Why is a cucumber a fruit and not a vegetable?
This basic function is what makes them fruits — not vegetables — according to science. Scientifically speaking, cucumbers are fruits because they grow from the flowers of the plant and hold the seeds. Much of the confusion around the classification of different fruits and vegetables comes from culinary use.
Is a Cumber a fruite or a vegetable?
The answer may surprise you! A pumpkin is, in fact, a fruit. According to expert Joe Masabni, Ph.D., Texas A&M Agri Life Extension Service vegetable specialist in Dallas, scientifically speaking, a pumpkin is a fruit simply because anything that starts from a flower is botanically a fruit.
Is cucumber considered fruit because it has seeds?
The botanical classification: Cucumbers are fruit. A botanical fruit would have at least one seed and grow from the flower of the plant. With this definition in mind, cucumbers are classified as fruit because they contain tiny seeds in the middle and grow from the flower of the cucumber plant.
Is a cucumber a grout or vegetable?
Usually, fruits and vegetables have been named according to how they are consumed. How people eat them versus how people see them is often different. “We see them as to whether we eat them as a dessert, salad or food,” Masabni said. So, consider a cucumber or tomato.
The botanical classification: Cucumbers are fruit
A botanist would use the botanical classification, which is based on the plant’s physiological characteristics, like the structure, function and organisation of the plant.
The Culinary Classification: Cucumbers are vegetables
A nutritionist, chef or even your grandma, would use the culinary classification system, that defines fruit and vegetables in a slightly different manner, basing it on the way the plants are used and their flavour profiles.
Botanical vs Culinary Classification
So, why can we classify cucumbers in two different ways, when it confuses us all? These definitions have their own purposes.
Cucumbers are part of your 5-a-day
For the 5-a-day recommendations, cucumbers are classified as salad vegetable, which is the culinary definition, because that is how most people learn about fruit and vegetables. One adult portion of a cucumber is 5 cm, remember to eat a wide variety of fruit and vegetables so you can reach your daily 5-a-day. 3
Summary – Cucumbers are both fruit and vegetables!
To summarise, cucumbers are usually prepared in salads or pickled despite botanically being a fruit, which is why they are often described as a vegetable from a culinary perspective.
What are cucumbers?
Cucumbers are actually both fruits and vegetables. Their wide range of culinary uses, including in salads, sandwiches, and as pickle slices on hamburgers, classifies them as vegetables. Additionally, cucumbers and pickles, when eaten on their own, are more savory than sweet.
Why does it matter?
It’s helpful to know that cucumbers are vegetables when it comes to using and cooking them. Since vegetables tend to be less sweet, recognizing cucumbers as a vegetable gives you a general understanding of how cucumbers can be used.