How Many Cups of Cubes or Slices in a Cucumber?

Here you can find out what a cucumber really is.

Cucumbers contain seeds and they grow from the flowering part of the cucumber plant, so they are technically fruits, not vegetables. However, we tend to think of them as vegetables because they’re often eaten with other fresh vegetables.

There are many varieties, but the main types are slicing cucumbers and pickling cucumbers.

‘Slicing’ cucumbers are long with thick, dark green skins. These are the regular ones that you can readily find in the grocery store year-round. They’re sold fresh and can be eaten immediately or used as a salad ingredient.

In order to reduce the number of seeds in a cucumber, a variety of “seedless” cucumbers were developed. They are not actually seedless, but the seeds are much smaller and thin. The English Cucumbers is one of the best known of these. These cucumbers are quite long growing to about 12 to 15 inches long. In the store, they are normally wrapped in plastic to protect their thin skin.

Slicing cucumbers can be pickled but the result isn’t as good as with actual pickling cucumbers.

Some varieties of regular slicing cucumbers:

● Straight Eight Cucumbers has a very uniform shape and a smaller channel of seeds in the center than most varieties

● Garden Cucumbers – most commonly found at grocery stores.

● English Cucumbers.

‘Pickling’ cucumbers are cultivated with pickling in mind. Although you can eat them fresh, they are perfect to stand up to the pickling process. They’re shorter and wider than slicing cucumbers, with thinner skins, black spines and vary in color, from yellow to dark green.

Gherkins are a readily available jar of pickles you can purchase in the store. Gherkins are not a variety of cucumber but often a national pickling cucumber that was harvested when it is small. Either way, they are delicious!

Examples of pickling cucumbers:

● Kirby Cucumbers – most well known

● Bush Pickles – produces sweet a sweet cucumber about 3 to 5 inches in length. As the name implies, they are grown on a bush-type plant.

● National Pickling

● Boston Pickling

Cucumbers are cylindrical in shape, with a usually green, crunchy skin, and should have a firm texture. It's believed that the darker the skin, the more nutritious they are. Inside, they are pale green with seeds at the center. Cucumbers have a high-water content and (mostly) a pleasant and refreshing taste.

Isn't it interesting that the phrase 'cool as a cucumber' stems from them being so crunchy, cool and refreshing?

The cucurbitacin found in cucumber stems and leaves naturally makes some cucumbers bitter. Usually the whole cucumber isn't affected, only the ends and the layer under the skin. Some cucumbers can have tough skins and large seeds. Weather conditions can also influence the taste of cucumbers while growing, causing them to have an unpleasant taste.

Cucumbers are made up of over 90% water, so they're fantastic to maintain good hydration, they're a good source of nutrients and low in calories too (read: guilt free snack)! Cucumbers also have anti-inflammatory properties, so the next time you wake up with puffy eyes, remember to apply cucumber slices directly on the swollen areas to reduce the puffiness.

Cucumbers are best served raw in salad dishes, sandwiches or just eaten as a snack. They're great to make a cold cucumber soup and dips, like tzatziki. You can add cucumber slices to your water for an extra dose of nutrients, and they're also perfect to add to certain cocktails like martini's and G&T's.

One of the best ways to prolong the shelf life of cucumbers is to pickle them. Pickling excess cucumbers will avoid wasting them and you'll retain their crunch by pickling them.

Zucchini is an excellent cucumber alternative in salads because they’re crunchy like cucumbers, have a high content of water and look so similar. If you don’t have zucchini on hand, you can also use celery stalks, which are crunchy and have a pleasant taste.

When eaten in moderation, cucumbers make a fantastic treat for your pet and due to their high water content, they can actually help keep them hydrated. Slice or dice the cucumber into manageable pieces to protect your pet from choking.

Cucumbers contain cucurbitacin, which can cause indigestion in some people.

Here’s what we found out about storing cucumbers.

Whole, uncut cucumbers can last 2-3 weeks at room temperature. Surprisingly, cucumbers store best when kept at room temperature.

Unfortunately, cut cucumbers don't store well because of their high content of water.

Wrap the cut cucumber in a paper towel and place it in a loose packet in the refrigerator. This will keep the cucumber dry and prevent condensation. It will also protect the cucumber from ethylene gas produced by other fruits and veggies in your fridge.

Ethylene is a natural plant hormone that is released by some fruits and vegetables as a gas, often referred to as an ‘aging hormone’. Fruit and vegetables that are stored incorrectly will ripen faster when they come into contact with it.

Although not a very popular method, another way you can store cucumber slices is in an airtight container, filled with water, in the refrigerator for up to a week.

A frozen cucumber isn't as good as a fresh one, but they can be frozen, and frozen cucumbers can work well in drinks, soups, smoothies etc.

Place your cucumber slices in one layer on a baking tray and freeze for a few hours, preferably overnight. Put the frozen cucumber slices in a Ziplock bag or freezer friendly container, and back into the freezer until required.

Here's what we discovered about cutting cucumbers.

Use a vegetable brush to scrub the cucumber, making sure you don't damage the skin. It's a good idea to wash the cucumber in a solution of three parts water and one part vinegar to remove harmful bacteria, especially if you're going to eat the skin. Plain water, if you don't have vinegar on hand, will also remove most bacteria. Dry with a clean cloth or paper towel.

You can eat the skin of a cucumber, just be sure to clean the cucumber first by washing it in a solution of water and vinegar, or plain cool running water if you don’t have vinegar on hand. Fruits and vegetables should always be washed before eating to remove bacteria.

