Cucumbers have a variety of uses as foods. You can pickle them, put them on a relish tray, eat them in a salad, and use them for sandwiches. The list goes on and on.
Did you ever stop to wonder what other things a cucumber could be used for? Interestingly, its uses reach far beyond just food. Check out these 7 great home remedies you can make from your cucumbers.
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1. Control diabetes. Medical News Today shares that cucumber appears to have the ability to help control sugar spikes in the body and stimulate the release of insulin. This makes it a great food for helping control diabetes.
2. Reduce puffy eyes. If you have baggy eyes in the morning, WebMD says to take a couple of slices of chilled cucumber and place one on each eye. The cold will help reduce the swelling.
3. Heal sunburn. Cucumbers appear to have a natural anti-inflammatory in them, so Prevention recommends peeling and mashing them into a paste that you can slather on your sunburn for relief.
4. Tone the skin. Medical News Today says that cucumbers are supposed to have astringent properties that are good for toning the skin. Stylecraze takes one medium, peeled cucumber and chops it fine. Place it in a pan and add enough water to cover the cucumber. Cook on low heat for five to seven minutes. When finished, pour it into a blender and blend on high for 20 seconds. Strain the cucumber out and the juice into a bottle. Store the juice in the refrigerator and use it as a toner twice daily.
5. Treat acne. Another recommendation by Medical News Today is using cucumbers to treat acne. Bellatory makes a cucumber face mask from 1/2 cucumber, pureed, 1 tablespoon ground oatmeal and 1 tablespoon honey. Mix the ingredients thoroughly and spread on your face. Let the mask sit for 10 to 15 minutes and then wash off.
6. Hydrate. WebMD states that cucumbers are related to melons and are full of water. These vegetables make great sources of water to keep you well-hydrated. Betty Crocker has a great cucumber salad made from 2 cucumbers, 1/3 cup white vinegar, 1/3 cup water, 2 tablespoons sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Slice your cucumbers and place them in a bowl. Mix the other ingredients together and pour them over the cucumbers. Stir so that the cucumbers are thoroughly coated. Drain off the excess and then sprinkle fresh dill on for a garnish.
7. Tame poison oak. Grandma's Home Remedies uses slices of cucumber to treat poison oak. Whether this works is unknown as no research has been done, but when you're suffering, it may be worth a try. You can also blend the cucumber into a paste to slather on the rash as well.
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Knowing what you can do with this awesome vegetable, you may just want to stock up on some the next time you're at the store.