How can I reuse or recycle … cucumber?

CucumberOk, since you guys were so great coming up with ideas for lettuce last month, here’s a related one: cucumber.

Like with the lettuce, we don’t eat enough salad to get through a whole cucumber before it goes mushy and horrible – we find it pretty hard to even get through a half-cucumber unless we’re on an utter salad binge.

So once we’ve eaten our fill of it, what else can we do with it? There is the cliche cucumber-on-eye thing I guess and I have a suspicion you can use them in face masks – but any more concrete ideas?

(Photo by woodsy)

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16 Responses to “How can I reuse or recycle … cucumber?”


  1. missburrows says:

    You can make cucumber flavored water, like the fancy spas do. Just add sliced cucumbers to a large pitcher of ice water.

    Cream cheese/cucumber sandwiches are yummy too.

  2. Bobbie says:

    The obvious thing is to make pickles. If that is too much effort then slice the cucumber and add to vinegar/sugar solution to get refrigerator pickles. Also many recipes exist for cooked cucumbers, just google :)

  3. anon says:

    Tzatziki! Grate cucumber and mix with yogurt, lemon juice and dill. Very yummy.

    Wikipedia has more info at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tzatziki

  4. tashish says:

    YOu can use them in slices on your eyes before a big day to wake you up and shrink any puffyness
    you can also enjoy a nice foot amssage after that day and were them again on your eye to relax

  5. geslepen says:

    Cucumber salad is freaking delicious. Slice up your cucumber, add the vinegar of your choosing, onions, salt and pepper and then you’re done.

  6. Eat them Duh!!!! They Are Delicious!

  7. Elouise says:

    A slice of cool cucumber really is the perfect balm for eyes that have been crying. Should one ever find oneself with eyes puffy from crying, cucumbers will help reduce them to normal size and reduce the irritation caused by tears.

  8. yogahz says:

    Use them on a sandwich to add crunch!

  9. Arno says:

    Easy!Get a few Giant African Landsnails…..very good for other left over fruits and vegetables too :)

  10. Teanah says:

    Compost them if they are too far gone for eating.

  11. reducinator says:

    I agree with Austin, JUST EAT them.

  12. franyjayne says:

    Give them to your fish (if you have them!). Mine love it and can often be found getting a “lift” round the tank chewing on the chunks!

  13. Spaggie says:

    I use extra cukes to make tomatoe and cucumber sandwiches.

    Make cucumber pork soup. Use chicken stock/broth. Add diced pork and seasonings (we like just salt & pepper). Just before serving, add VERY thinly sliced pieces of peeled cucumber that have had the seeds removed. Serve immediately! Delish!

    Keep your leftover pickle juice and add slices of cukes to it to make more pickles!

  14. Angela says:

    I try to use every bit of my cucumbers. When they’ve gone mushy, I like to make tzatziki. I will grate them into a wire colander over a bowl. This way, I catch the cucumber juice that would ordinarily be wringed out and discarded. Then, I use a cheesecloth to push the excess juice out of the grated cucmber and put all the juice aside for later. Mix in some greek yoghurt with a clove of finely chopped garlic, a little bit of mint and some lemon juice. Best served with roast lamb. Now, for all the extra lovely cucumber juice — seive into a bottle and use it as a gentle cleansing toner in the morning. Cucumber serves as a natural astringent that will clear up acne prone skin and help to reduce redness and puffiness. The juice can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

  15. Guadalupe Jimenez Berrios says:

    I just read about that cucumbers slices are good for puffiness. Can these slices be reused?



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