Cucumbers are well famous for their several health benefits, from promoting a healthy diet to adding antioxidants, minerals, and nutrients to our body. But did you know different types of cucumbers are available globally? We may be consuming those available around us, but there are types of these healthy vegetables that can be a perfect addition to a range of recipes and healthy foods.
Today, we will go through all about the cucumber varieties, types, and popularity worldwide.
All About the Cucumbers:
Cucumbers are definitely among those available across the world and are famous for their health benefits. Their flavour is relatively mild and fresh that is quickly grown on several continents. The scientific name of cucumbers is Cucumis sativus, which is a member of the Cucurbitaceae family. Although the cucumbers are native to South Asia, they are now readily available in different regions and countries.
The sizes and shapes of cucumbers may vary as per the variety; however, essentially, they come in a long cylindrical shape with a green shade skin. They have good vitamins, minerals, and nutrients, and the entire cucumber is mainly water, which makes anyone who consumes it feels light in the stomach and digestion. They also have several anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
Classification of Cucumber Varieties:
Before we go ahead and check out the different kinds of cucumbers and types to grow, first let us know their classification. The entire family of cucumbers is classified into three types: slicing, pickling, and burpless.
The slicing cucumbers come in different sizes and colours and have a very fresh feel and crispy taste. As the name suggests, they are perfect for salads and snacks and can be cut ideally into slices for consumption. On the other hand, pickling cucumbers are generally smaller in size and have more dense, firm flesh. This is what makes them perfect for pickling. The burpless cucumbers have tiny, tiny seeds with tender skin and large sizes. Many believe them to be the best in quality, that they produce less gas, help several digestive concerns, and can also be perfect for sandwiches or salads.
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The Best Types of Cucumber Varieties in the World:
Now that we have read about the classification of cucumbers, their names and uses, and characteristics, let us go ahead and explore more about the types of cucumbers list with pictures and their kinds around us.
1. English Cucumbers:
The English cucumber varieties are among the world-famous, famous for their long and narrow slender appearance. They are very common cucumbers in European countries and lesser found in other regions, especially northern America. These cucumbers come around 10 to 14 inches long and have very dark skin that is generally peeled before consumption. Their skin is thin, and for certain dishes do not need the skin to be peeled too. Their taste is a bit sweeter than the other ones, with juicy and good dense texture. The English cucumbers are seedless, too, and can be in storage for long. Thus, they are perfect for salads and sandwiches or cocktails. This is the most popular cucumber species.
2. Persian Cucumbers (Green Fingers):
The Persian cucumbers are smaller size cucumbers that come to a maximum of five inches. That is how the name came into existence, calling them green fingers, as they come in the dark green shade with a small length of a finger. This variant further is relatively easy to grow and has a lesser harvest time. The mini cucumber varieties are ideal for snacks and salads, tasty mild flavour, and easy light meal variety. The Persian cucumbers are perfect for growing around April to June and come with a crunchy-looking harvest.
3. Muncher Cucumbers:
The Muncher cucumbers appear in a thick and fluffy look that is around 8 to 10 inches long. They, although they are smaller in size, come with a bit broader appearance. The munchers are perfect for slicing and look a bit more mature in appearance than others. They also are used by a few for pickling. These slicing cucumber varieties are seedless and with no bitter taste at all.
4. Ashley Cucumbers:
Ashley cucumbers are native to the South Carolina region. The cucumbers are dark green in colour and appear a bit tapered in the edges, given that they are joined to the stems of the plant while growing. They are also rough in looks and have some lumps around the skin. For those who want to consider growing cucumbers in home gardens, the Ashley variety can be a good choice. They grow well and are easy to care for in homes. They are mainly grown only around hotter and warm humid temperatures and climates. The Ashley cucumber hybrid varieties are suitable for salads and snack items.
5. Diva Cucumbers:
The Diva cucumbers are unique in the variety and appear only around five inches, even in the case of mature ones. They are perfect for snacking and direct consumption after getting from the plant. Right for salads or snacks, they add good crispy and fresh flavour and are ideal for taking during hot climate to deliver good hydration. The diva cucumber varieties plants generally produce a very high yield than others and are seedless with a deep dark green skin that appears a bit glossy.
6. Sweet Success Cucumbers:
As the name suggests, the sweet success cucumbers come in a sweet taste that does not have any bitterness. They are fresh and crunchy in flavour and usually measure to around 12-14 inches. It have dark skin with a smooth appearance, and the skin is thin that doesn’t generally require peeling. They are good to use for savouries and salads.
7. Straight Eight Cucumbers:
As the name indicates, these cucumbers are pretty straight in appearance, without any bends or curves. They generally measure up to eight inches in length, with smooth dark colour green skin and round edges on either side. These cucumbers are heirloom and original in variety, are pretty easy to grow and delicious in taste. These are also versatile cucumbers, not just helpful for salads or pickling or slicing but also perfect for several other recipes and dishes.
