To Peel Or Not To Peel — Here's How You Should Prepare Cucumbers For Water

Cucumber water is a great way to make hydration more fun. It lacks the added sugars and chemicals of many drinks such as tea and soda, yet still gives you a pop of flavor that regular water lacks. They're also a great healthy option, as they add necessary nutrients like vitamin K, magnesium, and potassium to your diet. Making it is simple; just let sliced cucumbers and any other desired fresh ingredients sit and infuse in the water for a few hours. However, you might wonder whether or not you need to peel the cucumbers you slice up.

The short answer is: no. A sliced cucumber has plenty of surface area to infuse its flavor into the water even unpeeled, so peeling your cucumber will typically have no effect on the taste of the water. In fact, leaving the peel on is often recommended for cucumber-based recipes, including cucumber water, as many of the cucumber's valuable nutrients are found within it. Keeping the peels on your cucumbers gives you an even healthier, more nutritious water with a strong taste. Just be sure to clean the cucumber thoroughly before slicing it, as pesticides and dirt can linger on the peel and therefore get into your water if you don't remove them.

Most cucumber water recipes recommend using garden-variety cucumbers, as other types can make the water too strong rather than light and refreshing. However, if you pick up a garden cucumber from the store, you might notice that it has a waxy coating. Cucumbers do naturally have a waxy layer, but what you'll find at the store is likely an artificial coating food manufacturers use to preserve the vegetable's shelf-life. While the FDA does consider this safe to eat, some people prefer not to, especially if they're trying to eat as organically as possible. If you can't buy organic cucumbers that lack this waxy coating and don't want it in your cucumber water, peeling the slices is your best bet. Since it doesn't affect the taste of the infusion, you'll get many of the health benefits of cucumber water while avoiding the artificial layer.

Some people also choose to peel cucumbers for the aesthetic value. While some love the extra pop of color the darker green ring of an unpeeled cucumber provides, others prefer the more subtle appearance of an entirely light green cucumber suspended in their water. It all comes down to personal preference. If you do peel your cucumber before adding it to your water, don't throw it out, as the peel can be used as a natural pest deterrent.