White Wonder Cucumbers
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Description/Taste
White Wonder cucumbers are a small to medium-sized varietal, averaging 15 to 20 centimeters in length and 5 to 7 centimeters in diameter, and have an oblong to cylindrical shape with curved, blunt ends. The cucumber’s skin is thin but tough, smooth with some bumps, and taut. The surface also has a distinct white to cream-colored hue with black spines, developing yellow undertones as the cucumber ages. Underneath the skin, the white flesh is tender and aqueous with a crisp consistency. There is also a central cavity filled with many small seeds suspended in a green, gelatinous liquid. White Wonder cucumbers have a refreshing, crunchy, and juicy mouthfeel and offer mild, clean, and subtly vegetal flavors.
Seasons/Availability
White Wonder cucumbers are available in the late summer through fall.
Current Facts
White Wonder cucumbers, botanically classified as Cucumis sativus ‘White Wonder,’ are a pale-hued home garden variety belonging to the Cucurbitaceae family. The heirloom cucumbers were introduced to American gardens in the late 19th century and were marketed for their unusual white skin and flesh. White Wonder cucumbers were a popular variety in the 20th century and were favored as an ornamental and culinary cucumber that could be planted early in the spring. The cucumber’s white flesh contrasts with the dark green foliage for increased visual appeal in gardens, and the vining plants grow rapidly, even under harsh conditions and in hot weather. The cucumbers are also ready for harvest relatively quickly, about two months after sowing, versatile for fresh, cooked, and pickled preparations. White Wonder cucumbers are sometimes known as Albino, White Slicing, Ivory King, Long White, Jack Frost, and Landreth's White Slicing cucumbers and are a rare heirloom primarily grown by seed savers, select farms, and cucumber enthusiasts. The cucumbers are not commercially cultivated, but when in season, they are found through specialty retailers and growers.
Nutritional Value
White Wonder cucumbers are a source of vitamin C to strengthen the immune system, vitamin K to assist in faster wound healing, and B vitamins to improve cell health, brain operations, and overall well-being. The cucumbers also provide potassium to balance fluid levels within the body, phosphorus to build strong bones and teeth, and contain other nutrients, including magnesium, manganese, copper, fiber, and antioxidants. Beyond vitamins and minerals, cucumbers have high water content, allowing the digestive tract to be cleansed, reducing inflammation, and the body to be hydrated.
Applications
White Wonder cucumbers have a mild, vegetal flavor well suited for fresh, cooked, and fermented preparations. The cucumbers can be consumed with or without the skin, depending on individual preference, and sliced into smaller pieces, consumed straight, out of hand. Cucumber slices can be served with creamy dips as an appetizer or snack, chopped into green salads, or mixed with various binding ingredients such as yogurt or sour cream to make flavorful, refreshing side dishes. White Wonder cucumbers can also be blended into drinks, sliced and used as an edible garnish for carbonated water, or cut into long strips and served as a raw snack. While less common, the cucumbers can be spiralized and used as a noodle substitute. In addition to raw preparations, White Wonder cucumbers can be fermented into pickles and blend well with varying pickling ingredients. The cucumbers can be quick pickled using Japanese oils and vinegar, infused with vinegar and salt, or immersed in American recipes using fresh herbs. Pickles provide sweet, sour, and tangy nuances to dishes and are often served as an edible garnish on platters and plates. Beyond fermentation, White Wonder cucumbers can be stir-fried or lightly sauteed in flavorful sauces, roasted with fresh herbs, or cooked into omelets. They can also be incorporated into soups, air-fried into fritters, or chopped and cooked in fresh tomato pasta. White Wonder cucumbers pair well with herbs such as dill, parsley, mint, and chives, aromatics including red onions, garlic, scallions, and chile peppers, mung bean sprouts, tomatoes, mushrooms, lemon juice, sesame oil, yogurt, and vinegar. Whole, unwashed White Wonder cucumbers will keep up to five days when wrapped in a damp paper towel and stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
White Wonder cucumbers were first marketed by the W. Atlee Burpee & Company, also known as Burpee Seeds. The seed company was created by Washington Atlee Burpee, or W. Atlee Burpee, in 1878. W. Atlee Burpee had a mind for science and business, breeding chickens at age 14 at his family’s home in Philadelphia. Burpee came from a lineage of doctors and was at one point expected to be one, but after a trip to the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia in 1876, Burpee dropped out of medical school and pursued his passion of opening a business. In 1876, Burpee began a mail-order chicken company and eventually established a retail store in Philadelphia selling corn seed for animal feed. His business became known throughout Pennsylvania, and his customers began requesting vegetable seeds, spurring Burpee to expand his business. W. Atlee Burpee & Company was created for seed selling in 1877, and by 1878, vegetable seeds became his primary business. Burpee’s seed business was the first research-based seed company in the United States. He introduced several innovative cultivars throughout the 1880s and 1890s, including iceberg lettuce, and promoted White Wonder cucumbers in his 1893 catalog. Burpee’s mail order catalog was his greatest marketing tool; writing most of the copy himself and hiring artists to design detailed drawings of vegetables. These catalogs helped varieties such as White Wonder cucumbers to reach a broad audience and become well-known among American gardeners.
Geography/History
White Wonder cucumbers were introduced to American markets by W. Atlee Burpee in 1893. Burpee received a call from a customer in New York in 1890 about a cucumber they were growing that had white skin and flesh. Burpee trialed the seeds and eventually purchased the customer’s entire seed stock for the variety, growing the cucumbers for research in 1891. By 1893, Burpee released White Wonder cucumbers in his catalog, launching the variety as a unique cultivar for American home gardens. White Wonder cucumbers quickly became a popular variety and were cultivated for their crisp texture, mild flavor, and white skin and flesh. The cucumbers remained in catalogs throughout the early 20th century, but they became a cultivar less advertised over time. Today White Wonder cucumbers are a rare heirloom cucumber mostly grown by select farms, seed savers, and home gardeners in the United States. The variety is sometimes offered in seed catalogs outside of the United States, but the cucumbers are mainly offered through farm stands, retailers, and select markets within the United States.
Recipe Ideas
Recipes that include White Wonder Cucumbers. One
is easiest, three is harder.| Mexican Made Meatless |
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White Cucumber Agua Fresca |
