spiky cucumber harvest

Disappointed by the cucumber experiment in the greenhouse, I picked up some organic cucumber starts at the local drug store. I bought 4 plants, each about 5 inches tall. I planted them in the raised bed in the beginning of May. Here they are to the right of the massive oregano plant:


Since then they have flourished, growing up and out of the bed. They have yellow flowers that turn into mini cucumbers that grow to a size of about 8 inches. The stems of the cucumber plant are very spiky, I assume it's an adaptation for protection. But the cucumbers themselves are also spiky. Need to remove the spikes before the cucumber is ready to eat.