Cucumbers look like the great green torpedoes of the vegetable world, but they do so much more than blow up watermelon submarines.

WHY WE LOVE THEM

7. Hangover cure– To avoid a morning hangover or headache; eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed. Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to replenish many essential nutrients, reducing the intensity of both hangover and headache.

I find this fascinating. I suspect that the one drawback to this plan is that the person who is going to have a hangover the next day is in no shape before bed to remember to eat a few slices of cucumber.

8. Aids in weight loss and digestion– Due to its low calorie and high water content, cucumber is an ideal diet for people who are looking for weight loss. The high water content and dietary fiber in cucumbers are very effective in ridding the body of toxins from the digestive system, aiding digestion. Daily consumption of cucumbers can be regarded as a remedy for chronic constipation.

Water and fiber, water and fiber, water and fiber. That, my friends, is a magic mantra that can change your digestive life!

HOW WE EAT THEM

Refrigerator Sweet Pickles (Grandma Trone’s Recipe)

Ingredients:

7 cups cucumbers sliced very thin

1 cup onion sliced thin

2 cups sugar

2 Tb salt

1 Tb celery seed

1 cup white vinegar

Mix sugar, salt, celery seed, and vinegar. Pour the mixture over cucumbers and onions in a large bowl and stir. Store in the refrigerator for 3 days, stirring at least once per day. After 3 days, ladle the pickles and liquid into glass jars for easier storage. Pickles are ready to eat right away and will keep in the refrigerator for up to one year.

Natural News article: http://www.naturalnews.com/036769_cucumbers_health_benefits_rehydration.html#ixzz3i5YLJT64

Cucumbers on the vine courtesy of: www.rhs.org.uk

Fridge pickles photo courtesy of www.tastespotting.com