Cucumber
Cool, crisp, and endlessly refreshing, cucumbers are one of the most versatile vegetables in any home kitchen.
In a nutshell
Cucumbers are a mild, water-rich vegetable that bring crunch and coolness to everything from salads to cocktails. They’re one of the lowest-calorie vegetables you can reach for, making them a guilt-free addition to nearly any dish. Whether you’re eating them raw, pickling them, or blending them into a chilled soup, they deliver refreshing flavor with almost no effort.
Nutrition
≈ 2 Calories and 0g fat per tablespoon.
Cucumbers are remarkably low in calories — almost entirely water by weight — which makes them a smart choice when you want volume and crunch without loading up on energy. They provide a modest amount of vitamin K, which supports bone health and normal blood clotting, along with small amounts of vitamin C, potassium, and magnesium. The skin in particular contains antioxidants including flavonoids and tannins that may help reduce inflammation. Their very low sodium content and high water content make them naturally hydrating, and the fiber in cucumbers supports digestive health. Nutrition per 100g via Spoonacular.
Culinary uses & pairings
Raw cucumbers shine in fresh preparations — slice them into salads, layer them on sandwiches, or cut spears for dipping in hummus or tzatziki. They’re a natural fit for cold dishes like Greek salad, Vietnamese gỏi cuốn, or a classic American wedge. Cucumber rounds make elegant, low-carb canapé bases, and thin ribbons add lightness to grain bowls. Because their flavor is so gentle, they absorb dressings and seasonings beautifully without competing with other ingredients.
Cucumbers are one of the most iconic pickling vegetables in American cooking. Quick-pickled slices in a vinegar brine come together in under an hour and last weeks in the fridge. For traditional dill pickles, whole or halved cucumbers are fermented or brined with dill, garlic, and spices. Beyond pickles, cucumbers work wonderfully in chilled soups like gazpacho or cold cucumber-yogurt soup, and their juice or muddled flesh is a popular addition to spa water, cocktails, and mocktails.
Pairs well with
Substitutions
Buying & storage
Look for cucumbers that feel firm along their entire length with no soft spots or wrinkled ends — those are signs of age and water loss. The skin should be deep green, smooth, and glossy (for slicing varieties) or slightly bumpy (for pickling varieties). Smaller cucumbers tend to have fewer seeds and crisper flesh. At the farmers market, English and Persian cucumbers are often sold without wax coatings, which means you can eat the skin without worry. If you’re buying conventionally grown cucumbers at the grocery store, the skin is typically waxed to extend shelf life, so a rinse or peel is a good idea.
Varieties
- Slicing (American): The standard grocery-store cucumber — thick-skinned, waxed, and mild. Best peeled before eating. Great for salads and everyday slicing.
- English (Hothouse): Longer and thinner with a very thin, unwaxed skin and tiny seeds. Nearly seedless and virtually bitterness-free, making it ideal for raw eating.
- Persian: Short, slender, and crisp with tender skin and minimal seeds. Sweet flavor and satisfying crunch make these a favorite for snacking and salads.
- Kirby: The classic American pickling cucumber — bumpy skin, firm flesh, and low water content mean they stay crunchy in the jar. Also great raw.
- Lemon: Small, round, and pale yellow with a mild, slightly sweet flavor. A fun heirloom variety that looks striking on a crudité platter.
Recipes using cucumber
558 recipes across our recipe sites use cucumber. A few favorites:
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History & origin
Cucumbers are one of the oldest cultivated vegetables on record, with origins in South Asia — likely northern India — dating back at least 3,000 years. They spread westward through ancient trade routes to the Middle East, Greece, and Rome, where they were prized by emperors including Tiberius, who reportedly ate them daily. Roman influence helped spread the vegetable throughout Europe, and it found its way into medieval gardens across the continent. European colonizers brought cucumbers to the Americas in the 1500s, and they were quickly adopted by various Native American peoples. By the 19th century, cucumber pickling had become a cornerstone of American food preservation culture, with large-scale commercial pickling operations emerging across the country.
How it’s made
Cucumbers are a warm-season vine crop in the gourd family (Cucurbitaceae), grown from seed in well-drained, fertile soil with plenty of sun and consistent moisture. They thrive in temperatures between 70°F and 95°F (21°C to 35°C) and are typically trained up trellises or allowed to sprawl across the ground. Major cucumber-producing states in the US include Florida, Georgia, Michigan, and California. The plants produce yellow flowers that must be pollinated — either by bees in open fields or by hand in greenhouse growing. Fruits develop quickly after pollination and are harvested while still immature and green, before seeds fully harden. Hothouse varieties like English cucumbers are grown in climate-controlled greenhouses and are parthenocarpic, meaning they produce fruit without pollination.
Good to know
- Cucumbers are about 96% water by weight, making them one of the most hydrating foods you can eat.
- The phrase “cool as a cucumber” has some scientific basis — the interior of a cucumber can be noticeably cooler than the outside air temperature on a warm day, though the exact difference varies with conditions.
- Cucumbers are botanically a fruit — specifically a type of berry called a pepo — because they develop from the fertilized ovary of a flower and contain seeds.
- A significant share of the cucumbers grown in the US goes directly to commercial pickling operations.
- Placing chilled cucumber slices on your eyes is a popular beauty ritual; cucumbers contain compounds such as caffeic acid and their cool temperature may help temporarily soothe and reduce the appearance of puffiness.
