Where and how best to keep fresh cucumbers at home to keep them longer: in the refrigerator and other methods

It is believed that fresh cucumbers cannot be stored for a long time. They begin to wrinkle, losing moisture or, conversely, becoming slimy. The type of damage depends on the storage method. However, you can prolong the freshness of vegetables if you adhere to certain rules and create an optimal temperature regime.

How long can cucumbers be stored?

Pimpled fruits can remain unchanged for more than a month. After this, the vegetable gradually loses its taste and begins to deteriorate. In order for the greens to be preserved for as long as possible, they are placed in storage as soon as possible after they are picked from the garden.

Summer residents have long noticed that some varieties are stored better than others. Parthenocarpic cucumbers with long fruits give the highest shelf life. There are also varieties specially bred for long-term storage - “Nezhinsky”, “Kharkovsky” and others. Fruits grown in open ground lay better than those grown in a greenhouse. The thicker the skin, the longer the vegetable will last.

Why cucumbers may not be suitable for long-term storage

Alas, not every vegetable can maintain its freshness for a long time. There are clear criteria indicating a decrease in shelf life:

If greens have lain for several days somewhere under a table or on a windowsill, they will no longer be stored for a long time.
When buying a vegetable in a store or from hand, it is worth assessing its condition. If you come across some limp specimens, most likely the harvest was harvested a few days ago. Such fruits cannot be kept fresh for a long time even in ideal conditions.
It will not be possible to preserve greens for a long time with a high moisture content and thin skin.
Overgrown fruits also fall into the category of vegetables with poor shelf life. They are best used for blanks.

Early ripening varieties have the shortest shelf life; they do not lose their condition for only 3-4 days. Overripe fruits and cucumbers with yellowed skin are not suitable for long-term storage at home.

Preliminary sorting of cucumbers

Before storing the cucumber crop, they need to be sorted. A single slightly spoiled fruit can infect the entire batch. When sorting cucumbers, you must give preference to fruits with the following characteristics:

elastic to the touch;
the fact that they do not show signs of withering;
dry and clean, with tails 1-2 cm long.

There is no need to wash greens before storing them. When it comes to your own harvest, it is better to start harvesting it early in the morning or in the evening; during the daytime, the fruits may overheat in the sun. Cucumbers with damaged skins and spots are not suitable for long-term storage. They will need to be eaten out of order or recycled.

Options for storing fresh cucumbers at home

Whatever storage method is chosen, it is necessary to create suitable conditions for the cucumbers. The temperature should be low (within +2-8° C). It is also desirable that the humidity level corresponds to 80-90%. The ideal place to store vegetables is the refrigerator.But there are other options.

In the box

Such containers are used when it is possible to keep them at temperatures up to +15° C. Such conditions can be organized in the basement or on the balcony. At the same time, there should also be high humidity - at least 80%. In this case, the vegetable will retain its properties for up to 2 weeks.

The box must be made of wood that allows air to pass through. You can use a cardboard box instead. The fruits are placed at a distance from each other. Cucumbers should be as fresh and dry as possible. You can put wet gauze on top of the box.

In water

Those who are given fresh flowers try to put them in the water as quickly as possible. In the same way, you can prevent the withering of fresh cucumbers from the garden. A wide, not too tall container is suitable as a container. Cold water is poured into it in a 2 cm layer and the cucumbers are placed so that the stalks are at the bottom.

When the cucumber “bouquet” is collected, the container is put into the lower compartment of the refrigerator, where vegetables are usually stored. The method helps to extend the fresh state of greens for 1 month. In this case, daily water replacement is necessary.

Using vacuum

Perhaps someone at home already has a vacuum installation for packaging various products. It can also be used to ensure the safety of cucumbers. The fruits are placed in a suitable container; they must be dry and clean. After this, the air is pumped out using an appropriate device. Using this method will ensure freshness for greens for as long as 3 months. All this time the product should be kept in a cool, dark place.

Using Egg White

Sometimes they resort to very exotic methods of storing vegetables. In particular, we are talking about egg whites.First, the cucumbers are washed, after which they need to be dried in a convenient way, and then brushed with egg white using a pastry brush.

After the protein dries, a thin protective film forms on the greens, thanks to which the vegetables will retain moisture for a long time. Cucumbers processed using this technology are placed in a refrigerator, where they can remain unchanged for quite a long time.

Wet cloth

A damp cloth will help the cucumbers not to wither, but you should not wet the material too much; water should not flow from it. The greens are wrapped in a damp cloth and stored at a temperature of +6-7° C. In such conditions, vegetables can remain fresh for a week or a little longer. If the material dries out during storage, it is moistened again with water.

