What is hothouse cucumber?
English cucumbers, Cucumis sativus, were actually bred to create a cucumber without some of the more undesirable characteristics that this vegetable has, such as a tough outer skin, large seeds, and a bitter taste. They are also known as hothouse cucumber, burpless cucumber, seedless cucumber, and European cucumber.
What is the difference between a hothouse cucumber and a regular cucumber?
English (or hothouse) cucumbers are long, narrow and are sold wrapped in plastic to protect their thinner, unwaxed skin. English cucumbers are sometimes billed as seedless but the truth is they do have seeds. They're just smaller and thinner than regular cucumber seeds so you can chew right through them.
Do you have to peel a hot house cucumber?
The hothouse cucumber has a much more delicate skin and is virtually seedless. Peeling is not necessary since the green coating is so thin.
Is English cucumber the same as greenhouse cucumber?
English cucumbers are sweet, slender, straight and have fewer, less noticeable seeds than many other cucumbers. You'll also see them called greenhouse cucumbers, hot house cucumbers, European cucumbers and seedless cucumbers.
Why are hothouse cucumbers wrapped in plastic?
Plastic Wrap Helps Cucumbers Last Longer It acts as both an insulator to protect against cold injury and prevents and slows dehydration and spoilage. Plastic-wrapped cucumbers typically last about 10 days in the refrigerator, which is a bit longer than their unwrapped counterparts.
Which cucumber is best for salad?
English cucumbers typically come wrapped in plastic at the grocery store. It has a deep green hue and pinched ends. Sweet and mild, this seedless cucumber is perfect for chopped salads and canapes because you don't have to scoop on the centers to prevent bogging down the recipe with excess water.
How do you store hot house cucumbers?
0:422:57How to Store English Cucumbers - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipBut these you actually want to put in the fridge they have a very thin skin and because they'reMoreBut these you actually want to put in the fridge they have a very thin skin and because they're wrapped in plastic. Like they're just really affected by humidity and temperature.
Are hot house cucumbers good for pickles?
But you don't need to break out the enormous stock pot or heat-seal your jars to enjoy pickles. Even the most basic quick-pickles will keep for a few weeks to a month or two in the fridge. Pass over long, thin-skinned varieties, like English hothouse cucumbers.
How are Hothouse cucumbers grown?
Sow indoor cucumbers in March or April, into pots in a frost-free greenhouse. Transplant into frames or the greenhouse border in late spring or early summer. Water the plants well, especially while they are flowering. Indoor cucumbers crop earlier, need to be trained and produce long and succulent fruits.
What do English cucumbers look like?
The English cucumber is typically a darker green, longer, more slender, with fewer seeds. There's no need to remove the seeds from this green beauty. English cucumbers are typically wrapped in plastic to protect their thin skin from bumps and tears. And it also helps to preserve the cucumber.
Are greenhouse cucumbers seedless?
Since greenhouse cucumbers are seedless, thin skinned and often promoted as burpless, they are considered more of a premium cucumber, Hochmuth said.
What's the difference between a cucumber and an English cucumber?
English cucumbers are long and straight, with a thin skin with ridges. The seeds are so small they are almost imperceptible. The flavor of an English cucumber is sweeter than the standard cucumber, and it doesn't need to be peeled or seeded before eating!
Cucumber Varieties
Once available only at the best-stocked farmer's markets, different types of cucumbers are showing up at co-ops, grocery stores, and garden patches more than ever. There are a number of common cucumber varieties—Armenian, English, lemon, Persian—that you may encounter.
Armenian Cucumbers
Armenian cucumbers are long, thin, and slightly variegated in darker and lighter shades of light green or a yellowish-green. They are delightfully crunchy and are delicious when simply sliced and eaten raw.
English (Or Seedless) Cucumbers
English cucumbers are also called hot-house cucumbers and seedless cucumbers. This variety is long and thin with dark green skin.
Garden Cucumbers
Garden cucumbers are the most common cucumbers in North America. They are relatively smooth-skinned and dark green.
Gherkins
Gherkins are very small—sometimes not even two inches long. If you're looking for a cucumber to pickle, this is a great choice because they'll easily fit in a jar. They are popular in France, where pickled gherkins—known as cornichons —are a classic accompaniment to pâté.
Kirby Cucumbers
Kirby cucumbers are usually short and they're always bumpy. They have a range of skin color from yellow to dark green.
Lemon Cucumbers
Yellow, round, the size of a generous fist, these cucumbers look like lemons, which explains their name. Lemon cucumbers are sweet, without the bitter edge that most cucumbers have. They have thin skins, minimal soft seeds, and are flavorful.
What is the difference between English and regular Cucumbers?
A restaurateur and food writer, Saad Fayed has published hundreds of recipes and articles about Middle Eastern cuisine.
Pickling Cucumbers
Although any variety of cucumber can be pickled (in a solution or brine of sugar, vinegar, and spices), these cucumbers are especially grown to be uniform in width and length.
Cocktail Cucumbers
Also called snack cucumbers, cocktail cucumbers are small and have thin skins. Not everyone recognizes this as an official type of cucumber but they are fun to eat because you can devour them in just a few bites. Cocktail cucumbers are good for a quick snack, as a garnishment for your favorite martini, and as a lunch box item.
Pickling Cucumbers
Pickling cucumbers are usually only three to four inches in length, which is shorter than cucumbers used for slicing, and they have thin spines and skins. Their color can be variegated and consists of dark or light green at the end of the blossom.
Slicing Cucumbers
Slicing cucumbers are longer than pickling cucumbers, usually around eight inches in length, and they have much thicker skins as well. They are usually a uniform dark-green color, although some have a slightly variegated look.
Amiga Cucumbers
Amiga cucumbers are thin-skinned and spineless. They have a delicious flavor and a dark-green color. They can grow up to six inches in length and are resistant to many types of mildew and viruses.
Armenian Cucumbers
Also called snake cucumbers or snake melons, the Armenian cucumber is long and twisted with a dark-green color. It has a thin skin with pale-green stripes throughout and as it ripens and matures, it turns yellow and has a great aroma. The cucumber also has a very mild taste.
Chinese Soyu Cucumbers
These are long, slightly curved cucumbers that are lime green in color with stripes of a darker green. It is a burpless variety and has a crisp, white flesh. Because of their mild and sweet flavor, the Chinese Soyu cucumbers are frequently found in restaurants and farmers’ markets. They are a non-hybrid Asian cucumber.
Diva Cucumbers
Diva cucumber seeds come treated or untreated and this is one of the best-tasting cucumbers available. They usually grow from five to seven inches long and they are seedless, extremely tasty, crisp, and tender. They are great when grown in the outdoors and prefer warm, well-drained soil.
