What’s an English cucumber? Why buy it versus a standard slicing cucumber? It’s not secret: we much prefer the English cucumber to the standard variety. It’s got a better flavor and is easier to work with than the standard. Why? Here’s what you need to know about this variety, and a few recipes where the English cucumber shines.
What’s an English cucumber?
The English cucumber is also known as a European cucumber, hothouse cucumber, or seedless cucumber. They’re long, thin cucumbers sold covered in plastic at the store. Here’s what to know about this variety, and how it’s different from the standard variety:
English cucumbers are long and straight, with a thin skin with ridges. The seeds are so small they are almost imperceptible. The flavor of an English cucumber is sweeter than the standard cucumber, and it doesn’t need to be peeled or seeded before eating! Because the thin skin is so fragile, it’s sold with a plastic covering in the grocery store.Standard slicing cucumbers are shorter, with thick, dark green skin and very large seeds. The thick skin and seeds can be bitter, so they’re often removed when cooking.
How to store it
It might seem odd that the English cucumber is sold in plastic wrap, but it’s necessary because of its very delicate skin. When you’re at the store, grab a cucumber that feels firm to the touch along its entire length. Store it in the produce drawer in your refrigerator with the plastic wrap on. It stays good for about 1 week refrigerated in the plastic wrap.
English cucumber calories
Cucumbers are very low in calories. One English cucumber has about 50 calories, depending on the exact size. This equates to about 2 cups of sliced cucumbers. The low calories are in part due to the water content: a cucumber is 96% water! Cucumber also includes a large amount of nutrients, most of which are contained in the peel (source). This makes English cucumbers a good choice: because they don’t need to be peeled before eating!
English cucumber recipes
English cucumber is our preferred variety to use in recipes because of its sweet flavor: and because you don’t need to peel it or remove its seeds! Here are a few ways to use English cucumbers in recipes: 5 from 2 reviews
