What is an English Cucumber
The English cucumber is bred specifically to be delicious. While other cukes have attributes that maintain freshness or resist pests the English cucumber goes all in on taste.
It’s longer, thinner, and more uniform than other cucumbers which means all the slices will look pleasantly identical on your cucumber sandwich – because food porn! Its skin is thinner and less waxy so you don’t have to peel or munch through any tough veg. It’s called seedless, but it actually just has small seeds that are less bitter. For generations, sweet old English gardeners made all these gentle tweaks to create a cucumber that is divine to eat.
English Cucumbers VS Other Cucumbers
Unfortunately, all these features come with a cost. Mainly for the English cucumber, this means that it does not store nearly as well as other varieties. You’ll maybe get a week of peak freshness out of them if you follow all these storage tips. And you should, because let’s end food waste!
Because of their thin skins, English cucumbers are generally wrapped in plastic to maintain freshness. This is unfortunate because it contributes to plastic waste so it’s just that much more important to enjoy them to their fullest.
How to Buy English Cucumbers
Now, onto making the right choice. After seeking out one that looks appetizing, you’ll want to check for freshness. When testing your English cucumbers in the produce aisle, perform the three following checks:
- Check that the plastic packaging is intact and not broken
- Check that there is no moisture buildup on the inside of the plastic
- Check that the cucumber feels firm, particularly at the ends of the vegetable
Fight Food Waste
Now you can enjoy your produce to the fullest. Knowing how to buy food empowers you to prevent food waste. So much of the fight to stop wasting food involves knowing these tips and tricks.
