Cucumbers

How to select

Choose firm, well-shaped cucumbers with dark green color, heavy for size.

How to prepare

• Rinse the cucumber under running water. 
• If desired, peel the skin off the cucumber using a vegetable peeler. 
• Slice the cucumber horizontally into slices or vertically into sticks. 
• Chop into smaller pieces if desired.

How to store

Refrigerate cucumbers in a plastic bag for up to one week.

Peak season

Summer

Ways to use

• Eat them raw as a snack, on a salad, in a soup, cooked, baked, or put them into dips.
• Mix in thin slices of peeled, seeded cucumber for a cool, smooth addition to coleslaw.
• Add some crunch to your lunch by stuffing them into a pita, tortilla, or sandwich.
• Include cucumbers in your favorite pasta salad for a cool meal on a warm day.

Fun facts

• Ever wonder where the saying “cool as a cucumber” comes from? The inside of a cucumber is approximately 20° F cooler than the outside.
• Cucumbers are members of the gourd family, along with melons, pumpkins and squash.
• The biggest cucumber on record was 67 inches long and weighed 154 pounds.

Nutrition facts and info

Cucumbers are 96% water and are a good way to stay hydrated. Cucumbers are naturally low in sodium and calories.

1 cucumber = 45 calories, 2 g protein, 11 g carbs, 1.5 g fiber, 48 mg calcium, 39 mg magnesium, 72 mg phosphorus, 442 mg potassium 

Learn more

Growing cucumbers in home gardens  (UMN Extension)