Cucumber

A long, cylinder shaped vegetable of the gourd family that has rounded ends and grows on a creeping type of plant. The skin is usually a dark green color and the flesh is a very light green color with a high moisture content. It is commonly use in salads and smaller cucumbers are used for pickling. The skin is edible as well as the flesh, but the skin can be peeled if desired. Sliced cucumbers will stay crisp for longer periods if the slices are placed into ice water immediately after slicing.