Slicing Cucumbers Delivery or Pickup

Instacart grocers offer a wide range of slicing cucumbers so that you can choose the variety, farm brand, etc., that you like best. Explore our site to see everything offered by stores near you, and place your order online from the comfort of your home. You'll get fresh slicing cucumbers and whatever else you need in as little as 2 hours!

Cucumbers form part of the gourd family, which includes pumpkins, squash, and melons. As is the case with tomatoes and squashes, people often think that cucumbers are vegetables. However, the cucumber is actually classified as a pepo, which is a type of berry that has a hard outer rind and internal divisions. Cucumbers can roughly be sorted into two categories: those you eat fresh and those you pickle.

Slicing cucumbers fall into the first category and are grown specifically to be eaten fresh. They are the cucumbers that you commonly see in supermarkets. Typical characteristics include a length of roughly 7 to 8 inches and a uniform dark green and semi-tough skin. Although the English cucumber is a type of slicing cucumber, it's eaten fresh. It looks and tastes slightly different from the variety commonly regarded as the slicing cucumber in the U.S.

The English cucumber, also called the European cucumber, is longer and thinner than the American slicing cucumber and also has a thinner and less bitter skin. In addition, it's seedless, whereas the American slicing cucumber contains seeds. However, what the American slicing cucumber lacks in refinement, it makes up for in taste, as it's generally more flavorful than its European counterpart. It's also cheaper.

Cucumbers were first cultivated in India over 3,000 years ago. In all probability, these early cucumbers were very bitter due to a compound called cucurbitacins that occurs in the skin and acts as a natural defense mechanism against herbivores and insects. Over the centuries, humans have bred hybrid cucumbers that contain fewer cucurbitacins. However, they are still present in small amounts, which is the slight bitterness you may taste in the cucumber skin.

Cucumbers are typically eaten in their unripe green form, as they tend to become bitter and sour when they reach their ripe, yellow form. When you're out shopping for cucumbers, you want to look out for green cucumbers without any yellow spots, as these are indicators of ripeness. You also want to invest in firm cucumbers that don't have any soft spots, since they're often the result of rotting.

Opt for cucumbers that are evenly rounded to the tops. A bulge in the middle means that there's a large pocket of seeds in the middle of the fruit. Also, avoid cucumbers that are wrinkly. This is a sign that they've been stored for too long and have lost their moisture.

Due to the high water content in cucumbers, you want to use them as soon as possible. If you store them properly in a fridge, they will last for up to 10 to 14 days. Cucumbers are prone to chilling injury, so you want to dry them properly if you've decided to give them a wash before storing them. You also want to provide them with a layer of protection against the chilly temperature by wrapping the fruit in a plastic bag. In addition, try to place them in a warmer section of the fridge, which is often more to the front of a top shelf.

Once you've cut a cucumber, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and use it as soon as possible. Unfortunately, cucumbers can't be frozen, since they turn into a brown and gelatinous mush after being thawed.