What are Cucumbers Good for Besides Salads?

I love cucumbers, they’re refreshing and delicious, especially in a salad, and are equally  good with vinegar or a creamy blue cheese dressing. But did you know that the humble cucumber is good for many other things besides eating? Here’s a list.

1. Rest your eyes –  Laying two slices of cold cucumber on your eyes and resting for 20 minutes reduces bags and puffiness, and just feels good!

2. Hangover remedy – but you have to do it the night before! One cucumber contains Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc. Eating a few slices before going to bed ensures you’ll wake up hangover-free! (Drinking a couple of glasses of water will help, too)

3. Clean Mirrors –  Rub a cucumber slice over your mirror before showering, and the mirror won’t fog up!

4. Cellulite remover – OK, we’re not convinced on this one, but we’ll give a $50 gift certificate to any of our customers who try this and can get us before and after pix. Rub cucumber over areas with cellulite before you go out, and the appearance of cellulite will diminish. Rub for a few minutes.

5. Stave off Hunger – Cucumbers are surprisingly filling. Take a few to work to stave off those afternoon snack cravings. It’s better not to slice them before putting in baggies, and definitely don’t salt them first. Try those crunchy and delicious Persian cucumbers, they’re wonderful to eat out of hand.

6. Fix a squeaky hinge – Rub a cucumber slice over a squeaky hinge, and presto! No more squeak!

7. Pest Free Garden – A few slices of cucumber in an aluminum plate gets rid of grubs, slugs and other pests. The cucumber reacts with the aluminum to create a scent that drives pests away.

8. Anti-stress Cucumber Steam Treatment – put a sliced whole cucumber in boiling water. Then pour into a container you can use to put your face over to get the benefit of the steam. The aroma is said to be stress-relieving, and the steam is good for you skin.

9. Get rid of bad breath –  Hold a slice of cucumber against the roof of your mouth for about 30 seconds, then discard.

10. Clean Stainless Steel – Cucumber can help remove stubborn stains and tarnish from stainless steel. Just rub a cucumber slice across the stainless steel, then buff with a soft cloth!

The wonderful cucumber, who knew it could do so much!

Melody, MagicKitchen.com blogger