A journey into the world of cucumbers, from vices to virtues
With the arrival of summer, it is also time for cucumbers. It is a refreshing vegetable, but also a faithful ally for the body and skin. Excellent in salads or cold creams, it is also used in personal care as a soothing and moisturizing agent.
Cucumbers are part of the cucurbit family and come from the Himalayan regions. It is eaten either raw or cooked, although the first option is preferable to keep its properties intact.
“Its high- water content makes it perfect for replenishing fluids lost during the warmer seasons”.
Its composition of water, vitamins C and K, fiber and mineral salts makes it ideal for purifying and refreshing the body, as well as for slimming and diuretic purposes.
In addition to the tasty dishes that can be prepared with cucumbers, they are also used in many other fields. Even when used in do-it-yourself beauty treatments, it proves to have many benefits. It is one of the most popular grandmother’s remedies for making a tonic with soothing properties, and therefore also an ally in case of sunburn. All you need to do is combine the chopped cucumber with water and sage and keep it in the fridge for a few weeks. Thanks to its ability to contract the capillaries, it can reduce the swelling under the eyes, the famous bags.
” A compress of chopped cucumber, olive oil and lemon will be the secret to reducing skin blemishes”.
If dull hair is the problem, a nourishing cucumber mask is just the thing. All you need is to mix it with an egg and olive oil and use it as a conditioner, leaving it on for about 15 minutes. When placed between the palate and tongue, the cucumber can reduce bad breath problems by killing the bacteria responsible for the problem.
Sticking with the classic use of cucumbers, it is possible to preserve them by making pickles. Some varieties lend themselves very well to this process. If the bitter taste of this vegetable is annoying, it can be eliminated by placing the sliced cucumber in layers with salt so that the excess water is released. The conclusion: from one vegetable, you can find a thousand different uses.
CONTRIBUTOR
Patrizia, born in 1992, graduated in Architecture at the Politecnico of Milano. I’ve always loved this world of stories, stories and construction techniques, but what really didn’t convince me was the idea of spending my life between subway trips, fixed schedules, patterns and habit. It was exactly in front of the possibility of having a permanent contract that I decided to leave for America. To do what, you may be wondering? To realize the first of my many dreams: being a cook. And here I am, writing stories of my travels, of the people I met during my transoceanic trips and handing down the recipes of the dishes I taste around the world.
