Chap. LIII.Cucumer.The Cowcumber.OfCowcumbers there are diuers sorts, differing chiefly in the forme and colour of the fruit, and not in the forme of the plant; therefore one description shall serue in stead of all the rest.The Cowcumber bringeth forth many trailing rough greene branches lying on the ground, all along whereof growe seuerall leaues, which are rough, broad, vneuen at the edges, and pointed at the ends, with long crooked tendrils comming forth at the same ioynt with the leafe, but on the other side thereof: between the stalks & the leaues at the ioynts come forth the flowers seuerally, euery one standing on a short foot-stalke, opening it selfe into fiue leaues, of a yellowish colour, at the bottome whereof groweth the fruit, long and greene at the first, but when it is thorough ripe, a little yellowish, hauing many furrowes, and vneuen bunches all the length of it, wherein is a white firme substance next vnto the skin, and a cleare pulpe or watery substance, with white flat seede lying dispersed through it: the roote is long and white, with diuers fibres at it.The kindes.The first described is called, The long greene Cowcumber.There is another is called, The short Cowcumber, being short, and of an equall bignesse in the body thereof, and of an vnequall bignesse at both ends.The long Yellow, which is yellowish from the beginning, and more yellow when it is ripe, and hath beene measured to be thirteene inches long: but this is not that small long Cowcumber, called of the Latines,Cucumis anguinus.Another kinde is early ripe, called The French kinde.The Dantsicke kinde beareth but small fruit, growing on short branches or runners: the pickled Cowcumbers that are vsually sold are of this kind.The Muscouie kinde is the smallest of all other, yet knowne, and beareth not aboue foure or fiue at the most on a roote, which are no bigger then small Lemons.The Vse of Cowcumbers.Some vse to cast a little salt on their sliced Cowcumbers, and let them stand halfe an houre or more in a dish, and then poure away the water that commeth from them by the salt, and after put vinegar, oyle,&c.thereon, as euery one liketh: this is done, to take away the ouermuch waterishnesse and coldnesse of the Cowcumbers.In many countries they vse to eate Cowcumbers as wee doe Apples or Peares, paring and giuing slices of them, as we would to our friends of some dainty Apple or Peare.The pickled Cowcumbers that come from beyond Sea, are much vsedwith vs for sawce to meate all the Winter long. Some haue striuen to equall them, by pickling vp our Cowcumbers at the later end of the yeare, when they are cheapest, taking the little ones and scalding them thoroughly well, which after they put in brine, with some Dill or Fenell leaues and stalkes: but these are nothing comparable to the former, wee either missing of the right and orderly pickling of them, or the kinde it selfe differing much from ours (as I said of the Dantsicke kinde) for ours are neither so tender and firme, nor so sauoury as the other.The rawe or greene Cowcumbers are fittest for the hotter time of the yeare, and for hot stomackes, and not to be vsed in colder weather or cold stomackes, by reason of the coldnesse, whereby many haue been ouertaken.The seede is vsed physically in many medicines that serue to coole, and a little to make the passages of vrine slippery, and to giue ease to hot diseases.
Chap. LIII.Cucumer.The Cowcumber.OfCowcumbers there are diuers sorts, differing chiefly in the forme and colour of the fruit, and not in the forme of the plant; therefore one description shall serue in stead of all the rest.The Cowcumber bringeth forth many trailing rough greene branches lying on the ground, all along whereof growe seuerall leaues, which are rough, broad, vneuen at the edges, and pointed at the ends, with long crooked tendrils comming forth at the same ioynt with the leafe, but on the other side thereof: between the stalks & the leaues at the ioynts come forth the flowers seuerally, euery one standing on a short foot-stalke, opening it selfe into fiue leaues, of a yellowish colour, at the bottome whereof groweth the fruit, long and greene at the first, but when it is thorough ripe, a little yellowish, hauing many furrowes, and vneuen bunches all the length of it, wherein is a white firme substance next vnto the skin, and a cleare pulpe or watery substance, with white flat seede lying dispersed through it: the roote is long and white, with diuers fibres at it.The kindes.The first described is called, The long greene Cowcumber.There is another is called, The short Cowcumber, being short, and of an equall bignesse in the body thereof, and of an vnequall bignesse at both ends.The long Yellow, which is yellowish from the beginning, and more yellow when it is ripe, and hath beene measured to be thirteene inches long: but this is not that small long Cowcumber, called of the Latines,Cucumis anguinus.Another kinde is early ripe, called The French kinde.The Dantsicke kinde beareth but small fruit, growing on short branches or runners: the pickled Cowcumbers that are vsually sold are of this kind.The Muscouie kinde is the smallest of all other, yet knowne, and beareth not aboue foure or fiue at the most on a roote, which are no bigger then small Lemons.The Vse of Cowcumbers.Some vse to cast a little salt on their sliced Cowcumbers, and let them stand halfe an houre or more in a dish, and then poure away the water that commeth from them by the salt, and after put vinegar, oyle,&c.thereon, as euery one liketh: this is done, to take away the ouermuch waterishnesse and coldnesse of the Cowcumbers.In many countries they vse to eate Cowcumbers as wee doe Apples or Peares, paring and giuing slices of them, as we would to our friends of some dainty Apple or Peare.The pickled Cowcumbers that come from beyond Sea, are much vsedwith vs for sawce to meate all the Winter long. Some haue striuen to equall them, by pickling vp our Cowcumbers at the later end of the yeare, when they are cheapest, taking the little ones and scalding them thoroughly well, which after they put in brine, with some Dill or Fenell leaues and stalkes: but these are nothing comparable to the former, wee either missing of the right and orderly pickling of them, or the kinde it selfe differing much from ours (as I said of the Dantsicke kinde) for ours are neither so tender and firme, nor so sauoury as the other.The rawe or greene Cowcumbers are fittest for the hotter time of the yeare, and for hot stomackes, and not to be vsed in colder weather or cold stomackes, by reason of the coldnesse, whereby many haue been ouertaken.The seede is vsed physically in many medicines that serue to coole, and a little to make the passages of vrine slippery, and to giue ease to hot diseases.
