How to properly store fresh cucumbers in the refrigerator

How long can fresh cucumbers be stored?

Select fruits for long-term storage especially carefully.

Let us recall the main advantages of cucumber: in addition to its excellent taste, it is distinguished by its high content of magnesium and potassium; In addition, the fruits contain vitamins PP, B and C, carotene, macro- and microelements.

True, cucumbers contain a lot of water (95-97%), so it is difficult to keep them fresh for a long time. But if you set yourself such a goal, nothing is impossible.

It is necessary to begin selecting cucumbers for long-term storage at the stage of picking or purchasing them: stale or overgrown fruits are not suitable for storage.

How to choose cucumbers for storage

The fruits should be:

Fresh:

• When collecting cucumbers in your own garden, try to ensure that as little time as possible passes from the time of collection to the moment of storage. Fruits that have lain for several days at room temperature are no longer suitable for long-term storage;

The less time passes from collection to storage, the better.

• When buying cucumbers at the market, pay attention not only to individual specimens, but also to the entire batch. If most of the fruits have wilted, it is better to refuse the purchase - they will not last long, even if some seem fresh.

Clean and dry:

• You cannot wash greens before storing them, because the fruits have their own protection from rotting.

Without damage:

• carefully inspect the cucumbers: there should be no damage to the skin, otherwise the fruits will begin to deteriorate very quickly.

With thick skin:

• For long-term storage, ground cucumbers with thick skin are more suitable than greenhouse cucumbers

are well stored : 'Kharkovsky', 'Nezhinsky' and others.

Excellent keeping quality in long-fruited parthenocarpic varieties, such as:

• Sadko;
• Unwashed 40;
• Nezhinsky local;
• Nezhinsky 12;
• Competitor;
• Bush;
• Parade.

Which cucumbers are not suitable for long-term storage?

There is no point in trying to store such cucumbers - you will just waste your time:

• Watery fruits with thin skin.
• Overgrown cucumbers. They lose all their beneficial properties and are no longer suitable for food. It's better to use them for harvesting.

Such fruits are not suitable for long-term storage:

• Greenhouse varieties of rapid ripening. They can only be stored for 3-4 days.

In a jar with a candle

This method is somewhat exotic, but if you want to know how long to keep cucumbers fresh, and by “long” you mean more than a month or two, then a candle in a jar is a real godsend.

The method allows you to completely preserve the taste. It is more suitable for storing fruits just picked from the garden, but store-bought vegetables can also be saved using this method.

Sort through the cucumbers. They must be of excellent quality, without the slightest damage. Take a three-liter jar and sterilize. Wipe freshly picked or purchased cucumbers with a dry cloth; no need to wash.

Place a regular candle in a jar (any kind, just not a scented one!), and stack the vegetables around it. But don’t stuff it to the top, you need to leave some space. Light the candle and let it burn for ten minutes.

Then take the metal lid and seal the jar. This must be done so that the candle does not go out. It will go out on its own when the closed jar runs out of oxygen.

Store the container with cucumbers in a cool place.

How to properly store cucumbers fresh in the refrigerator for a long time

In order for cucumbers not to wither in the refrigerator and to be stored as long as possible, they must be kept in special conditions. There are several ways to prolong freshness at home.

How to keep cucumbers fresh longer? To do this, you need to select fruits, observing the following rules:

• The fruits should be firm, without signs of wilting;
• You need to collect vegetables that will later be stored either early in the morning or in the evening. The best thing is when the crop is harvested in rainy weather;
• Not all varieties are suitable for storage; preference should be given to those with dense and thick skin;
• It is necessary to collect fruits for storage at the stage of technical ripeness, so that fermentation processes do not occur inside;
• It is necessary to leave tails 1-2 cm long on cucumbers;
• The skin should be intact without cuts or dents;
• All fruits must be thoroughly cleaned of dirt and wiped dry, if possible not washed;
• Pick cucumbers immediately before storing.

In a jar with a candle

This method is simple and does not take up much space:

1. You need to take a clean glass jar with a capacity of 2-3 liters.
2. Place a paraffin candle in the middle.
3. Place cucumbers in the jar.
4. After this, the candle is lit and burns for 10 minutes.
5. After this, the candle is extinguished and the jar is tightly sealed with a lid.

Due to the fact that a burning candle promotes chemical processes in which oxygen is absorbed, fruits are stored longer.
The jar should be stored in the refrigerator.

Vacuum

Packaging capable of creating vacuum conditions is used not only for storing various meat products, but also many vegetables. And cucumbers are no exception. Vacuum-packed vegetables should be kept cool and away from light.

In order for them to remain fresh for 3 months, you need to clean the vegetables from the soil, wipe them dry and place them in a special container for vacuum packaging. This can be a plastic container with a special device for pumping out air or another device.

In paper

Thick paper will help preserve the fruits. You can use paper towels or napkins. In this case, the paper must be absolutely clean (no ink).

Cucumbers are individually wrapped in paper and placed in a bag. After which they can be stored in the vegetable compartment.

