The saying “cool as a cucumber” allegedly stems from the fact that the inside of these vegetables always remain cool – despite hot summer weather, in which they thrive. It’s seems true enough. What’s more refreshing than iced water flavored with a few cucumber slices or lying on the coach with two big rounds placed on your puffy eyes?
There are several cucumber varieties, but these tips refer to “garden” cucumbers, which are most commonly found in supermarkets.
- How to Pick: Choose cucumbers that feel heavy for their size, are free of any blemishes and do not have any soft spots. Check the stem and end, and avoid any that are wrinkled or puckered.
- How to Store: Keep in the fridge for up to a week.
- How to Use: Many cucumbers in the supermarket are coated with wax, so peel the skin before eating if necessary. Try slicing them into matchsticks for snacking, shaving them into thin slices for a salad, slicing them into disks for salads or sandwiches, or grating them for the base of a yogurt-like dip.
- Recipe Ideas: Food & Wine’s Spicy Avocado-Cucumber Soup would make for a great summer starter, while Oprah’s Cucumber Sandwiches would be dainty enough for a picnic. Check back on Friday for my Quinoa Greek Salad!
- Fun Fact: Cucumbers can grow to be over two feet long!!
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