Talk:Cucumber

Also a berry

It's also a berry, you know James Random 11:51, 17 June 2006 (UTC)

No, not really, it's actually a false berry. So is a blueberry, actually.--66.253.174.65 02:44, 29 July 2006 (UTC)

Cuculoupe

Copied from User talk:Pollinator

Hello Pollinator: You recently deleted an edit I made on the Cucumber article regarding Cuculoupes. Within the last week, this info was on the AP news service and was picked up by hundreds of news web sites, television and radio stations, etc. I though that it would be of interest to the reader of the article because of it's unusual nature. Your stated reason for the delete was, "rem nonsense "documented" only by pulp magazine." I don't know what kind of documentation you are looking for on breaking news. Obviously, it's too soon for it to hit the print magazines... yet. But, Here's one from a New Orleans newspaper. Here's one from CBS News. I found at least 500 news stories of this on Google. So what kind of documentation would you like to see? I could not find anything in "pulp magazine" that was relevant, so I don't know what "nonsense" you are referring to. I would, maybe understand it, if you were to say that it's not encyclopedic or professional or something along those lines, and I would respect your opinion. So please reconsider your edit. Otherwise, please educate me on proper citing, since I'm relatively new to WP. Thanks. Leon7 03:01, 14 July 2006 (UTC)

Crosses among cucurbits are not impossible, but the story has some of the earmarks of a hoax, so I'd be cautious. Note the breathless tone of the story, as presented in the pulp magazine you provided as a reference. You half expect to hear them say it was fathered by Elvis.

Another thing that is conspicuous to anyone who works with cucurbits is the gaps in the story. The quoted "expert" says the cucumber and cantaloupe were planted "close together." The terminology seems unlikely, as this "expert" surely must know that simply being close together would not produce a cross. It's as if the pollen magically jumped from one plant to another. Cucurbit pollen is heavy and sticky and will not be airborne; it needs a pollinator, such as a bee, to carry it from one plant to another. Of course the "expert" could be talking down to a reporter, or the reporter might not be listening very well.

The fact that it was picked up by major news sources like CBS (why didn't you link to that in the first place?) reduces the possibility of a hoax, as they supposedly would check the story out. I'm still not entirely convinced though, as the major news agencies have been hoaxed as well. If you want to put it back in (with better sources), I won't remove it, as the onus will be on them, if it proves to be a phony.

The whole fiasco was a bunch of b.s. and has been debunked by LSU scientists. I removed all references to it in the article. You can read about it here.--66.253.174.65 02:43, 29 July 2006 (UTC)

Picture

I just added the long, thin picture of a cucumber but it doesn'tlook very good in its present location. Feel free to move/resize/delete it. Mahahahaneapneap 11:31, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

Sexual uses?

Any discussion of the use of cucumbers for sexual purposes should be (i) properly referenced and (ii) elsewhere. Mr Stephen 21:51, 18 September 2006 (UTC)

those are gherkins, not cukes

That barrel of pickles.... them's gherkins, not cucumbers. Cucumis anguria, not sativa. NaySay 16:19, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

Cucumbers are fruit section

I'm not sure if this is true, "despite the scientific classification their sour-bitter flavor contributes to cucumbers being perceived, prepared and eaten as vegetables." Firstly I have never tasted a sour or bitter cucumber, secondly, to me cucumbers are not prepared or eaten like vegetables, most vegetables are cooked and I have never heard of cooking cucumbers, also you can eat pretty much eat all of a cucumber so you don't really have to prepare it at all, unlike most vegetables. They are certainly not eaten like fruit but they are also not eaten like vegetables. Ian 22:30, 26 March 2007 (UTC)

I'd say most cucumbers taste mildly sour, definitely less sweet than foods popularly classified as fruit (i.e. apples, berries). As for preparation, think salads. I've also cooked cucumbers, and eaten cucumbers in recipes cooked by others (Chinese and Indian food). Vegetable is scientifically meaningless anyway, it's a social and culinary category. I suppose the basic question to ask yourself is, previous to someone telling you cucumbers are fruit, did you think of and eat them the same way you would an apple? For most people I'd say the answer would be no, but I could be wrong. WLU 18:01, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

I wouldn't say fruits are meant to be sweet or have to be to be like other fruits, grapefruits and lemons aren't very sweet, they taste sour and bitter but they aren't percieved as vegetables, so the taste of something shouldn't make someone associate it with fruit or vegetables if they are thinking rationaly. I'm fairly confident I never thought of cucumbers as vegetables although the only way to find out what most people think would be to do a fairly useless survey. Ian 21:52, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

True about the citrus fruits. But again, fruits is a scientific term, while vegetables is a culinary one. Anyway, I'm happy with the opening sentence, as I don't think you'd ever get a referenced reason why cucumbers are vegetables and lemons are not. Others would have to weigh in before I'd lean towards changing it. WLU 11:24, 28 March 2007 (UTC)

My main problem was that I don't think cucumbers taste bitter at all and I'm not convinced that they taste sour either. According to this website only Japanese cucumbers taste at all bitter. Ian 17:29, 28 March 2007 (UTC)

Huh?

I can't quite figure out the author's intent in this passage:

The fruit is mentioned in the Bible (Numbers 11:5) as having been freely available in Egypt, even to the enslaved Israelites who hate cucumbers method of agriculture is mentioned briefly.

Maybe someone else can.