# What the Heck Happened to my Cucumber? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 4, 2013, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-happened-to-my-cucumber/665288 "2013-08-04T01:20:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2013, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-happened-to-my-cucumber/665288/1 "2013-08-04T01:20:57Z")
I took a cucumber out of the fridge to make Tzatziki. I peeled it and after peeling I immediately noticed it had a strange slimy feel to it. The skin itself had been unblemished (no bruises, no mushy spots) and felt normal. It was only after I peeled it that it felt oddly slimy. So I shredded it, and it was all gunky. It didn’t shred cleanly and my hands were covered in mucilagenous ooze. I was already mentally abandoning my plan to eat this cucumber, but I was curious what would happen so I salted it to draw out the water. My gloppy cucumber shreds _fizzed_ when the salt was applied, and the water that dripped off was cloudy. This cucumber arrived in my farm share box on Tuesday, meaning it was still in the ground on monday. It had been in my fridge since then. WTH? I know they practically write themselves, but please, [del]no[/del] not too many penis jokes. ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2013, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-happened-to-my-cucumber/665288/2 "2013-08-04T01:59:11Z")
It’s _organic_! I’ve noticed that the local, organic cucumbers don’t last very long at all in the refrigerator, especially in a plastic bag. I don’t know whether it’s the fact they don’t wax them or what, but cucumbers are one item we try to get to early in the week. I’ve never examined a slimy one closely, so I don’t know about the fizzing (once the word “mucilaginous” comes into play, there’s really nothing that’s going to salvage it for me. Look on the bright side. It’s organic compost! ---
**Author:** ![Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Springtime_for_Spacers)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2013, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-happened-to-my-cucumber/665288/3 "2013-08-04T04:02:50Z")
Was your cucumber plastic wrapped? I ask because I discovered that the cucumbers that I grew and stored naked in the fridge went off far more quickly than the tightly wrapped shop bought ones. And, unlike the shop ones which just turn to mush inside the wrapping, peel and all, the skins stayed intact whilst the middle rotted. ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2013, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-happened-to-my-cucumber/665288/4 "2013-08-04T04:12:50Z")
> [@Hello\_Again](#): > > I took a cucumber out of the fridge to make Tzatziki. I peeled it and after peeling I immediately noticed it had a strange slimy feel to it. The skin itself had been unblemished (no bruises, no mushy spots) and felt normal. It was only after I peeled it that it felt oddly slimy. > > So I shredded it, and it was all gunky. It didn’t shred cleanly and my hands were covered in mucilagenous ooze. I was already mentally abandoning my plan to eat this cucumber, but I was curious what would happen so I salted it to draw out the water. My gloppy cucumber shreds _fizzed_ when the salt was applied, and the water that dripped off was cloudy. > > This cucumber arrived in my farm share box on Tuesday, **meaning it was still in the ground on monday.** It had been in my fridge since then. > > WTH? > > I know they practically write themselves, but please, [del]no[/del] not too many penis jokes. It may have frozen in your fridge. That can happen even if it’s in the crisper if the temp in the fridge is too high and the fridge is relatively empty. Also, cucumbers grow on a vine. They’re not part of the potato family. ---
**Author:** ![nion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c5a1d2/32.png) [@nion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nion)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2013, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-happened-to-my-cucumber/665288/5 "2013-08-04T06:23:24Z")
> [@Hello\_Again](#): > > I know they practically write themselves, but please, [del]no[/del] not too many penis jokes. I sheepishly admit to initially viewing this thread looking for just such remarks. :o That said… Having purchased cucumbers semi-regularly, I can say that they just do whatever they want. I’ve had fresh, locally grown cucumbers practically rot overnight, and store-bought imported cucumbers last longer than I’d imagine possible. All came unwrapped as far as I recall, so that wasn’t ever a factor. In fact if anything, I’d kill for a strain of cucumbers that had a consistent shelf-life. Nothing is worse them cutting into a seemingly good cucumber only to once again find ruin. I, too am curious about the salt thing. Are you quite sure it wasn’t an immense slug? Perhaps a cucumber/slug halfbreed? ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2013, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-happened-to-my-cucumber/665288/6 "2013-08-04T13:39:37Z")
the cucumber was stored loose/unwrapped in the fridge. I like **Nawth** ’s theory that it got frozen; while my fridge is neither empty nor particularly cold, it is old and erratic so anything’s possible. And it perfectly explains what happened. Then again it seems that other have had cucumbers just up and rot from the inside out so… I guess the real answer is… _cucumbers, man_ _slow head shake_. > [@Nawth\_Chucka](#): > > Also, cucumbers grow on a vine. They’re not part of the potato family. I know that. It’s just a saying. It was “in the ground” = “still attached to a plant” not “in the ground” = “under the dirt.” ---
**Author:** ![Hockey\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a183cd/32.png) [@Hockey\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hockey_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2013, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-happened-to-my-cucumber/665288/7 "2013-08-04T14:41:11Z")
Our produce company had to take cucumbers out of the boxes for a few weeks because of excessive rain in our area. The cukes were “melting” during transport only a day after picking. They had so much water content they just oozed apart. Has your area experienced greater than normal rainfall recently? ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2013, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-happened-to-my-cucumber/665288/8 "2013-08-04T22:23:16Z")
It was quite rainy this particular week, now that you mention it. I try not to be one of “those people” going _OMG why did my organic, local, not-bred-for-shelf-life vegetables go bad so fast! Outrageous!_ But my farm’s cucumbers have gone 2 weeks in the fridge in the past without getting slugified. Recent rain could also explain why this cucumber acted differently from last week’s farm share cucumbers (which also became tzatziki, what can I say, we also got garlic in the share and I’m not that crazy about cucumbers). ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2013, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-happened-to-my-cucumber/665288/9 "2013-08-05T10:28:28Z")
> [@Hello\_Again](#): > > but I was curious what would happen so I salted it to draw out the water. I don’t waste salt on this step. I shred the cucumber onto a clean tea towel, wrap the shredded cucumber, then twist the tea towel to remove the water. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2013, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-happened-to-my-cucumber/665288/10 "2013-08-05T16:08:46Z")
Waste salt? Are you a time traveler from 1066? It takes me years to use up a pound of salt that costs 79 cents. Moreover my Greek friend told me the Greek way is to salt it, let it drain for 4 hours and Then squeeze it out. According to her, you can’t squeeze out enough water, until you’ve burst the cells with salt. All I know, is my tzatziki is extremely thick and doesn’t separate water in the fridge.