People are 'milking' cucumbers to make them taste less bitter and it actually works
TikTok is no longer an app where all you see are people dancing. You can actually get a lot of educational videos in that app.
There are TikTok users sharing information on side hustles, parenting, stocks, content creation, and recipes.
Yes, there are a lot of users sharing recipes and kitchen hacks on TikTok. One of them is Ingrid Perkins or @basicallyperkfect on TikTok.
Ingrid had visited her sister-in-law and learned a food hack while they were preparing food. Her sister-in-law was preparing a vegetable tray and said she was going to milk the cucumber.
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Say what?
Yes. Milking cucumbers.
Apparently, it’s a food hack that so many people have known about, especially in the South. And it’s supposed to make cucumbers taste better.
“Yes, this is a real thing,” John Adler, vice president of culinary operations at meal-kit delivery service Blue Apron, told TODAY. “Cucurbitacin is the compound in cucurbits — the family of vegetables of which cucumbers is a member — that makes them bitter.”
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Not all cucumbers will have that bitter taste though.
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“Cucumbers picked from vines growing under some type of stress, such as lack of water, are often somewhat bitter. Misshapen fruits are more likely to be bitter than are the well-shaped fruits. More complaints come about bitter cucumbers grown during cool periods than during warm times. Fertilizers, plant spacing and irrigation frequency may also affect bitterness,” Jim Myers wrote.
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So how do you milk cucumbers?
Slice a chunk of cucumber from the stem end. And rub that piece over the other cut side. Rub it in a circular motion until the “milk” appears. The milky paste will drip so make sure you have something underneath it to catch it.
When you’re done, you are left with a fresh-tasting and sweeter cucumber.
Now you can slice the cucumber according to how you’re preparing it.
You can slice it up into small circles and serve as is with a dip on hand, maybe some ranch dressing or hummus. Or you can toss it Italian dressing or apple cider vinegar with tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and some carrots and kale.
Cucumbers are really good for us and we need to eat them regularly.
According to Women’s Health Mag, cucumbers are packed with nutrients. They’ve got ample amounts of protein, fiber, carbohydrates, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, magnesium, potassium, and manganese. They contain lignans, which can help with treating estrogen-related cancer, and antioxidants to protect cells from chronic diseases.
Cucumbers can also help manage your blood pressure levels, improve gut health and digestion. They keep you hydrated, and manage blood sugar levels, keeping diabetes in check. They also help strengthen your bones.
Who knew a simple cucumber can actually do all this for you?
Since most of the cucurbitacin can be found under the skin, peeling the skin is also an option. But then you’ll miss out on a lot of these nutrients.
And cucumbers are so versatile, too.
You can make cucumber soup or cucumber salad. Sauces are also an option as well as cucumber smoothies or shakes. If you have a spiralizer, you can create cucumber noodles and add them to pasta or sandwiches.
Are you ready to milk cucumbers now?
Ready to learn how to do it? Watch the video below and watch how Ingrid does it.
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
@basicallyperkfect
milking a cucumber?#healthheroes #kitchenhacks #cucumber #fyp
♬ original sound – Basically Perkfect
Source: TikTok/basicallyperkfect, delish, TODAY, OSU Extension Service, Women’s Health Mag