4 Cucumber Salad Recipes That Will Keep You Cool All Summer Long

Updated March 9, 2020

All of these simply amazing salads have one very cool ingredient in common—cucumbers! Chill out during the hottest months with refreshing sides like Watermelon Cucumber Feta Salad and Cucumber and Tomato Salad Caprese. And since cucumbers are over 90 percent water, eating them will also help keep you hydrated. Best of all, these veggie-packed dishes all prep in half an hour or less.

There are two basic types of cucumbers: those that are sliced and eaten fresh (slicing cucumbers), and cucumbers that are grown for pickling. Common green slicing cucumbers are what you will typically find at your local supermarket or farmer’s market. Other popular varieties include Armenian, English, Japanese, Kirby, Lemon and Persian cucumbers.

When storing your cucumbers, preserve their freshness by keeping them in your fridge. Wrap each whole cucumber in plastic wrap to minimize moisture. A whole, unsliced cucumber should last up to 10 days using this method.

To store cucumbers that have already been sliced, put them in a small container and add enough water to cover the cucumbers. This will keep your slices fresh for up to a week. Short on storage containers? You can also wrap sliced cucumbers in wet paper towels and store them in a sealed plastic bag.