Why Grilling Cucumbers Might Be A Mistake

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Especially for pickier eaters, grilling vegetables is a great way to enhance even the blandest-flavored produce. Among the popular choices, the surprising choice of grilling cucumbers is one that is gaining some traction. Certainly, this is in addition to the viral Cucumber Challenge in 2024, encouraging people to eat more cucumbers. While it is worth cooking cucumbers with your next meal, their high-moisture composition places them among the fruits and vegetables you should never put on a grill. That said, it's not impossible to execute given the right approach, even if there are better alternatives for a plate of deliciously roasted veggies. 

Naturally, heat will cook moisture out of food when cooking, and the grill is certainly no exception. While this normally isn't a difficult issue to avoid, at 96% water, that cucumber can quickly lose its structure and turn to mush, especially when faced with the intense, direct heat of a grill. Instead, other heating methods like baking will yield a better result, as the indirect dry heat won't sap the moisture from the cucumber as quickly, allowing it to maintain some of its structure and crispiness. Due to how temperamental they can be, it's typically best to use cucumbers in a chilled recipe. These don't require cooking and include the likes of tabbouleh, tzatziki sauce, and sandwich rolls. 

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Instead of a cucumber, grilling a zucchini may be the better move, depending on the goal. While zucchinis have nearly as much water as cucumbers, the former's higher density and firmer skin assist in retaining their structure when cooked. As opposed to cucumbers, zucchinis not only take on the flavors of what they're cooked with, but also return a sweet, nuttier flavor— especially when oiled, seasoned, or brined beforehand. Besides zucchinis and cucumbers, there are many fruits and veggies that would be worth a trip on the grill. Eggplants become smoky and tender on the grill, and team great with bell peppers and feta cheese. Mangos are also an excellent choice as they tend to caramelize nicely, taking on sweetly smoky, citrus notes, and taste especially great when dusted with chili powder and a final lime zest.

If there's simply no other choice than grilling that cucumber, rest assured it can be done. After choosing the preferred cucumber, quarter it horizontally for better grating coverage. That way, the heat is taken on more evenly when cooking. Lightly brush them with oil and seasonings, then quickly cook them at a high heat to achieve a nice, light char. This fast, on-and-off method is important as roasting them could risk the cucumber falling apart, putting an abrupt end to the attempt. Additionally, it's best to blanch or sojourn cucumbers beforehand to minimize the chance of them turning to mush.