How to store fresh cucumbers

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The question of how to keep fresh cucumbers longer is relevant not only for gardeners, but also for those who buy vegetables in stores. Knowing the basic rules and some secrets, you can significantly extend the shelf life of these fruits. Let's take a look at how to store cucumbers in the refrigerator.

Storing fresh cucumbers

Keeping quality

Keeping cucumbers fresh requires some knowledge and preparation. It should be remembered that this vegetable contains a large percentage of liquid (about 95%), the evaporation of which leads to the drying out of the fruits, loss of their shape and taste.

Cucumbers do not tolerate temperature extremes - with high humidity and excess heat, they begin to rot. However, temperatures that are too low (below 0 ° C) are also not suitable for storing cucumbers - vegetables become covered with mucus, become soft and unusable.

Not all cucumber varieties have good keeping quality - remember this when purchasing new seeds. First of all, this applies to greenhouse varieties with an early ripening period - they cannot be stored for a long time. Thin-skinned vegetables also cannot boast of high keeping quality.

The best storage option is for pickled cucumbers that have been grown in the open field.

Training

Cucumbers for storage must be carefully selected, rejecting rotten and damaged fruits. Overripe vegetables will not work either - it is better to save them for pickling, preparing cask cucumbers or getting seeds.

How to keep cucumbers fresh for longer? In no case do not wash them after picking, since the fruits have their own protection against moisture evaporation: cucumbers from the garden have a naturally formed film, and purchased ones are specially covered with a wax layer.

To keep fresh cucumbers for as long as possible, try to put them in your basement or refrigerator immediately after picking. By leaving them in the sun or in a warm room, you significantly reduce the potential keeping quality of the fruit. It is better to use cucumbers for storage, which you collect with your own hands, because vegetables from the market, and even more so from stores, cannot be just picked.

In the fridge

How to store fresh cucumbers in the refrigerator? The main thing is to keep them away from the freezer and separate from other fruits (apples, pears, bananas, etc. can release a substance that accelerates the ripening process) .. It is best to use the lower compartment for vegetables.

The most common storage of cucumbers in the refrigerator, without any tweaks, allows the fruit to stay fresh for 3 to 5 days. How can you keep cucumbers in the refrigerator longer? Put them in a bag (without closing), and cover with damp gauze on top. Alternatively, wrap each vegetable in paper napkins and then put the cucumbers in a bag.

In the basement

Cucumbers love cool places

Where to store fresh cucumbers if they don't fit in your refrigerator? The room should be cool enough and darkened. The basement usually has the necessary conditions for storing cucumbers.The fruits must be placed in a wooden or cardboard box - in this form, they retain their qualities for a whole month. The only condition is regular inspection of vegetables and timely "rejection" of lethargic, dry or rotten ones.

Some summer residents recommend using a damp cloth for storing cucumbers: the fruits wrapped in it are placed in the basement, regularly examining and moistening the "wrapper" as needed. If you have an earthen keg, you can use it as a container. Putting the cucumbers inside, sprinkle them with thoroughly washed, dried and sifted river sand. Better yet, dig a recess in the basement, place a barrel in it and dig a little.

In water

How to keep cucumbers longer using folk recommendations? Many years ago, our grandmothers kept cucumbers in water, which resisted evaporation and helped maintain the right temperature. To do this, the fruits were placed in a net, which was then lowered directly into the river with clean running water. Thus, the cucumbers were preserved for quite a long time, until winter.

How to properly store fresh cucumbers in water if there is no river nearby and we are talking about an ordinary apartment? At home, you can use an enamel or glass container filled with water a couple of centimeters. We put the cucumbers in it vertically, with tails into the water, and then put them in the basement or in the refrigerator (the water needs to be changed daily). The fruit will remain tasty and crispy for several weeks.

other methods

1. Regular chicken protein helps keep cucumbers fresh for as long as possible. The fruits must be thoroughly washed (preferably with boiled water) and dried dry. Separate the crude protein from the yolk and carefully lubricate the skin of the cucumbers with it. We hang the fruit by the tail and wait until the protein dries and a film forms, and then put it in the refrigerator. Cucumbers in such a film remain fresh for a long time and do not lose their qualities.
2. Cucumbers can be placed in a bucket, covered with gauze and lowered into a well. It is important that the bucket does not submerge completely, but only touches the bottom of the water.
3. Horseradish root will help keep the cucumbers fresh for as long as possible. It is peeled and cut into pieces, and then placed on the bottom of a sterilized jar. Thoroughly washed and dried cucumbers are placed on top. The lid is scalded with boiling water and the jar is screwed up. Place such banks in the basement.
4. With the help of a paraffin candle, you can create an airless space in a jar of cucumbers, which will allow them to be stored much longer. Before you roll up the jar, place a lighted candle in it - after ten minutes a vacuum forms in a closed container.
5. Pour a thin layer of vinegar into the bottom of an enamel pot and place a strainer or mesh over the top. Lay the cucumbers on top (they should not touch the vinegar) and cover with a lid. Place the container in the cellar.
6. A very interesting way to keep cucumbers fresh is to put them inside the cabbage heads. For this, cucumber seedlings are planted between the rows of late-ripening cabbage varieties. When small fruits appear, they are placed between the leaves of the cabbage (without removing them from the ovary), and left to grow like that. When the cabbage head is formed, the cucumber will be inside it. Cabbage is placed in the basement and fresh cucumbers are placed with it.

Recommendations

1. Where can you not store cucumbers? They should not be placed in a tightly closed bag with no holes. Since air cannot penetrate into the bag, the fruits will be doomed to rot. (An exception is vacuum packaging, in which store-bought cucumbers are sold - for better safety, try not to open it as long as possible.)
2. You can take the cucumbers out of the refrigerator from time to time and sprinkle with water. The most important thing is that the fruits are completely dry before returning to the shelf, otherwise they will start to rot.
3. When buying cucumbers in the market or in a store, pay attention to the condition of the entire batch: it makes no sense to choose separate "beautiful" specimens from a pile of sluggish ones, since their keeping quality will be equally low.
4. Do not buy fruits that are in highly refrigerated display cases (if possible, specify how many degrees are in the refrigerator). Remember that the shelf life of supercooled cucumbers is minimal, and the taste is highly questionable.