The Best Way to Store Cucumbers, According to an Expert

Normally, I’m not normally a fan of plastic-wrapped produce, especially when it's covering a single baking potato or a few apples. It just doesn’t make sense.

When it comes to cucumbers, you'll see some varieties hanging out in the produce bins, but others, like English cucumbers, are almost always wrapped in plastic. The purpose is to keep moisture in, oxygen out, and protect them from bruising. But once you get these highly perishable, thin-skinned vegetables home—plastic wrap or not—what do you do with them to maintain freshness?

The Best Place to Store Cucumbers So They Last
“Store whole cucumbers in a cool, dry place, or in the refrigerator if you plan to keep them for more than a day or two,” says Jamie Moracci, CEO of Pure Flavor, a North American group of greenhouse vegetable farmers. Inside the fridge, the crisper drawer is best, Moracci says, explaining that's where "humidity levels are higher and temperature is more stable.”

Because cucumbers are sensitive to very cold temperatures, Moracci suggests keeping them toward the front of the drawer to avoid “chilling injury,” which can lead to soft spots or wateryness. Also, it's important to consider that cucumbers are sensitive to ethylene, a naturally occurring gas that makes produce ripen more quickly, so be sure to store them away from other ethylene-producing fruits and vegetables like apples, bananas, and tomatoes.

When stored properly in the fridge, a whole cucumber can stay fresh for up to 10 days, Moracci says, noting that they're best within the first five days.