Cucumber is one of the oldest crops. The first to grow it were the inhabitants of the Indian Peninsula. In this region, you can still meet wild relatives of a cultural cucumber. Their fruits are small in size and are not consumed due to the characteristic bitter taste.
Where did the cucumber come from?
The first Europeans to start growing cucumbers were the Greeks. From them, knowledge of this valuable agricultural crop came to the Romans. Later, the vegetable began to spread throughout central Europe, from where it was imported to Russia.
Useful properties of cucumber
The fruits of cucumber are a valuable dietary product, which contains various micro and macro elements, vitamins B, C, and PP, as well as carnitine. Like any other vegetable, cucumber contains a lot of fiber. It is necessary for the human body as a regulator of the intestines and a means by which the body is able to get rid of excess cholesterol.
Cucumbers contain a large number of various natural chemical compounds. In particular, they contain iodine in a form that is easily accessible for human absorption. Scientists have found that people who regularly eat cucumbers have a healthier cardiovascular system and thyroid gland.
The juice of this vegetable is rich in substances that stimulate appetite and increase the acidity of gastric juice. Potassium, which is also a lot in this product, is able to favorably affect the work of the kidneys and heart muscle.
And finally - good news for those who want to lose weight. Cucumber is 95-97% water, so its energy value is low. The benefits that the human body receives from the substances contained in green fruits are priceless, and the calorie content of 1 cucumber is minimal.
What determines the calorie content of pickled cucumbers?
A fairly common food in our country is pickled cucumber. The calorie content of such a vegetable is slightly higher than that of a fresh one. This is due to the addition of various substances to the brine that extend the shelf life of the product - sugar, vinegar and others. But, nevertheless, the calorie content of pickled cucumbers is also small. You should know that during heat treatment part of the nutrients are destroyed, so a fresh vegetable is healthier than pickled cucumber. The calorie content of a fresh vegetable is about 13-15 kcal per 100 g of product.
How to find out the calorie content of one vegetable?
The energy value of pickled cucumbers depends on what exactly and in what quantity was added to the marinade. In this regard, it is easier to find out the energy value of food products that produce pickled cucumbers. The calorie content of one hundred grams of the product is indicated on the package, also there you can find information about the mass of the purchased goods. Dividing the total weight of the product by the number of cucumbers, you can get an approximate mass of one cucumber, and then find out its calorie content using the formula:
X = (Mog * K100) / 100 g, where:
X is the number of calories in one pickled cucumber;
Mog — the mass of the cucumber for which the energy value is calculated;
K100 - calorie content of 100 g of the product indicated on the package.
Using this formula, you can calculate the calorie content of cucumber and tomato. It can also be used to calculate the energy value of other vegetables.
Many housewives love to independently make such a product as pickled cucumber. Calorie content can be calculated in this case, however, it is necessary to take care of this in advance, at the stage of preparation of seaming. You should weigh all the products used for the marinade, including the cucumbers themselves, familiarize themselves with their calorie content indicated on the package, and based on this calculate the energy value of homemade seals.