Antillean cucumber
Antillean cucumber (lat. Cucumis anguria) is a very peculiar plant from the Pumpkin family, which came to us from the subtropical and tropical regions of Central and South America (where this beauty was cultivated long before the arrival of Europeans).
Description
The Antillean cucumber is a rather elegant annual vine, equipped with three or four pubescent creeping stems. And the figured leaves of this plant, endowed with many tendrils, have an external resemblance to watermelon leaves.
The cylindrical fruits of the Antillean cucumber grow up to eight centimeters in length, and their average diameter is about four centimeters. All fruits are covered with rather fleshy spines, and their weight ranges from thirty to fifty grams. As for their taste, it is very similar to the taste of familiar cucumbers. But the pickled Antillean cucumber, considered a real delicacy, is many times superior in taste to ordinary pickled cucumbers.
At the moment of final ripening of the seeds, the fruits of the unusual plant turn into rich yellowish-orange tones. As a rule, from the moment of planting the seeds to the full biological ripeness of the Antillean cucumber, about seventy days pass. And this unusual crop bears fruit from the beginning of summer until the very end of autumn, with each bush easily ripening from a hundred to a couple of hundred spectacular fruits. By the way, the fruits of this amazing plant do not accumulate nitrates at all and do not have a bitter taste, like some of their fellow cucumbers.
Currently, the Antillean cucumber is actively grown not only as a food crop, but also as an ornamental crop.
Application
The fruits of the Antillean cucumber are used in the same way as simple cucumbers — they can be eaten fresh, cut into salads, and also pickled and salted. As for overripe specimens, they are unsuitable for consumption because they are very tasteless and rough.
Gourmets consider the Antillean cucumber one of the most unusual delicacies—the taste of young fruits is many times superior to that of ordinary cucumbers. Moreover, these exotic vegetables boast a richer chemical composition: they contain significantly more sugars and vitamins, as well as various minerals (calcium, magnesium, potassium salts, etc.). These properties make the Antillean cucumber an indispensable product for the prevention and treatment of various gastrointestinal and cardiovascular ailments. For this purpose, it is best to enjoy fresh, young Antillean cucumbers, uncooked and always without salt. Ideally, for medicinal purposes, this product is consumed with vegetable oil on an empty stomach.
The Antillean cucumber boasts pronounced diuretic and choleretic properties, as well as the ability to quickly normalize intestinal microflora and effectively relieve constipation. It is also an excellent remedy for the treatment and prevention of gout, pulmonary tuberculosis, and bronchitis.
The juice of this valuable vegetable is applied to burns, ulcers, and wounds. And thanks to its calming properties (i. e., sedative effect), the Antillean cucumber is excellent for insomnia. Its calorie content is relatively low—this characteristic allows this extraordinary product to be included in the daily diet of anyone wanting to lose weight.
Cultivation
The Antillean cucumber is very heat- and light-loving, and also appreciates fertile and well-drained soil.