This method will extend the freshness period to 2 weeks due to the fact that the paper absorbs moisture that forms on the surface of the vegetables, as a result of which putrefactive processes slow down.

“Bouquet” in the water

You can keep vegetables fresh for up to a month using cold water. To do this, take any convenient container, pour cold water and immerse the vegetables in it with their tails down 2 cm. Then they are placed in the vegetable section of the refrigerator.

Externally, the fruits in the container resemble a “bouquet” standing in a vase. The water should be replaced every day.

In egg white

Not everyone knows the original method of storing egg whites. Unlike other methods, at the first stage of preparation you should thoroughly wash the vegetables. After drying the fruits, each is brushed with beaten egg white. The surface should be completely covered with a thin egg film.

Due to the protein, a protective film is created that prevents the process of moisture evaporation. Processed vegetables are stored in the lower section of the refrigerator.

How to store cucumbers indoors

There are also many ways to store indoors!

In a box or case:

This method will keep the fruits fresh 2-3 days. Cucumbers are carefully placed in a cardboard box, plastic tray, wooden box or paper bag. The room temperature should be within +10...+15°C, air humidity about 90-95%.

If the temperature is lowered to +6...+8°C, cucumbers can remain fresh for up to 10 days.

In damp cloth:

Wrap the cucumbers in a damp cloth and store in a cool (+6...7°C) room, moistening the cloth as necessary. This way you can keep the fruit fresh for about a week.

Regardless of how and where you store cucumbers, periodically, approximately once every 3 days, they must be inspected, removing damaged and lost fruits.

How to keep cucumbers fresh longer without refrigeration

There are ways that people kept vegetables fresh before the advent of refrigerators in their homes. Now they seem unusual, but cucumbers are stored this way from a month to six months.

In a pond

The fruits are placed in a bag with small cells and a weight suspended from below and the bag is lowered into a reservoir that does not freeze in winter.

In sand

Thanks to sand, you can save a larger volume of crops without using a refrigerator. The fruits are placed in a container and gradually covered with clean sand so that between them there is a layer of sand without gaps. The container with sand is placed in a cold place, for example, in the basement.

Vegetables will be stored even longer if you bury the container in the ground.

The shelf life in this way can reach several months.

In the well

If you have your own well on the property, a bucket of cucumbers covered with natural fabric is immersed in 1-2 cm of water.

In cabbage

For growing and longer storage, cucumbers are planted between rows of cabbage. The whip with the ovary appearing on it is placed between the leaves of cabbage. Thus, cucumbers grow inside the cabbage, and then are stored in it in a cool place.

In vinegar

Vinegar is poured into a clean enamel bowl with a layer of 3 mm, a colander or wire rack is placed inside, where the cucumbers are placed. The fruits should not touch the vinegar. Cover the container with a lid and store it in the cold.

In a barrel

A wooden barrel is an excellent storage for vegetables. The wood from which it is made must be dense (it is better to take oak). The fruits are tightly packed into the barrel and hermetically sealed. After that, such a container is lowered to the bottom of the river and firmly fixed to protect it from the current.

If you choose the right barrel made of wood that is not prone to rotting, cucumbers will remain fresh for several months.

In the box

The most common way is to place the cucumbers in a box, box or any other container with walls that allow air to pass through.

It is necessary to carefully place fresh dry fruits inside so that they minimally touch each other. Vegetables should be stored at a temperature no higher than 15 degrees and at high humidity, for example, in the basement. Under such conditions, cucumbers can remain fresh for about ten days.

Before storing vegetables in a drawer, you can wrap them in a damp cloth or gauze. This will also help the fruit stay juicy longer.

In a clay pot

The harvest is stored well in clay containers. A thin layer of sand is poured into the bottom of the container, and then a layer of cucumbers is laid out and sand is poured on top again. This pot can be stored both in the refrigerator and in the basement.

Unusual ways to store cucumbers

There are a large number of methods on how to keep cucumbers fresh until the New Year. Some of them were used by people in times when there was no refrigerator in the house.

In the bank

Storing cucumbers in a jar is a simple, proven and effective method. To do this, place a paraffin candle in a clean container and fill it with selected fruits. After filling, light the candle, seal it with a lid and put it in a cool room. A burning candle absorbs oxygen from the jar and fills it with carbon dioxide. In oxygen-free containers, vegetables remain fresh until spring.

In a barrel

This ancient method will keep cucumbers fresh without brine or spices. To do this you will need a scalded oak barrel. Horseradish leaves are placed at the bottom, which will prevent the oxidation process.

The selected greens are placed vertically in a barrel with their tails down, trying not to leave any voids. After the container is filled, the top layer is covered with horseradish, closed with a lid and placed in a frost-free pond, at the bottom of which there are cold springs.

The beneficial properties and taste of cucumbers are preserved until the New Year and spring holidays.

In the vinegar chamber

In order for cucumbers to preserve moisture, juiciness and aroma for a long time, you can resort to this method. For it you will need an enamel pan and a stand with holes. The main thing is that it is made of a material that is resistant to acetic acid.

