Summer favourite with a twist discover the power of cucumber
24 July 2025
The cucumber plant feels completely at home in a greenhouse, where it is warm and light. Growers start with a small plant that they grow up along a string to a horizontal wire. What you might not expect: the plant grows as much as half a metre a week! To keep up with that, growers regularly lower the plant and slide it up at the bottom. This way, the plant keeps growing and the cucumbers are easily harvested. Most growers put in not one, but three crops a year for a steady supply.
Stuffed cucumber appetisers
Side dish
0 - 10 minutes
Smart greenhouses with energy savings
The modern cucumber greenhouse is more than a glass house. They are often equipped with energy screens reminiscent of blinds. At night, these screens trap heat inside, saving growers up to 50 per cent in energy. In summer, they actually protect the plants from too much solar radiation. In this way, growers ensure an optimal climate for cucumbers.
Colourful family
The cucumber is part of the Cucurbitaceae family. Well-known relatives are the gherkin and courgette, but pumpkins, water melons and the Suriname sopropo also belong to this group. In nature, there are many other types of cucumbers, such as varieties with scales or ribs. So a surprisingly versatile family!
Cucumber in green with tartare
Main course
10 - 20 minutes
Lightweight and nutritious
If you watch your diet, the cucumber is your friend. A whole 400-gram cucumber contains only about 50 kilocalories. It is also rich in fibre and a good source of vitamin K. A cucumber consists of more than 95% water. This makes it ideal as a thirst quencher on hot days. A healthy choice, then, for young and old alike.
Vegetable or fruit?
So is the cucumber a vegetable or a fruit? Botanically, it is a fruit, as it contains seeds that arise from the plant's flower. But in cooking, we usually count it as a vegetable, just like tomatoes and peppers. It fits perfectly into savoury dishes or fresh salads.
Wraps with grilled cucumber ribbons
Lunch
10 - 20 minutes
