves.
Pour wine (200 g) and infuse for 2 weeks in a transparent glass container, tightly closed with a lid. This lotion will not only cleanse, but also brighten the skin, and pigmentation will become less noticeable. It is worth taking note of the recipe for those who want to get rid of freckles.
seed lotion
If the cucumber is a little overripe, then a lotion can be made from its seeds. We take out the seeds from a fresh cucumber, grind.
Pour three tablespoons of the resulting mass with a glass of vodka and insist for a week under the lid in a glass container.
The resulting infusion should be filtered, add a glass of distilled water and a tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice. This recipe is suitable for oily skin - it will help remove greasy shine, refresh and whiten the skin.
It is important to remember that all prepared lotions should be stored only in the refrigerator. You can use it for a month, and then replace it with freshly prepared ones.
Cucumber toners for different skin types
Preparing cucumber tonic is also easy, here are a few recipes
If your skin is oily and prone to breakouts:
- Pour the crushed cucumber with lemon juice, stand for an hour, squeeze. 15 minutes after applying this tonic, it is recommended to wash with cool water.
- Mix cucumber juice with an equal amount of curdled milk or sour milk, leave in the refrigerator for an hour. Can be used several times a day.
Dry, sensitive skin:
- Chop half a medium-sized cucumber and pour warm milk over it. Infuse for half an hour, strain. Apply two to three times a day.
For all skin types:
- Grated cucumber pour a glass of freshly brewed green tea. Cover the dishes with a lid, wrap with a towel and wait until the infusion has completely cooled. Can be brewed in a thermos. Wipe the skin with a strained tonic several times a day.
- Squeeze the juice of one cucumber, add a couple of tablespoons of distilled water, shake well. Use as needed throughout the day.
There is no need to prepare cucumber tonic in large quantities, because the shelf life of home-cooked products is only two to three days and always in the refrigerator.
It is difficult to argue with scientists who talk about the benefits of using natural herbal cosmetics, especially since its effectiveness has been tested for centuries. Perhaps you have your own little beauty secrets. Let's share our favorite recipes with each other, because your feedback on cucumber lotion or tonic can be very useful for many.
