Question: Why are English cucumbers plastic-wrapped?
Answer: To keep the moisture in. Most (supermarket) cucumbers are waxed to keep the moisture in, because of the larger surface area of English cucumbers’ wrinkly skin, it’s easier to wrap than wax.
Other interesting facts about cucumbers:
- Cucumbers are members of gourd family Cucurbitaceae
- Cucumbers have been cultivated since 4000 or 3000 BC and had the bitter bread out of them.
- Old recipes salted cucumbers to remove bitterness. (Though one source
isn’t convinced it worked.)
- Salting cucumbers crisps them. Soaking cucumbers in salt water however softens them.
Sources:
- Practically Edible (Food Encyclopedia) > Cucumbers
- What Einstein Told His Cook 2: The Sequel: Further Adventures in Kitchen Science
- Wikipedia > Cucumbers
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