Vinegar

To implement this method, you will need enamel dishes and table vinegar. Acetic acid is poured in a small layer of a few millimeters. Then a wire rack is placed in the pan, on which the cucumbers are placed (you can use a colander). This is necessary so that the fruits do not come into contact with the vinegar. Then cover the pan with a lid or cover it with cling film and put it in a cool place.

In paper

You can keep cucumbers fresh longer by using several layers of paper. It is convenient to use paper towels or napkins for this purpose. Any printed products will not be suitable due to the presence of printing ink.

In this form, cucumbers can be stored in the refrigerator for 2 weeks. The paper shell will not allow the fruit to lose moisture and at the same time prevent the formation of condensation, which often leads to spoilage of this vegetable.

In a jar with a candle

Our grandmothers used to store cucumbers this way.The principle of this method is based on the absorption of oxygen during the combustion of a candle. A 3-liter glass jar is filled with cucumbers.

A paraffin candle is placed in the center and must be lit. After 10 minutes, the candle is extinguished and removed from the jar. The container is immediately closed with a tight lid. After this, the jar is put in a cool place.

Rules for storing fresh cucumbers in the refrigerator

You can properly store cucumbers in the refrigerator by packing them using any of the methods listed above. The packaging must be breathable. With the vacuum storage method, the container, on the contrary, is sealed hermetically. The refrigerator compartment has dark conditions and a suitable temperature.

However, many people use a freezer for such purposes. True, in this case, the cucumbers are pre-chopped and are already a semi-finished product, which, immediately after defrosting, can be added to salads and other dishes, for example, smoothies.

In the freezer

Modern technology makes it possible to keep many products fresh for the winter, including cucumbers. The main thing is to follow the freezing technology. For this storage method, it is better to select not too large specimens. You should not freeze salad varieties and hybrid varieties - after defrosting, such vegetables lose their condition and turn into puree.

Before freezing, the greens are washed and dried. Before freezing the fruits, you should taste them to make sure there is no bitterness. Before freezing, cucumbers are cut into slices or cubes, depending on how you plan to use them in the winter.

The juice formed during the cutting process must be drained. The vegetable slices are first frozen, laid out in one layer on a tray or cling film.After the pieces have hardened, they are transferred to a plastic bag or food container. Repeated freezing of vegetables is not allowed.

Non-standard storage methods

You can create conditions for storing greens in a non-standard way. Don’t be afraid of such experiments; they have all been tested in practice many times. Summer residents who have harvested a large harvest of cucumbers use every opportunity to keep them fresh for a long time.

In a well or pond

Perhaps one of the most unusual ways to store fresh cucumbers involves immersing them in water from a well or pond. First, the greens are placed in a strong nylon string bag and tied with a knot. Then the mesh is suspended in a well, if there is one on the site, shallowly immersed in water. Using the same principle, cucumbers can be stored in a pond. In this case, the harvest will easily be preserved until the winter cold.

In sand

This storage option is suitable for those who have harvested a large harvest of cucumbers, but do not have a refrigerator nearby. For example, if the cottage is far from the city, but you want to keep the greens fresh longer. The fruits are placed in a bucket, barrel or tank, sprinkled with sand so that they do not touch each other.

After filling the container, it is transferred to the basement or cellar. If this option is not possible, the container is dug into the ground. Although this method is labor-intensive, it is quite effective. With this storage method, cucumbers can not spoil for several months.

In a clay pot

Clay is a natural material; the porous walls of a clay pot allow free air exchange. If such containers are available on the farm, they should be given preference, abandoning boxes and boxes.Cucumbers are placed in a clay pot in layers, sprinkled with dry sand. After filling, the container is removed to the coldest place in the house.

How not to store cucumbers

The main thing is not to store greens by tightly stuffing them in a plastic bag. Due to the temperature difference, condensation forms on the film from the inside. As a result, the cucumbers will become slippery in a couple of days and begin to rot.

Do not keep green vegetables in the refrigerator on the same shelf with strong-smelling foods. This causes cucumbers to lose their own aroma and their taste deteriorates. The harvest will quickly deteriorate if you keep cucumbers next to ripened fruits (apples, bananas), which emit ethylene. The gas begins to affect the greens, accelerating chemical reactions.

When storing in the basement, the temperature should not be allowed to drop below 0° C. Even small sub-zero temperatures lead to softening of the vegetable, and the cucumbers will be spoiled. The storage room should be maintained at a stable temperature. Fluctuations in temperature have a negative effect on shelf life.

A variety of standard and non-standard methods allows each summer resident to choose the most convenient option for storing cucumbers. Periodically, the fruits must be sorted so that rotten specimens do not spoil the rest of the harvest. Handle the cucumbers carefully. The slightest damage to the dense skin will lead to rotting of the fruit.