8. Alibi Cucumbers:
Alibi cucumbers are the most famous pickling variety cucumbers. They are perfect for tasty consumption and can be good to go raw too. These cucumbers are small, only around four inches long, with a medium lightish green colour shade. They have good yields, look compact, and are pretty tasty with a good fresh flavor and less bitter feel.
9. Double Yield Cucumbers:
How about the most popular globally famous double-yield cucumber varieties? These types of cucumbers are pretty old and are well-known even from the early 1920s. They give excellent yield, are easy to grow, and look smooth and fresh. The double yield cucumbers measure around five to six inches in length with rounded edges. As the name suggests, this plant cannot be challenged by other varieties in the quantity they produce. The cucumber varieties are good to go for snacks and pickling.
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10. Liberty Cucumbers:
Liberty cucumbers are among the rarest variety that is not usually found around us these days. They are popular back in the 1970s when they won the perfect American selection plant. However, in recent years, their produce reduced drastically. The liberty cucumbers have dark green skin, are suitable for pickling, and are known for the crispy and fresh flesh and feel.
11. Wautoma Cucumbers:
Again, the Wautoma cucumbers are among popular pickling cucumber varieties and are generally taken to consume when fruits are small in size. However, when the cucumbers are large and mature, they are perfect for salads and slicing too. So, these versatile cucumbers are ideal for both dishes and are good to go with pale green strips appearance that is tasty. They are easy to grow, trail very well in vines, and are fresh in the flesh.
12. Eureka Cucumbers:
Eureka cucumbers are pretty versatile. Although they fall under the pickling variety, they are suitable for slicing and salads too. The eureka cucumber variety is dark green in color and has white spines. Their fruits are generally straight, with around four to six inches in length. They are straightforward to grow and are typically disease-resistant against pests and other concerns.
13. Lemon Cucumbers:
Are you looking for good exotic cucumbers? This lemon cucumbers variety indeed is rare and a special one, not usually found in supermarkets. They appear more like lemons, in round shape, just looking like balls in size and appearance. They have a lemon color but do not have any citrus taste like them. It tastes, however, like cucumbers only, with a milder flavor. The skin is thin and can be either peeled or consumed directly. They are perfect for exotic salads and cocktails. These fall in yellow round cucumber varieties.
14. Armenian Cucumbers:
Armenian cucumber is unique in looks. They have a long and thin, slender body, with a juicy feel and flesh and pale color. The cucumber’s exteriors can be seen a bit ridged in feel, and unlike the other varieties, they don’t come in dark green color. They can grow pretty long and up to even 35 inches, unusual compared to the different types. They are good in flavor, dense, and thick in the flesh.
15. Boothby Blondes Cucumbers:
The Boothby blondes cucumber is again unique and is an heirloom variety. They have an oval shape, with pale greenish-yellow and white skin. They have bumps too on the skin. The combination is perfect for pickling and cocktails and gives an exotic excellent, flavorful taste.
See More: Types of Melons with Names and Pictures
Interesting Facts about Cucumbers:
These are a few of exciting and fun facts about types of cucumber plants.
- China produces the largest quantity of cucumbers in the world. They dominate around 76 per cent of production.
- Cucumbers native is from South Asian countries. Most of them are Asian cucumber varieties.
- They are very long in measurement usually, and certain varieties are popular to be around two feet too.
- Cucumbers can also be perfect for growing in water, in the hydroponic method, without a soil medium.
- The raw cucumbers contain over 95 per cent of water only.
We hope you learned something new today about the types of cucumbers and their varieties. Such several cucumber varieties indeed are shocking and exciting to find out. Given the consumption of cucumbers for health benefits, one can easily add them up in several recipes and salads. So let us know your thoughts!
Disclaimer:
This is exclusively a guide about types of cucumbers for informative purposes only. The opinions and overview in this article are provided from various sources across the web. The author does not guarantee or promise any accuracy of the facts provided in this article.
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers:
1. Can you consume cucumber with the skin?
Yes, generally, the cucumbers are good to consume with their skins. However, it is essential to wash them neatly before.
2. Can cucumber be cooked or boiled?
Most recipes involving cucumber are generally taken in raw form. However, there are specific Asian recipes where the cucumbers are used in side dishes and fries in cooked form.
3. Does cucumbers produce gas inside?
Cucumbers generally are known to produce gas, especially when taken in vast quantities. There are, however, certain varieties that can reduce bloating too.
4. How long do cucumber plants take for harvest?
Generally, the cucumbers, depending on the variety, can take anywhere between 55 to 70 days for a good harvest.
5. How many cucumbers can be taken in a day?
Generally, one or two medium-sized cucumbers per day are good to go for healthy human bodies.
