Cucumbers are long, slender vegetables with smooth or slightly textured green skin and soft, moist, light-colored flesh. The long English, or hothouse, cucumber has thinner skin and fewer seeds than the shorter, broader variety. Small cucumbers are used for pickling. Look for firm cucumbers, without any soft spots. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
To peel a cucumber:
Draw a vegetable peeler down the length of the cucumber, working away from you. The skin will fall off in strips.To seed a cucumber: Halve the cucumber lengthwise, then scrape out the seeds with a small spoon.