Cucumbers are 96% water and while we think of them as long, green, and slightly crunchy, varieties vary from round and yellow to smooth and white. Your favorite gherkin with its knobby texture and thin skin varies significantly from the seedless, long, and lean English cucumber.
Though commonly classified as a vegetable, cucumbers are botanically speaking, a fruit, as they contain seeds and mature from a flower. Fiber is concentrated in the peel, therefore, to maximize nutrient content its best to leave the peel on.
Cucumbers are an excellent way to stay hydrated. I add them to infused mint water and serve them with my favorite spreads from hummus to fromage fort for a cooling, low carbohydrate snack when the summer sun is high.