Who doesn’t want to eat a raw cucumber, very fresh or as a garnish in a salad? It has many nutritional benefits and is very popular in many recipes. But before tasting it, did you know that it is rather advisable to crush it slightly? Let’s explore together in more detail the benefits of this practice and why you should start doing it now too!
Generally, we just cut the cucumbers into pieces after washing them well. But did you know that there is another step to follow before consuming it? We explain how to do it in this article!
Why do you have to crush a cucumber before eating it?
Crush a cucumber – Source: spm
The idea might sound a little weird to those of you who haven’t heard of it, but there are actually good reasons why you should mash a cucumber before eating it. In fact, this practice is very common in some culinary cultures (Asian). We show you why you should do it!
Read also: Is the cucumber a fruit or a vegetable?
– Accelerate disgorging
By crushing a cucumber, the plant cell walls are destroyed, thereby accelerating the outflow of water. In a comparison test conducted by Keith Dresser of Cook’s Illustrated, cucumbers that were crushed and sprinkled with salt were found to lose a good deal of their water weight (faster than cucumbers that were minced and sprinkled with the same amount of salt). salt).
– Extract water
Part of the reason cucumbers are so low in calories is because they’re mostly water. Because of this, they can also absorb other flavors. This is why Asian chefs tend to crush them before slicing them. The reason for this is that they want to make sure the vegetable dries out a bit and becomes more crunchy.
– Improve flavor
Composed mainly of water (95%), cucumber is known for its cooling effect, but its flavor is often diluted in this water, making it rather bland. Crush it before eating it gives it a better taste and allows it to hang better in sauces and dressings.
Cutting a cucumber – Source: spm
If you choose good quality cucumbers, you won’t need to drain them, but if they’re soft and watery, you definitely need to take action. We show you the correct method to follow, below. Up to you !
- Wash your cucumbers, cut off the ends and peel them if their skin is thick.
- Next, place your vegetables in a zip lock bag, add two small pinches of fine salt (or coarse salt) and seal well.
- Give your cucumbers a few good knocks with the pan or rolling pin, do it firmly, but delicately! If you wish, crush with the flat side of the blade of a knife (as you do for garlic), it’s simple and practical!
- Repeat the operation as many times as necessary, until your cucumbers are well flattened and separated into several pieces.
- Let stand for at least 20 minutes to allow them to drain well of the water they contain.
- And hop ! all you have to do is put them in a colander and rinse them well to remove the salt and pat them dry using a clean towel and you’re done!
- And here you are, ready to prepare your delicious cucumber recipes like a real chef!
However, if you don’t want to use salt to soak your greens, all you have to do is slice them up and pat them dry with a clean cloth. Thus, dear readers, you are sure that the water they contain will be eliminated!
To disgorge a cucumber, here is the right technique in video:
Should you peel the skin of the cucumber and remove the seeds?
Peel a cucumber – Source: spm
If you are one of the people who digest cucumber badly, know that what makes it less digestible are its seeds. So be sure to remove them before you drain your cucumber or eat it. What’s more, avoid peeling it in the future. Being rich in fiber, its skin makes digestion much easier.
In this tutorial, you will learn to cut a cucumber in three different ways, depending on your needs:
Read also: Eating cucumber: health effects
So, dear readers? Would you like a cucumber with Greek yogurt or cucumber gazpachos? To your aprons!
Read also: Can cucumbers be eaten with tomatoes in the same salad?