A strange texture on the fingers, a crushing skin, a feeling of vegetable glue … But what happens when you peel a zucchini? Behind this mystery hides a little botanical secret.
Have you ever felt this curious impression? After peeled a zucchini, cucumber or pumpkin, Now your fingers become tights, almost sticky, and that your skin is fripe As if you had soaked it for too long in the water.
A few hours later, This dry film begins to crumble, as A miniature moult. Intriguent, right? And if this little kitchen misadventure actually hid a biological phenomenon fascinating ?
A vegetable family like no other
These vegetables (which are, botically speaking, fruit) all belong to the Cucurbit family. Zucchini, pumpkins, melons, cucumbers … all cousins! And their common point is not limited to the end -of -autumn soup: they also share and vascular system Quite unique in its kind.
In most plants, two types of “pipes” carry vital fluids: the xylempour Water and minerals ; and the phloempour sugars. But among the cucurbit, the phloem is split, even multiplied!
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We talk extra-fascicular phloema secondary network of vessels which runs even under the skin.
A sticky sap to defend oneself
And here is the knot of the mystery: when you cut a zucchini, you lésez These peripheral vessels. In response, the plant releases A viscous sap and stickyrich in protein-pin callose and in Défense hormones.
A kind vegetable latexdesigned for plug the injury, block microbes and even trap insects. A survival strategy Impressive, but not practical for your hands!
And as we usually harvest zucchini Before their full maturitythey are still more generous in sap that their older cousins, hence this printing When you prepare them.
How to avoid the “vegetable glue” effect?
If you don’t want to finish your kitchen session your fingers stuck, some tips existent :
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- Wear gloves ! Simple, basic, efficient.
- Use a cloth To avoid direct contact.
- Or so, Do not peel them at all! Their skin is edibletasty and full of nutrients.
In case of a sticky emergency, a hot water bath or a little oil can save your hands. You have to make sure to rub well!
What if we ate them, these zucchini?
The zucchini lends itself to a thousand recipes:
- In raw tagliatelle lemon marinated.
- In gratin cheese melting.
- In cake or salt pie.
- And even in cold soup For summer!
In short, you have every reason to keep cook These green berries, tights but delicious. Enjoy your food !
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Cuisine editor
Passionate about everything related to cooking, I love to discover new products, explore food trends and dive into European culinary traditions. Based in Brussels, I share …
