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.

Wrapped in egg white

Cellar owners less often have the question of how to keep cucumbers fresh for a long time, since there are more conditions for this: there is a cool room with fairly high humidity.

For the described method, it is advisable to take cucumbers with a long stem, since after processing the fruits need to be hung somehow.

Wash and dry the vegetables thoroughly. Whisk the egg white and generously coat the cucumbers. After drying, the protein forms a film, which, on the one hand, prevents the evaporation of moisture, and on the other, allows the fruit to breathe.

Processed cucumbers are hung from ropes by the stem and stored in a cool place. In this form, they will retain their beneficial properties and taste for quite a long time.

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They will have to be cleaned before use.

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 fresh cucumbers at home

There are several traditional ways to extend the life of fresh cucumbers at home. However, such storage will not be too long: from several days to two weeks.

You can, for example, put cucumbers in a plastic bag and wrap it in damp gauze, but leave it open - this will allow the vegetables to remain “in shape” for about 10 days. You can complicate the task a little by wrapping each cucumber in a napkin, and only then putting the fruits in a bag - in this case, the vegetables will be preserved for two weeks. And if you “plant” the cucumbers with their tails in a bowl of cold water, this will allow them to remain fresh for 3-4 weeks. True, in this case the water will have to be changed daily.

Resourceful housewives know another way to store cucumbers for a relatively long time in the refrigerator. Cucumbers should be rinsed with cold water, dried and treated with lightly beaten egg white. In this case, it is important that the place where the fruits will lie is as far as possible from the freezer, since a temperature of about 0°C promotes the formation of mucus on them.

If your cucumbers will not be stored in the refrigerator, but in a cellar or basement, then to increase their shelf life, place them in a damp cloth. This way you can extend the life of cucumbers by at least 10 days. For the same period, you can keep the fruits fresh if you put them in a paper bag or wooden box and send them to a dark room with a temperature of 6-8°C.

Another option for getting delicious crispy cucumbers is to pickle them. But for this it is recommended to use cucumbers exclusively of bee-pollinated varieties.

• Pickling cucumbers - not crossing the field, or How to pickle real barrel cucumbers

  Barrel cucumbers at home - although not an easy task, it is completely solvable! This has been successfully proven by the experience of our reader.

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.

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.

Freezing

How to keep cucumbers fresh longer if you don’t plan to eat them in the next few months? Only by freezing.

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Wash and dry the vegetables. Cut into slices or cubes, depending on how you plan to use them.

Distribute the chopped cucumbers on a plate, cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for several hours. Place cucumbers ready for storage into a bag, seal and return to the freezer. Try to keep as little air as possible in the bag. You can use a straw to blow the juice out.

It is also permissible to freeze whole fruits by first wrapping them in plastic. But in the future, you will still have to chop them before using, and it is more convenient to do this when the vegetables are fresh.

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.

Where and how to store cucumbers?

It's easier to keep cucumbers fresh in the refrigerator. There are several ways:

1. They should be placed in a plastic bag, holes made in it for ventilation and placed in the place where vegetables are usually stored. To prevent rot, place two cloves of peeled garlic or a piece of horseradish in the package. It is better if each cucumber is wrapped in a paper napkin.
2. You can also put it in a jar, close it with a lid and place it at the bottom of the refrigerator. Vegetables in storage should be checked from time to time. If you find a yellowed fruit, it must be separated from the rest.
3. You can also store cucumbers using a container of water; the latter should be changed every day. To do this, lower the fruit tails into the water.

This storage will allow you to get juicy fresh vegetables for two weeks.

Important! Cucumbers will quickly spoil if stored near bananas, apples, and other foods that emit ethanol.

A dry basement will allow you to store fruits for a whole month . To do this, you can use the following methods:

1. Cucumbers should be placed in an enamel or ceramic bowl and covered with sand. The bottom of the container is lined with cling film.
2. You can also store vegetables in the basement this way. Each copy should be wrapped in a paper napkin and placed in a bag. This way you can prevent moisture loss.

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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