Cucumber is the perfect summer fruit (yes, it is a fruit). Fresh and crisp, it's the perfect accompaniment to salads, cocktails, sandwiches and much more.

But if improperly stored, these delicious morsels can quickly become slimy, bruised and disgusting. However, if you know what you are doing, you can prolong the life of cucumbers and ensure they stay perfect for up to ten days. According to Simply Recipes, the best way to keep cucumbers fresh is to first ensure you are buying them fresh.

They should be firm, smooth and vibrantly green. Any yellowing or wrinkled ones should be discarded - they’re past it.

Once you have selected the perfect specimen, if you’re going to use it that day, you can just keep it on the side of the kitchen in a cool, dry place. But, if you have plans for it later, the best place for a cucumber is the fridge - but not just anywhere.

Keep them in the vegetable drawer where the temperature is more stable, and towards the front of the drawer. This will avoid a chilling injury. Cucumbers are very sensitive to cold, so if they have too much contact with the back of the fridge - the coldest part - they can go soft and mushy.

They are also very sensitive to ethylene - a gas given off by ripening fruit like apples, bananas and tomatoes. This gas can cause other fruits around it to spoil - so keep your cucumbers clear of it. 

If your cucumber came wrapped in plastic, you should only unwrap the section of it which you plan to eat immediately. Then, you can fold the excess plastic wrap back over the remaining fruit for additional protection.

Kept this way, cucumbers will last in the fridge for up to ten days but will be at their best if consumed within five.