Pickled Cucumber – How to make?

Pickling has been used for thousands of years to preserve food beyond the growing season. Most pickling recipes call for salt, vinegar, and seasoning. Pickled cucumber is commonly known as pickle in the US and Canada or gherkins in the UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. The method to make it is pretty simple: Pickle fresh cucumber in a brine, vinegar, or other solution and left to ferment for a period of time, Or immerse the cucumbers in an acidic solution or through souring by lacto-fermentation.

Nutritions of Pickled Cucumber

Like pickled vegetables such as sauerkraut, sour pickled cucumbers (technically a fruit) are low in calories (~35kcal per 30 g portion). They also contain a moderate amount of vitamin K, specifically in the form of K1. 30-gram sour pickled cucumber offers 12–16 µg, or approximately 15–20%, of the Recommended Daily Allowance of vitamin K. It also offers 3 kilocalories (13 kJ), most of which come from carbohydrate.

Pickles are being researched for their ability to act as vegetables with a high probiotic content. Probiotics are typically associated with dairy products, but lactobacillispecies such as L. plantarum and L. brevis have been shown to add to the nutritional value of pickles.

Many people cite the health benefits of pickles, pointing out that they can help with weight loss, are filled with healthful antioxidants, and can fight some kinds of cancer. Others cite high sodium content and reports of increased risk of stomach cancer as reasons for caution. Here’s all you need to know to decide whether you want to munch or pass on the next dill you see!

Benefits of Pickled Cucumber

Good source of probiotics and contain antioxidants

Pickling is a form of fermentation. When vegetables and fruits are fermented, healthy bacteria help to break down the hard-to-digest cellulose in foods, as well as some of the natural sugar. This is why some people who are lactose intolerant may be able to eat yogurt. These healthy bacteria help to keep fermented food safe and less likely to spoil, and can also help increase the good bacteria in your gut when eaten.

While pickles don’t have a lot of vitamins and minerals themselves, eating a pickle with a meal can boost the probiotic content of any meal you eat.

Nutrition

One standard cucumber pickled contains 1-35 calories, and up to one-half of your recommended daily sodium intake.

Antioxidant Protection

The natural antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables help in the fight against free radicals. Free radicals are unstable chemicals that are formed naturally in the body, and can lead to cell damage and problems such as heart disease and cancer. While cooking any food may break down some of the heat sensitive nutrients, preserving vegetables through pickling preserves their antioxidant power.

The Fight Against Spleen Cancer

Japanese pickles have recently been cited for their health benefits and their ability to fight certain types of cancer. A 2014 study found that probiotics in Japanese traditional pickles were found to fight spleen cancer cells in mice. This finding could lead to new human spleen cancer treatments in the future.

Source: Wikipedia & HealthLine