The key is to keep it aging ON THE VINE until the skin is a dark orange brownish hue.

Old cucumbers are usually yellow, brown, and orangey in color and have quite a thick and wrinkled skin (makes sense given that it’s aged).  The inner flesh is almost white, but slightly yellowed as well.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, old cucumbers are cooling and help clear heat and moisture, and eliminate toxins from the body.  They are best used in spring soups where the weather is damp and humid.

Generally, old cucumber soups found in the Cantonese cuisine are made with beans (yellow, mung, red, black eyed) or barley or lentil.  These ingredients also help dispel moisture and are perfectly suited as spring soups when days are getting warm and humid.

I will gently wash the outside skin with warm running water.  I tend to keep the skin ON when using old cucumbers so it doesn’t disintegrate as it softens in the soup.  The skin is quite tough and hard, so it does the job in holding the cucumber flesh together in the soup.

Alternatively, you can remove the skin and cut into smaller squares for quick boil soups as well.

1. 1. • Old cucumbers cost around $20-25 HKD each

1. 1. • Old cucumbers are known to be a “cooling” food
      • Women who are pregnant or menstruating should take caution when consuming this

Old Cucumber Soup with Azuki Beans and Lentil