How Do I Choose the Best Organic Cucumber?

The first step to choosing the best organic cucumber is to determine what variety you want or need. From this point, you can decide where the best place to purchase organic produce is in your area, whether from a grocery store, produce stand, or a nearby farm. When choosing an organic cucumber, take a close look at the skin, and then feel the entire cucumber for any unusually rough spots or softness.

There are a vast variety of organic cucumbers, each suitable for different purposes. If you are looking for a standard salad cucumber, English or garden cucumbers will typically be best. With English varieties, the skin is typically thin enough that you do not have to peel it before eating. This is still possible with garden cucumbers, as long as the skin has not been coated in wax. For pickling cucumbers, girkens and kirbys are best, although garden cucumbers can also be pickled.

Once you have a good idea as to what type of organic cucumber you need, check your local area for places that sell the variety that you want, and make sure that the cucumbers sold at the location are organic. You may be able to purchase what you need at a local grocery store, and doing so is typically the easiest way to choose an organic cucumber as the produce will usually be clearly labeled as organic. Despite this, you can also purchase organic produce from farmer’s markets and local farms in your area. Some of these places may have certified organic produce, or may simply follow organic growing practices without undergoing the routine inspections required by most countries in order to label a product as such.

After determining what type of cucumber you want and your options for buying this variety in your area, it is important to pick the freshest organic cucumber possible. This will typically require a thorough inspection on your part. To start, carefully look over the entire cucumber and take note of the color of its skin. For garden, English and girken varieties, you want to choose an organic cucumber that is smooth in texture and a deep green color, with little to no yellowing. Organic kirby and girken cucumbers will typically range in color from yellow to green, and will have small bumps all over the skin.

The final step to choosing the best organic cucumber is to feel the cucumber, checking for soft spots, especially at the ends. Softness can indicate that the cucumber is starting to go bad, and will typically not last long in your home. If the ends or the entire cucumber are soft to the touch, it is most likely rotten and should not be purchased or eaten. Rotten cucumbers will not have a desirable flavor, and could potentially make you or others sick.