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Why cut the ends off cucumber?

Therefore, cutting off the end of a cucumber and stimulating the cut side draws out the cucurbitacin and cuts down on the bitterness.

today.com - Does 'milking' cucumbers actually make them taste better?

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Social distancing has led to all sorts of at-home kitchen discoveries, from "fried" microwaved eggs to tiny pancake cereal and even whipped peanut butter milk. But the latest food-related trick taking over TikTok is a prepping tip that involves doing something pretty unusual with a very basic salad ingredient.

If you didn't think cucumbers could be milked, you were wrong.

“Who here has ever milked a cucumber?” Ingrid Perkins, known on TikTok as @basicallyperkfect, recently asked her followers in a new video she posted about a week ago. “I don’t know if you’ve ever had a cucumber that was a little bitter, like it just doesn’t take fresh? That’s because you need to milk your cucumbers!” she continues. “Milking the cucumber actually brings out the bitterness leaving the cucumber with a fresh, clean taste,” Perkins explained to TODAY via email. But be prepared to see varying degrees of “milk” coming out of your cucumber, depending on what type it is. First, all you have to do is cut the end off a standard-sized American slicing cucumber. Then, rub that edge on the exposed cucumber flesh in circular motions until you see some white “milk,” or a clear foamy liquid, start to come out. It may drip down the sides, so keep a paper towel handy. Perkins said she learned about this fascinating hack from her sister-in-law, and it had actually been passed down through generations of her husband’s Alabama-based family. While Perkins' new video has amassed over 1 million views in just a week, plenty of people on social media said they've known about the trick for awhile. Can't remember what is called or why its beneficial but your supposed to milk the cucumber. Cut the top and rub the ends together and it makes the cucumber better. No lie. — Fake Randy (@Randy_Mosher69) November 7, 2019 Cut the end of a cucumber, rub clockwise, removes bitterness. Grandmother's trick . What is the science behind this? pic.twitter.com/bkbcgX0sAw — zenrainman (@zenrainman) May 15, 2014 Slice both ends of cucumber, apply a bit of salt on both sides and rub with the chopped head till froth appears. It is said to do away the bitterness of the vegetable. @TarakKalsekar @poonam_216 @vinitajadhav25 @geetapriya @ShriyaJ03 pic.twitter.com/Y5CNTIzW30 — Rujuta Jadhav (@Rujulicious) January 31, 2018

But does it actually work and should we all be milking our cucumbers?

"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." While this compound is "not necessarily present in all cucumbers," Adler said it's often concentrated at the ends of cucumbers. Therefore, cutting off the end of a cucumber and stimulating the cut side draws out the cucurbitacin and cuts down on the bitterness. If you really hate bitter flavors, then you can also peel off the dark green skin. However, you'll lose a lot of the veggie's key nutrients. Seedless cucumbers and European cucumbers also tend to be less bitter. So, while this hack does take some of the bitterness out of standard American cucumbers, opting for a different cucumber variety altogether may save you more time and energy while prepping that salad.

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Is the skin of cucumber good for you?

You can eat the peel of a cucumber. In fact, it will add fiber and vitamin A to your diet. Just be sure to wash the cucumber first.

webmd.com - Health Benefits of Cucumber - WebMD

What Are Cucumbers? Cucumbers are popular long, lean, and green garden vegetables. Technically, they’re fruits from the same family as watermelons and pumpkins, but most people consider them veggies. Cucumbers are native to India, have a slight melon-like taste, and sometimes can be slightly bitter. Cucumber Types There are two main types: Slicing cucumbers are eaten fresh, often in a salad. They can be 12 inches or longer and usually have smooth skin. There are "burpless" varieties that have less of a plant compound called cucurbitacin. That gives them a milder taste, and it may make you burp less after you eat them. You may also hear them called “seedless cucumbers” or “European cucumbers.” Pickling cucumbers are much smaller and are the type used to make pickles. They can be 3-7 inches long, and they typically have bumps or spines on their skin. Nutritional Benefits of Cucumber A serving of cucumber -- one-half a cup -- is about 8 calories. They have small amounts of vitamin K and vitamin A and are about 95% water. They also have several phytonutrients (plant chemicals) called lignans. One medium unpeeled, raw cucumber has the following: Calories: 30

Total fat: 0 grams

Carbs: 6 grams

Protein: 3 grams

Fiber: 2 grams

Vitamin C: 10% of the recommended daily value (DV)

Vitamin K: 57% of the DV

Magnesium: 9% of the DV

Potassium: 12% of the DV

Manganese: 9% of the DV

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