Download ArticleDownload ArticleThis article was reviewed by Jennifer Levasseur. Chef Jennifer Levasseur is a Personal Chef and the Owner of The Happy Cuisiniere based in Breckenridge, Colorado. She has over 12 years of culinary experience and specializes in Mountain and Contemporary Rustic cuisine. Moreover, she can craft dishes and modify menus to accommodate dietary restrictions, such as gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian, and dairy-free diets. In addition to a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Management from the University of Houston, Chef Jennifer holds Associate’s degrees in Culinary Arts and Baking & Pastry Arts from Houston Community College.
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There are many different ways you can cut a cucumber. Learn some of the most popular culinary cucumber cuts which can also be applied to other vegetables. Cut your cucumbers quickly and uniformly to add a professional and appealing look to any dish.
Steps
Pick and wash the cucumbers using warm water. When selecting cucumbers, always choose firm darker colored cucumbers with no wrinkles or spongy spots. Some cucumbers at the store are waxed to prevent them from spoiling when they are out of season. The skins contain vitamin A, so try to buy unwaxed cucumbers, whose skin you can eat. Run unwaxed cucumbers under cold water and lightly scrub them.- If you have purchased waxed cucumbers, make sure to peel them and discard the skin.
Peel the cucumbers (optional). The skin of cucumbers is slightly tough and a little bitter, but it's perfectly fine to eat. If you prefer not to eat the skin, use a vegetable peeler to slice the skin off in shallow strips long ways all over the cucumber.
Lay the cucumber horizontally onto your cutting board. There are many different ways to slice your cucumber for basic everyday slicing. Create cucumber medallions by slicing through the length of the cucumber to create cucumber medallions.
Irma S. Rombauer, Cookbook AuthorTo slice cucumbers, peel them first, then cut them crosswise or lengthwise, depending on the recipe. For salads, slice them thinly or cut them into small cubes. For sandwiches, cut them into thin rounds or lengthwise strips. For pickles, slice them into rounds or spears, as directed in the recipe.
Hold your knife properly. Grip your knife handle with your middle, ring, and pinkie finger on the knife handle and your thumb and forefinger on the sides of the blade to steady your cut.[1]- Hold on to the cucumber with your opposite hand. Grip it lightly with your fingertips curled into it.
- Make careful cuts. Start with the knife handle up and the knife point resting on the cucumber in the place where you want to make your first cut. Push the knife forward and down into each cut.
Slice your cucumber into whatever size and shape you desire. You can make cucumber sticks for a vegetable platter or chop up small pieces and toss them in a salad.
Hold your knife properly. Grip your knife handle with your middle, ring, and pinkie finger on the handle and your thumb and forefinger on the sides of the blade to steady your cut.[2]- Hold on to the cucumber with your opposite hand. Grip it lightly with your fingertips curled into it.
- Take one of your squared off pieces and slice it length-wise. Try to slice each piece evenly and aim for a thickness of 1-2mm (1/16in). This will leave you with thin rectangular cuts. Begin each cut with the knife handle up and the tip down into the cucumber. Push the blade forward as you push it down to create your cuts.
- Your hand position should allow the side of the knife blade to gently rest against the knuckles of your other hand as you hold the cucumber. Making this cut with confidence takes practice. If you are nervous, grip your cucumber further back from your knife blade.
- Slice again. Take each thin slice and repeat the same technique.[3] Aim for dimensions of about 2mm X 2mm X 4cm (1/16in X 1/16in X 2in).
Slice using the Batonnet method (optional). The Batonnet method is a variation of the Julienne cut which produces thicker pieces.- Simply cut your pieces into 6 cm (2.5 inch) long pieces, then cut each of those pieces into 6mm (1/4th) thick slices. Stack those slices, then cut them lengthwise into 6mm (1/4th) wide sticks.[4]
Enjoy! Julienne cut cucumbers work great in a salad, on a vegetable platter, or rolled into a sushi roll.
