Long English Cucumber Variety
This post may contain affiliate links (disclosure).
Have you ever seen those long cucumbers in the grocery store that are wrapped in plastic? This variety of cucumbers is called English cucumber. English cucumbers are long and narrow. They are usually sold on an individual basis, with a price per cucumber as opposed to a price per pound. English cucumbers are usually more expensive than regular cucumbers, but I think it’s worth paying extra for English cucumbers.
I like English cucumbers much better than regular cucumbers for several reasons:
English Cucumbers Are Nearly Seedless
Even though there is no such thing as a completely seedless cucumber, English cucumber comes close. The seeds of the English cucumber are very small and thin, and you almost don’t taste them.
English Cucumbers Have Great Texture
Do you hate soggy and mushy cucumbers with the middle that falls apart because of the huge seeds? Then you need to get English cucumbers! English cucumbers are usually very firm and crunchy. Because their seeds are so thin and small, the middle part of the English cucumber had the same texture and the outer parts of the cucumber. English cucumber has a great crunch!
English Cucumbers Have Great Taste
Regular cucumbers often have bitter, but I never tasted a bitter English cucumbers. English cucumbers usually have a uniform mild cucumber taste throughout the whole long cucumber, without a hint of bitterness.
English Cucumbers Are Burpless
What is a burpless cucumber? Apparently, some people get gas from cucumbers, and some varieties of cucumbers are specifically bred to be “burpless” – not to give people stomach problems. English cucumber is a burpless cucumber. So if regular cucumbers give you gas, try a burpless English cucumber variety.
English Cucumbers Are Not Waxed
You were probably wondering: why are English cucumbers wrapped in plastic? English cucumbers are wrapped in plastic to prevent them from losing moisture and prolong their shelf life. While ordinary cucumbers are coated with a thin layer of wax for the same purpose of preventing water loss, English cucumbers are wrapped in plastic. English cucumbers are not waxed – the plastic wrap serves the same purpose as the wax. Regular cucumbers must be peeled since it’s not a good idea to eat the wax coating. Since English cucumbers are not waxed, it is safe to eat their skin.
Knowing all the benefits of English cucumbers, I don’t mind paying extra money for them. English cucumbers are my favorite cucumbers, and I enjoy them sliced and sprinkled with salt and pepper, or as part of all kinds of salads.
Check out these 3 salad recipes that include cucumbers: Lettuce, Tomato and Cucumber Salad Recipe, Tomato, Cucumber and Onion Salad Recipe, Tomato And Cucumber Salad Recipe With Radishes. Enjoy the English cucumber crunch in your salads!
Hi, I just read your article about storing cucumbers in paper towels..does this also apply to english cucumbers as well? Do we take them out of the plastic and then wrapped them in paper towels? I’m on the Adkins diet, and I can only have a very small amnt each day, and trying to make one last a week has been a challange. Like you, I also prefer the english kind…much tastier! Thank you for any tips you can help me with. Sincerely, Vickie
I store English cucumbers in a refrigerator in their original plastic (I only wrap regular cucumbers in paper towels, not the English ones). If you need to eat a piece of the English cucumber, just cut off that piece, then seal the cut end with the plastic wrap (the one sold in rolls) and put it back in the refrigerator.