Peeling a cucumber will reduce its health benefits, as fiber and nutrients are stored in the skin. Usually, there’s no need to remove the skin so only peel them if the recipe requires it, or if it’s too bitter to eat.

If you’re unlucky enough to bite into a bitter cucumber, cut another slice from the center of it, and taste it again to see if the center tastes better. If it does, just discard the ends, otherwise you can also peel the cucumber as it’s the skin and the thin layer under the skin that is usually unpleasant.

If that doesn’t work, you can try to salvage your cucumber by trying one of the following suggested methods.

1. Cut off the end and rub it in a circular motion on the piece you cut it from. While doing this, you will see a white foamy liquid which causes the bitterness coming out of the cucumber. Repeat the process on the other side. Once you’re done, wash the cucumber with cool running water.

2. Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise, apply some salt to both halves where they were cut, and rub them together. Once again, the bitter white liquid will start coming out. Do this a couple more times before rinsing with water.

3. Cut the ends off and peel the cucumber. Run the tines of a fork over the cucumber until the whole cucumber is covered in ridges, which releases the bitter frothy liquid. Rinse and repeat this procedure a few times before eating.

Some cucumbers also have a (perfectly edible) wax coating on their skin to prevent moisture loss. Soaking it for 2 minutes in a solution of water and vinegar will help to loosen the wax coating so that it can be wiped off.

Occasionally, cucumbers have spines to protect themselves from predators You can remove the spines by rubbing a cloth or a soft vegetable brush along the length of the cucumber.

Clean the cucumber first: use a vegetable brush to scrub the cucumber, without damaging the skin. Washing cucumbers in a solution of three parts water and one part vinegar is a good way to remove harmful bacteria. Plain water, if you don't have vinegar on hand, will also remove most bacteria. Dry with a clean cloth or paper towel.

Place the cucumber on a clean cutting board. With a sharp knife, carefully cut the ends off, then cut the cucumber horizontally from one end to the other end.

Alternatively, after cutting the ends off, cut the cucumber in half lengthwise. Thinly slice each half horizontally, cut-side down, from one end to the other end.

You can also cut your cucumber into long thin strips, called the Julienne cut (also known as the allumette or french cut). Once the cucumber has been cleaned and the ends cut off, thinly slice it diagonally from one end to the other. The slices are then stacked, and cut very finely, from end to end, to give the 'Julienne cut'.

Clean the cucumber first: use a vegetable brush to scrub the cucumber, without damaging the skin. Wash the cucumbers then dry with a clean cloth or paper towel.

Place the cucumber on a clean cutting board. With a sharp knife, carefully cut the ends off, then cut the cucumber in half lengthwise. Further cut each half lengthwise again, then slice horizontally into the required size cubes.

Clean the cucumber first: use a vegetable brush to scrub the cucumber, without damaging the skin. Washing cucumbers in a solution of three parts water and one part vinegar is a good way to remove harmful bacteria. Plain water, if you don’t have vinegar on hand, will also remove most bacteria. Dry with a clean cloth or paper towel.

Place the cucumber on a clean cutting board. Using a vegetable peeler or paring knife, peel the skin of the cucumber, or if you’re keeping the skin on, then just trim both the ends.

Cut the cucumber into manageable chunks and place the chunks into your blender or food processor. Pulse or process until pureed. Strain the puree through a sieve to ensure it’s smooth. The puree can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 30 days.

A box grater works well for shredding cucumbers.

Clean the cucumber first: use a vegetable brush to scrub the cucumber, without damaging the skin. Wash off in cool running water will remove most bacteria. Dry with a clean cloth or paper towel.

Using a vegetable peeler or paring knife, peel the skin of the cucumber, or if you're keeping the skin on, then just trim both the ends. Remember the skin is nutrient dense, so if it's not bitter, it's best to leave it on.

Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise and scoop the seeds out. Cut the halves smaller to make it easier to grate. Shred the pieces on the larger holes of a box grater.

Once the cucumber has been shredded, squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Sprinkle it with salt and let it stand for a few minutes. The salt will draw out excess moisture which can make your dish soggy if not drained.

Clean the cucumber first: use a vegetable brush to scrub the cucumber, without damaging the skin. Washing cucumbers in a solution of three parts water and one part vinegar is a good way to remove harmful bacteria. Plain water, if you don’t have vinegar on hand, will also remove most bacteria. Dry with a clean cloth or paper towel.

Using a vegetable peeler or paring knife, peel the skin of the cucumber, or if you’re keeping the skin on, then just trim both the ends. Remember the skin is nutrient dense, so if it’s not bitter, it’s best to leave it on.

Cut the cucumber into manageable chunks and place the chunks into your blender or food processor. Pulse or process the pieces until liquified, adding water until you reach the desired consistency. Strain the juice through a sieve to ensure it’s smooth.

You really only need cucumbers and water to make cucumber juice but adding lemons and mint to it will add some flavour and boost the nutrition too. Enjoy the juice immediately, or store in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.

Yes, cucumbers have seeds, and most are tiny edible seeds. Some cucumbers develop large, hard seeds particularly if picked when over ripe. These seeds are best if removed before eating the flesh.

To remove the seeds, first wash the cucumber thoroughly in water or in a solution of water and vinegar. On a cutting board, cut the cucumbers in half lengthwise with a sharp knife, then, using a spoon or even an ice cream scoop, carefully scrape out all of the seeds, but make sure you only remove the seeds as it’s easy to accidentally remove the flesh too!

Some people do eat moderate amounts of very young cucumber leaves. However, since cucumber leaves can cause vomiting, we don't really recommend it.