9% vinegar is poured into the pan to a depth of 3-4 mm. Place a stand and arrange the cucumbers so that they do not come into contact with it. After filling, close the pan and put it in a cool room.

In a clay pot

A clay pot is an ideal storage container. Vegetables are placed in rows in a container, each layer is sprinkled with river sand, tightly closed with a lid and buried in the area.

In winter, you can surprise your guests with a fresh, juicy and aromatic harvest from your garden.

In white cabbage

This is an original method that is suitable for regions with warm climates. Cucumbers are planted in open ground between rows of late varieties of cabbage. The resulting ovaries, together with flexible stems, are carefully placed between the cabbage leaves, closer to the stalk. Thus, the cucumber fruits develop inside the cabbage.

For storage, the cabbage head is wrapped in paper and stored in a cool place. Cucumbers are also stored together with cabbage.

All of the above storage methods have been tested and are very effective. Having chosen the most suitable one, you can enjoy fresh and aromatic gherkins from your plot throughout the winter.

You can learn how to properly preserve greens using a vacuum method from the video:

Is it possible to preserve fresh cucumbers until winter?

Another way to store fresh cucumbers is freezing. Housewives do not use this method very often due to the fact that when defrosting, the product loses moisture and becomes lethargic and tasteless . However, this storage method is suitable for further use of cucumbers in preparing okroshka.

To freeze cucumbers, rinse them thoroughly and dry them with a towel. After this, cut into cubes and divide into portions sufficient to prepare one pan of okroshka. Place each portion in a bag and place in the freezer for storage.

It is not recommended to defrost such a product. Place one portion of frozen cucumbers in the prepared okroshka and leave to brew for 10–15 minutes. When cucumbers are defrosted, they will not lose their beneficial properties and taste.

It is recommended to store frozen cucumbers in the freezer for no more than 12 months.

Can I use a freezer?

You can preserve fresh cucumbers for the winter by freezing. It's very easy to do this:

1. Cut clean young strong cucumbers into slices or cubes - in a way that will be convenient for later use.
2. Take a tray, cover it with cling film, and lay out the chopped vegetables.
3. Place in the freezer for 3-4 hours or use the quick freeze mode.
4. When the pieces have hardened, pack them in portions into plastic bags, about 300-500 g each.
5. Place back in the freezer.

After defrosting, the greens take on a “glass” appearance, but they are stored all winter, until spring. They will definitely last until the New Year and will be an excellent addition to holiday salads. You can also prepare okroshka, all kinds of snacks and side dishes from them.

Not all varieties are suitable for freezer storage. Some turn into “porridge” after defrosting. If you don't know how your cucumber will behave, freeze a small amount to test.

How not to store cucumbers

The freshness of cucumbers cannot be preserved in this way.

Packed in cellophane without air access:

Cucumbers tightly wrapped in a plastic bag or film will last about 2-3 days even in the refrigerator: without access to air, the fruits will “suffocate” and begin to rot.

Along with ripe fruits:

Any ripe fruits that emit ethylene, be they fruits (apples and others) or vegetables (tomatoes and others), cannot be stored together with cucumbers. Under the influence of ethylene, biochemical processes in cucumbers are accelerated and they begin to ripen quickly.

Recommendations and useful tips

A few more useful, proven tips for storing cucumbers that will help when preparing the product:

1. For long-term storage, choose fruits with thick green skin. Seeds (overripe) and yellowed are unsuitable for long-term storage.
2. Do not try to preserve gherkins for a long time. They will quickly lose moisture and spoil, just like greenhouse varieties of cucumbers.
3. Do not buy fresh vegetables from a very cold display case for long-term storage. Temperature changes accelerate the process of their deterioration.
4. When storing vegetables, carefully monitor the temperature. At temperatures below zero, cucumbers soften and mucus appears on them.

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How to choose the right fruits

It is not always possible to grow your own cucumbers, so many people go to grocery stores on the day of maximum discounts on goods to make preparations for the autumn-winter period. Several principles for choosing vegetables overlap with those listed above, but there are a number of additional ones:

1. It should be remembered that the vegetables could have traveled a long way to the counter, that is, they were collected quite a long time ago. Therefore, they must be examined extremely carefully.
2. Pay attention to the size. Small cucumbers quickly lose moisture and dry out; too large ones are already overgrown and may be bland.
3. It is ideal to take vegetables with thick skin and grown in the ground.
4. When buying at the market, also remember that the farmer could have collected them a long time ago, so choose your own specimens for storage, inspecting each one individually.
5. Cucumbers must be clean and dry. If condensation has formed on them, first dry them on a towel and only then proceed with the preparations.
6. Under no circumstances leave wrinkled or stained food for a long time, as the rotting process occurs very quickly.

To store cucumbers, you need to choose medium-sized fruits

There is no need to wash cucumbers before storing, as this will disrupt their natural protection from rotting processes. Store-bought cucumbers are additionally treated with protective wax.