What the experts say about eating the wax coating.
Plus, tips for how to avoid it.
I mostly get cucumbers from my local grocery store and Ive noticed that they always look and feel waxy.
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Why is the skin covered with wax?
Is the wax safe to eat?
I recently asked two food scientists to weigh in.
Elise Bauer
Why Are Cucumbers Waxy?
So its common for processors to add a layer of wax to cucumbers.
The added waxmimics the waxnaturally produced by the cucumbers.
Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek
The wax protects the cucumbers during processing, transportation, and storage.
Are All Cucumbers Waxed?
Not all varieties of cucumbers have the wax coating added.
Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek
“Greenhouse-grown cucumbers, typically known as seedless cucumbers, a thin-skinned variety, are not waxed.
Instead, they are individually shrink-wrapped in polyethylene film,” says Tiro.
Mini greenhouse cucumbers are also unwaxed and packaged in resealable polyethylene bags or film trays with holes.
Most cucumbers that are not packaged or are shrink-wrapped have a wax coating.
Thats because the packaging acts as the protective layer.
Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek
Is the Wax Coating Safe To Eat?
Both conventional and organic wax coatings are available for producers to use.
Tiro says that using Edipeel has shown promising results for greenhouse cucumbers to move away from polyethylene film.
“This is a labor-intensive process and can take 10 to 30 minutes,” Chau adds.
Peeling the skin off may be the best option.
Chau adds that you may find unwaxed options of organic cucumbers at farmers markets orCommunity Supported Agriculturenear you.
