Why Are My Cucumbers Soft?

Soft Cucumbers

• Once you harvest cucumbers, they become soft as the water evaporates due to a loss of moisture. Cucumbers last for little more than a week in the refrigerator before they lose their crispness. Cucumbers harvested from the garden have thinner skins, especially if they do not have a wax or oil coating like commercial cucumbers. Prevent cucumbers from softening by harvesting and storing them properly so that they last longer.

Harvesting

• Cucumbers are ready to harvest five to seven days after the flowers form. Harvesting cucumbers in the morning helps keep them crisper because they retain more water. When the sun rises, the water can evaporate from the cucumbers. After harvesting cucumbers, always bring them indoors as soon as possible to store them in the refrigerator crisper. If you leave the harvested cucumbers outdoors after harvesting them, the heat from the sun can cause moisture loss.

Storing

• Store the cucumbers at about 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Cucumbers store well in the refrigerator if you place them in a perforated plastic bag in the crisper drawer. Cucumbers will remain fresh in the refrigerator for as many as 10 days, and then they begin to soften. Cucumbers left at room temperature begin to soften within two to three days. Never store cucumbers next to apples because the apples will cause the produce to soften and turn yellow due to the release of ethylene gas.

Tips

• Picking cucumbers only when you plan to use them helps to keep the produce firm but do not let the fruits become too large because it will decrease flavor and the texture will become tough. Slice the soft ends off a cucumber before you consume it. Avoid washing cucumbers until you are ready to consume them. Always remove misshapen cucumbers -- they are the result of poor soil or low moisture -- from the vine because they will not develop properly.