Cucumbers Tulare County Office of Education

Reasons to Eat Cucumbers A ½ cup of cucumbers provides: A good source of vitamin K A source of water, a vital nutrient for the body. ½ cup is the size of a light bulb or one cupped handful

H2O Water is an essential nutrient for all life forms.

H2O Approximately 60-65% of the human body is made up of water.

H2O Every cell, tissue, and organ and nearly every bodily function needs water to operate.

H2O You can meet your daily water requirements from foods like fruits and vegetables, as well as plain water and other beverages.

How Do Cucumbers Grow? Plants need flowers to produce fruit. Female flowers have parts called a pistil. Male flowers have parts called a stamen. Stamens produce pollen and the pistil contains the seeds.

How Do Cucumbers Grow? The cucumber plant can have both male and female flower parts. This is called a mon-o-e-cious plant.

How Do Cucumbers Grow? Outdoor cucumbers are monoecious. When the female flower is pollinated, the cucumbers will have seeds.

do not need pollination. These cucumbers will have no seeds. How Do Cucumbers Grow? Cucumbers grown inside greenhouses are usually par-then-o-car-pic. This means the plants only have female flowers and do not need pollination. These cucumbers will have no seeds.

What is Pollination? When insects like bees visit flowers, the pollen inside the flower sticks to their hairy legs. When they visit another flower the pollen rubs off on the flower’s stigma. This is called pollination. After pollination, fruit develops.

A Slice of Cucumber History Cucumbers were first known to have been grown in India 3,000 years ago.

A Slice of Cucumber History Columbus transported cucumbers to North America from Spain in the early 16th century.

A Slice of Cucumber History European trappers, hunters, and explorers traded cucumbers for squash, pumpkins, and gourds with native tribes of the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains.

Is it a Pickle or a Cucumber? The cucumber species is divided into two categories: slicing and pickling. Slicing cucumbers are usually served raw in salads, sandwiches, and snacks.

Is it a Pickle or a Cucumber? Pickling cucumbers are developed specifically for the pickling process. They are generally smaller than slicing cucumbers with a thick, bumpy skin.

Just the Facts There are over 800 species in the Cucurbitaceae family and they include cucumbers, gourds, melons, pumpkins, and squashes. The inside of a cucumber can be up to 20 degrees cooler than the exterior.

Get Your Brain On Fruits and vegetables are a source of water. True How much of the human body is made up of water? 60-65% Plants need ______ and bees to produce fruit. Flowers Cucumbers grown in a greenhouse will have no _____. Seeds What are the two types of cucumbers? Slicing and pickling

Tasting Trio Cool Cucumber Cuties   Ingredients: 2 whole cucumbers 2 sleeves whole-wheat crackers 1 oz. lemon-pepper seasoning Preparation: Wash each cucumber and slice into 36 coins. Build your Cucumber Cuties by stacking a cucumber coin on top of one cracker. Sprinkle the seasoning on top of the cucumbers.

HOW I FELT ABOUT THIS RECIPE Cucumber Cuties HOW I FELT ABOUT THIS RECIPE Loved it It was okay Didn’t like it

I sure like cucumbers! For CalFresh information, call 1-877-847-3663. Funded by USDA SNAP-Ed, an equal opportunity provider and employer. Visit www.CaChampionsForChange.net for healthy tips. •California Department of Public Health