Sliced Cucumber

Cucumber is a great addition to any meal; this versatile vegetable can be used in just about every type of meal imaginable. Think about it—cucumbers are great on salads, wonderful on sandwiches, outstanding as a snack, and even as an amazing additive for drinks. Is there really anything that these wonderful gourds can't be used for?

Because there are so many different ways to use a cucumber, people can easily be confused as to the proper way to slice and serve cucumber. If you have ever had any questions about this, then never fear—your answer is here. Simply follow this simple step-by-step method for slicing cucumber. Once sliced, the cucumbers can be used in any of your favorite ways. Happy eating!

1. Refrigerate. Most people will tell you that you can serve cucumbers at just about any temperature, but this is just not true. The best way to serve a cucumber for a salad, sandwich, or snack is to have it slightly chilled. The reason is that chilled cucumbers not only taste better, but last longer when served. To chill your cucumber, simply stick in the refrigerator for a minimum of a few hours or until you need to use it.
2. Gather materials. With any cooking task, you need to have the proper materials in order to properly accomplish your task. For this task you need a knife, fork, cutting board, cucumber, green scrubbie, dishwashing detergent, and a towel. Also make sure your work area is free of any dirt, grime, or dust.
3. Wash and dry. Wash your cucumbers thoroughly. This relatively simple step only needs a dab of dishwashing soap placed onto a moistened green scrubbie or sponge, and then you just wash the cucumbers. Make sure that you clean the entire vegetable so that you will remove all the dirt, grime, pesticides, or other little nasties that may have accumulated during growing or transporting. Once washed, rinse off all the dish soap and dry them completely.
4. Score. Once dried, take a fork and begin scoring your cucumber. Do this by placing the fork at one of the tips of the cucumber and exerting a little pressure. Use enough pressure to puncture the skin of the gourd, and then drag the fork to the opposite end. Repeat this process until you have scored the entire skin of the cucumber, all the way around.
5. Slice. Begin by slicing off each of the cucumber's tips. Then simply select one end of the cucumber and place the sharp end of the knife somewhere between 1/8 of an inch and 1/4 of an inch, and cut down. Repeat this process until you have cut as many cucumber slices as you would like.
6. Serve. Finally, it is time to serve your cucumber slices. Serve them as additions to your favorite salad, a sandwich topping, or even as a wonderfully healthy snack.

Keep in mind when eating cucumbers, that if you do not eat all of the sliced cucumbers right away, they need to be stored in the refrigerator. Without keeping the sliced and scored cucumbers cool and in an airtight container, they will only be good to eat for an hour or so. There is no real limit to the number of people that this "recipe" can serve—since it is totally up to you on how many cucumbers you want to slice.