OfCowcumbers there are diuers sorts, differing chiefly in the forme and colour of the fruit, and not in the forme of the plant; therefore one description shall serue in stead of all the rest.
The Cowcumber bringeth forth many trailing rough greene branches lying on the ground, all along whereof growe seuerall leaues, which are rough, broad, vneuen at the edges, and pointed at the ends, with long crooked tendrils comming forth at the same ioynt with the leafe, but on the other side thereof: between the stalks & the leaues at the ioynts come forth the flowers seuerally, euery one standing on a short foot-stalke, opening it selfe into fiue leaues, of a yellowish colour, at the bottome whereof groweth the fruit, long and greene at the first, but when it is thorough ripe, a little yellowish, hauing many furrowes, and vneuen bunches all the length of it, wherein is a white firme substance next vnto the skin, and a cleare pulpe or watery substance, with white flat seede lying dispersed through it: the roote is long and white, with diuers fibres at it.
The kindes.The first described is called, The long greene Cowcumber.There is another is called, The short Cowcumber, being short, and of an equall bignesse in the body thereof, and of an vnequall bignesse at both ends.The long Yellow, which is yellowish from the beginning, and more yellow when it is ripe, and hath beene measured to be thirteene inches long: but this is not that small long Cowcumber, called of the Latines,Cucumis anguinus.Another kinde is early ripe, called The French kinde.The Dantsicke kinde beareth but small fruit, growing on short branches or runners: the pickled Cowcumbers that are vsually sold are of this kind.The Muscouie kinde is the smallest of all other, yet knowne, and beareth not aboue foure or fiue at the most on a roote, which are no bigger then small Lemons.
The first described is called, The long greene Cowcumber.
There is another is called, The short Cowcumber, being short, and of an equall bignesse in the body thereof, and of an vnequall bignesse at both ends.
The long Yellow, which is yellowish from the beginning, and more yellow when it is ripe, and hath beene measured to be thirteene inches long: but this is not that small long Cowcumber, called of the Latines,Cucumis anguinus.
Another kinde is early ripe, called The French kinde.
The Dantsicke kinde beareth but small fruit, growing on short branches or runners: the pickled Cowcumbers that are vsually sold are of this kind.
The Muscouie kinde is the smallest of all other, yet knowne, and beareth not aboue foure or fiue at the most on a roote, which are no bigger then small Lemons.
The Vse of Cowcumbers.Some vse to cast a little salt on their sliced Cowcumbers, and let them stand halfe an houre or more in a dish, and then poure away the water that commeth from them by the salt, and after put vinegar, oyle,&c.thereon, as euery one liketh: this is done, to take away the ouermuch waterishnesse and coldnesse of the Cowcumbers.In many countries they vse to eate Cowcumbers as wee doe Apples or Peares, paring and giuing slices of them, as we would to our friends of some dainty Apple or Peare.The pickled Cowcumbers that come from beyond Sea, are much vsedwith vs for sawce to meate all the Winter long. Some haue striuen to equall them, by pickling vp our Cowcumbers at the later end of the yeare, when they are cheapest, taking the little ones and scalding them thoroughly well, which after they put in brine, with some Dill or Fenell leaues and stalkes: but these are nothing comparable to the former, wee either missing of the right and orderly pickling of them, or the kinde it selfe differing much from ours (as I said of the Dantsicke kinde) for ours are neither so tender and firme, nor so sauoury as the other.The rawe or greene Cowcumbers are fittest for the hotter time of the yeare, and for hot stomackes, and not to be vsed in colder weather or cold stomackes, by reason of the coldnesse, whereby many haue been ouertaken.The seede is vsed physically in many medicines that serue to coole, and a little to make the passages of vrine slippery, and to giue ease to hot diseases.
Some vse to cast a little salt on their sliced Cowcumbers, and let them stand halfe an houre or more in a dish, and then poure away the water that commeth from them by the salt, and after put vinegar, oyle,&c.thereon, as euery one liketh: this is done, to take away the ouermuch waterishnesse and coldnesse of the Cowcumbers.
In many countries they vse to eate Cowcumbers as wee doe Apples or Peares, paring and giuing slices of them, as we would to our friends of some dainty Apple or Peare.
The pickled Cowcumbers that come from beyond Sea, are much vsedwith vs for sawce to meate all the Winter long. Some haue striuen to equall them, by pickling vp our Cowcumbers at the later end of the yeare, when they are cheapest, taking the little ones and scalding them thoroughly well, which after they put in brine, with some Dill or Fenell leaues and stalkes: but these are nothing comparable to the former, wee either missing of the right and orderly pickling of them, or the kinde it selfe differing much from ours (as I said of the Dantsicke kinde) for ours are neither so tender and firme, nor so sauoury as the other.
The rawe or greene Cowcumbers are fittest for the hotter time of the yeare, and for hot stomackes, and not to be vsed in colder weather or cold stomackes, by reason of the coldnesse, whereby many haue been ouertaken.
The seede is vsed physically in many medicines that serue to coole, and a little to make the passages of vrine slippery, and to giue ease to hot diseases.