Dice your cucumbers. Instead of slicing cucumber medallions, you can dice your cucumber by cutting it in half longways, and then cutting it in half longways again. Line the halves up horizontally on your cutting board and slice through the length of your cucumber to dice it.- Dice cucumbers with the Brunoise Dice. Dicing your cucumbers adds just one step to the Julienne cut you have already done. Take your julienne cuts and bunch them up with your hand. Then cut the julienne into equally shaped dice. That's it!
- Aim for dimensions of about 2mm X 2mm X 2mm (1/16 in X 1/16 in X 1/16 in).
- You can also dice your cucumbers into thicker pieces if you prefer.
Dice the Batonnet cut. If you'd like to produce cubes, you can use what’s called the Medium dice to cut your Batonnet pieces.[5] Hold each piece and cut cubes of about 6mm X 6mm X 6mm (1/4 in X 1/4 in X 1/4 in)- Aim to get your pieces as even as possible.
Slice and dice with the paysanne cut. If you would like smaller thinner cubes, slice each cube into about 12mm X 12mm X 3mm (1/2 in X 1/2 in X 1/8 in) squares from one side of the cube to the other.[6]
Spiral cut your cucumbers. Use a sharp knife or vegetable peeler (recommended if you don't have experience in spiral cutting cucumbers) and begin peeling at one side in a circular motion. You should be creating a very thin peel. Continue until you have reached the end of your cucumber.- Be careful with the knife or vegetable peeler, always cut away from your hands and fingers.
- Try to keep the shaving intact, but it's okay if it breaks off too.
- If you'd like, you can use a knife or apple corer to take the seeds out before you begin peeling.
- Spiral cut cucumbers are a fun way to garnish a salad. You can even dress spiral cut cucumbers with a light dressing and a little bit of pepper for a creative salad. Put spiral cut cucumbers on a sandwich or burger for a twist.
Enjoy! Sliced and diced cucumbers make a great addition to salads or sprinkled on top of dishes. Bring a professional look to your dishes with these slicing and dicing methods.
Community Q&A
- QuestionIf I'm making a recipe that asks me to cut the cucumber into "cuts" for a drink, would I just chop it up?
Community AnswerIf you're blending the drink, I would chop the cucumber up into small pieces. If you're using it as a garnish, then I would cut it into slices. - QuestionHow do I know if a cucumber is rotten?
CaeiiaTop AnswererIt's slimy, blackened, or has visible mold. - QuestionHow do I cut cucumbers into shapes?
Community AnswerYou can cut foods into shapes with cookie cutters or by free-handing it with a knife.
Tips
- If you don't want the cucumber skin on the sliced cucumber pieces, you can use a potato peeler in order to get rid of the cucumber rind.Thanks
- Slicing vegetables is an art that comes with a bit of a compromise. If you want speed and low waste, you'll lose uniformity. If you want low waste and uniformity, you'll lose speed. If you want speed and uniformity, you'll have more waste. Most chefs will find a middle ground which they prefer.Thanks
- Try slicing your cucumbers thinly and adding them to a sandwich.Thanks
Warnings
- Always wash vegetables before eating.Thanks
- Make sure to always cut away from your fingers and hands.Thanks
References
About This Article
To slice a cucumber, first scrub the cucumber clean under cool water. If you want the slices to be skinless, peel the cucumber. Then, cut the stem ends off with a knife. To cut discs, slice the cucumber crosswise into ½ inch (1.25 cm) slices. To make half-moons, cut the cucumber in half lengthwise and slice each half into vertical ½ inch (1.25 cm) slices. To make square shapes, you can trim the round sides of the cucumber off. Then, use cross-cuts to slice the rectangle into smaller rectangles or squares. You can also cut the cucumber in half widthwise and cut the two halves vertically into long, thin strips. For tips on how to spiral cut your cucumbers for a fun salad garnish, read on!
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