Crisp, refreshing cucumber is a mainstay in recipes for salads, cocktails, and pasta. It also makes an excellent addition to a crudité plate or the perfect vessel for scooping up mouthfuls of homemade hummus.
But there’s more to this humble piece of produce than meets the eye. It turns out, cucumbers are quite the sensitive little veggie. In fact, they’re technically a fruit—classified as such for the hard outer rind and no internal divisions. Read on to find out whether cucumbers need to be refrigerated, and if freezing them is a viable option.
Should Cucumbers Be Refrigerated?
No matter the variety—whether they’re slicing cucumbers, English, Persian, Japanese, or miniature-sized— cucumbers are subject to what’s called “chilling injury,” says Trevor Suslow, former Vice President of Food Safety for the Produce Marketing Association. This means that when they’re stored for more than a few days at typical home refrigeration temperatures (37 degrees F to 40 degrees F), cucumbers will develop soft spots, sunken areas, or sliminess.
Slicing cucumbers, a basic variety you’ll find in any supermarket, are often coated with a thin layer of an approved food wax or fruit luster that helps reduce water loss and adds a few days of “keeping quality,” Suslow explains. “Therefore, a few days in the refrigerator is fine for the hardier slicing cucumbers and essential for the Persian and very thin-skinned, mini-snacking cucumbers.”
