8 lesser-known uses of cucumbers

Irengbam Jenny

Cucumber is fresh, crunchy and has a sweet and refreshing flavor which makes it a perfect veggie to have raw in summer. Cucumbers are generally eaten in salads but there are many things you can do with it. Here are some of the things you can do with a fresh cucumber:  

Use to soothe tired eyes: Putting sliced cucumber on your eyelids after a long day is good for eyes. The cooling sensation of the cucumbers helps in soothing the red and tired eyes. It also reduces the puffiness and lightens dark circles.

Cucumber facial: Treat yourself to natural remedies for a glowing skin with cucumber facial. It acts as a natural astringent, so cucumber facial is cleansing and soothing for the skin. Mix cucumber with a few mint leaves, a tablespoon of lemon juice and an egg white to make a face pack. Apply it on a clean face, keep it on for 15 minutes and wash off with warm water.

Make pickle: Pickles can be made out of the crunchy cucumbers. Slice the cucumbers and mix well with the other ingredients and put it in a mason jar. Keep the cucumber jar for a month to get the taste of the pickle.

Make sauces and salsa dip: Cucumber tastes good when mixed with yogurt as raita. You can also make salsa dip out of it by mixing with tomatoes, corns and hot pepper. It can be used in sandwiches and wraps.

Make Soup: You can make soup out of cucumber. The cold cucumber soup is the best thing you can have in the hot summer season. Take peeled cucumbers and mix it with one cup each of plain yogurt and sour cream. Add salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. Mix well and keep it for cooling for 2 hours.

Cucumber Sandwiches: Cucumbers can also be use for making English sandwiches. Take sliced cucumbers between two slices of bread with a thin layer of cream cheese on each slice.

Cocktail: Mix scrubbed cucumbers with sugar to a pitcher of lime water. Add little bit of vodka and mix well. Keep it for cooling in the fridge for a half an hour. Put the mixture with ice in a cocktail shaker and shake well. Enjoy the cucumber cocktail!

Cucumber water: Enjoy the refreshing cucumber water in the hot summer season. Put thin slices of cucumber to a pitcher of water and refrigerate it for some time before having it to rehydrate yourself.