From the Garden of Historic Longstreet Farm: Cucumbers

Originating in the foothills of the Himalayas, cucumbers have been cultivated as a food source for more than 3,000 years. They belong to the Cucurbitaceae family which make them close relatives to watermelon, muskmelon, pumpkin and squash. It's thought that early cucumbers were most likely bitter, but over the years they have been bred to eliminate some of the bitter compounds. 

The history of cucumbers can be seen at its earliest through mention in the Bible of Egyptians eating them, and other historic texts discussing Egyptians making a weak liquor from them. Tiberius, the Roman emperor from AD 14 to 37, was said to have demanded cucumbers be served on his table daily, causing his gardeners to create portable containers to grow them. In the 8th and 9th centuries, Charlemagne grew cucumbers in his gardens in Italy, and it was during the reign of King Henry VIII that the cucumber made its way to the tables of England when his first wife demanded them for her salads.

Columbus brought the cucumber to the New World and introduced it to Haiti in 1494. Interestingly, in the 17th century, physicians were noted as prescribing feverish patients to lie on beds of cucumbers since they retained water; this is where the phrase "cool as a cucumber" came about. And by 1806, at least eight varieties of cucumbers could be found growing in the colonial gardens of America. 

Today, cucumbers are known to have many nutritional qualities, offering potassium, vitamin C, and fiber. They are planted in the spring and need to be planted around 4-6 feet apart to allow for plenty of room as their vines grow. Smaller cucumbers with bumps on their skins and growing about 1-5 inches are often considered pickling cucumbers. Slicing cucumbers are larger, ranging from 4-12 inches, and have smoother skin. 

Historic Longstreet Farm, Holmdel, is known for recreating the sights and sounds of the 1890s. Check out these traditional cooking techniques and recipes for cucumbers from the late 19th century in the U.S.:

Cucumber Salad.

Pare thickly, from end to end, and lay in ice water one hour; wipe them and slice thin, and slice an onion equally thin. Strew salt over them, shake up a few times, cover and let them remain in this brine for another hour. Then squeeze or press out every drop of water which has been extracted from the cucumbers. Put into a salad bowl, sprinkle with white pepper, and scatter bits of parsley over them; add enough vinegar to just cover. You may slice up an equal quantity of white or black radishes and mix with this salad, which is very good.

From "Aunt Babbette's Cook Book, Foreign and Domestic Receipts for the Household" by Aunt Babette. The Bloch Publishing and Printing Co, Cincinnati and Chicago, 1889.

Boiled Cucumbers.

Old cucumbers may be pared, cut in pieces, cooked until soft in boiling salted water, drained, mashed, and seasoned with butter, salt, and pepper.

From "The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book" by Fannie Merritt Farmer, Principal of the Boston Cooking-School. Little, Brown, and Company, Boston, 1896.

Fried Cucumbers.

Pare cucumbers and cut lenghtwise in one-third inch slices. Dry between towels, sprinkle with salt and pepper, dip in crumbs, egg, and crumbs again, fry in deep fat, and drain. 

From "The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book" by Fannie Merritt Farmer, Principal of the Boston Cooking-School. Little, Brown, and Company, Boston, 1896.

Cucumbers, Duchesse.

No. 625. - Pare half a dozen Cucumbers, then cut them into quarters and scoop out the seed. Parboil them for two minutes in water lightly salted, to which add a little vinegar. Then immerse them in cold water and dry them on a towel, after which, put them in a flat saucepan with a little clarified butter. Season them with salt, pepper, nutmeg and a pinch of sugar, and put them on a brisk fire and fry them lightly on both sides (not letting the butter get browned). Then take them out with a small skimmer, without breaking them, and dish them up. Prepare separately a reduced Supreme sauce, in which add two spoonfuls of grated Parmesan cheese, and pour it over the cucumbers. Then serve.

From "Harder's Book of Practical American Cookery in Six Volumes, Volume 1, Treating of American Vegetables, and All Alimentary Plants, Roots and Seeds," by Jules Arther Harder, Chef De Cuisine, Palace Hotel. San Francisco, 1885.

Historic Longstreet Farm is currently open to the public, operating on their summer schedule from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. through Labor Day. We ask that visitors continue social distancing and strongly recommend face coverings, especially when interacting with staff. We remind visitors that for both your safety and the safety of our animals, touching or feeding the animals is not permitted. We look forward to seeing you at the farm and be sure to take a walk past the garden to see what's currently growing.

Sources:

• Cucumber History, FoodReference.com. http://www.foodreference.com/html/a-cukes-history.html.
• Cucumber: A Brief History, Integrated Pest Management, University of Missouri. https://ipm.missouri.edu/MEG/2014/3/Cucumber-A-Brief-History/#:~:text=Native%20to%20India%2C%20cucumber%20is,source%20for%20over%203000%20years.&text=The%20Greeks%20also%20cultivated%20cucumbers,on%20his%20table%20every%20day..