Experts have revealed exactly why cucumbers are wrapped in plastic in the supermarket and why you should keep them on.
Cucumbers are a much-loved ingredient in many salads and sandwiches. When buying them from the supermarket, they are covered in a plastic wrap.
The plastic seal around the cucumber is often thought to be in place for hygiene reasons. As many of us are trying to cut down our plastic waste, I decided to ask experts why cucumbers come in plastic and what the real purpose is.
Ann Cooper from Southampton bakery Wonderberrys uses cucumber in their afternoon tea sandwiches. She shared: “People often assume the plastic wrap on cucumbers is just about cleanliness, but we’ve seen first-hand at Wonderberrys why it’s really there.
“While we mostly focus on cakes and sweet treats, our takeaway afternoon tea offerings rely heavily on fresh cucumber sandwiches. The wrap helps to retain optimum quality by stopping the cucumber from drying out.”
Content creator and Slow Cooker Meals founder Ryan Allen agreed that the plastic seal is all about maintaining freshness. He added: “Unlike regular field cucumbers, English cucumbers have thin, tender skin.
“Rapid dehydration no doubt comes from the fact that [it has] thin skin. With the plastic wrap, though, moisture loss is cut to almost nothing, and freshness is retained for up to a week.”
Ryan said the plastic wrap can help stop cucumbers bruising and even prevent food waste. He explained: “Thin-skinned cucumbers mark easily during transport.
“But the plastic, by serving as a thin protective barrier, still blocks much of the wear, keeping the products looking better, cleaner, newer on the shelf.”
He reasoned: “If wrapping keeps food from spoiling, then the net environmental impact can be lower than selling items unwrapped and throwing more away.”
Cucumbers wrapped in plastic do last longer than unwrapped ones. It has been reported by consumer website Which? that cucumbers in plastic stay fresh for about 14 days, compared to just five unwrapped.
Cucumbers should be kept in the fridge, and ideally in the crisper drawer.
They need the plastic wrap to retain their moisture and prevent them from drying out.
The plastic is said to act as a second skin, preventing dehydration. While in the store, the plastic wrap helps protect the cucumber’s skin from bruising.
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