Storing cucumbers in the refrigerator. How to keep fresh cucumbers longer

Juicy and fragrant cucumbers, collected from your own garden or bought in the summer season, are considered the most delicious and healthy. Literally every housewife dreams of keeping them fresh, because in winter not so tasty specimens go on sale, which even when fresh do not have the taste and aroma inherent in summer cucumbers.

The average shelf life of fresh cucumbers is about a week in the refrigerator. After that, the moisture from them begins to evaporate more actively, the skin wrinkles, and the core becomes soft and tasteless. In addition, in such vegetables, the chemical composition almost completely changes, the nutritional value decreases and the appearance deteriorates. However, there are several interesting ways to keep cucumbers fresh and crispy until the New Year, like from the garden!

How to choose cucumbers for long-term storage

To store cucumbers almost all winter without losing vitamins and taste, it is important to choose the right variety of these vegetables. So, lettuce varieties deteriorate very quickly even under ideal storage conditions. That is why it is worth taking pickling types of cucumbers, which are stored fresh longer. The following varieties and hybrids are ideal for this:

• Murom;
• Nezhinsky;
• Vyaznikovsky;
• Debut;
• Pickling;
• Parisian gherkin;
• Green wave;
• Competitor;
• Goosebump.

Externally, these cucumbers look attractive, as they have a small size (up to 8 cm in length), a smooth surface and even color. Even without knowing the variety of cucumbers, you can determine that they are pickled. As a rule, such vegetables have the following characteristics:

• dense pulp with small seed chambers;
• the skin is shiny, covered with numerous large tubercles;
• spikes on pickled cucumbers are always black or dark, but not white.

A significant advantage of pickled cucumbers is resistance to damage. Even in the refrigerator, they retain their elasticity and taste longer than universal or salad ones.

How to keep cucumbers fresh until spring: the best ways

You can extend the shelf life of fresh cucumbers until the middle of winter or even until spring even at home, without using special tools. Some methods were known even in Rus', and some were invented by our contemporaries. In any case, each of them has the right to life and is popular with housewives.

Fresh cucumbers before winter: recipe (video)

Method number 1: in banks

Despite the apparent complexity, doing it at home is quite simple.

• The first and most important condition is to choose strong small cucumbers without the slightest sign of damage.
• The fruits are thoroughly washed in cool water. It is important not to keep them in it for too long!
• It is not recommended to wipe cucumbers: this can damage their skin.
• The fruits are laid out on a well-absorbing cloth and left for about an hour.
• Next, cucumbers are placed in jars of large volume. It is necessary to leave free space in the container for about a quarter of its height. It is not necessary to pack the fruits tightly so as not to cause damage to them.
• A short paraffin candle is inserted into the middle of the container between the cucumbers (you can use small decorative candles in a metal base without aroma!) And light it for 8-10 minutes. At this time, a sterile metal cap is prepared for sealing, which must be dry.
• After the specified time, the oxygen in the bank will burn out. At this time, you need to carefully, so as not to extinguish the candle, roll up the lid. Continuing to burn, the candle will use up all the oxygen in the container with cucumbers, after which it will go out.

This method allows you to store cucumbers fresh until spring at room conditions. It is only important not to allow light to enter the fruit jars.

Method number 2: in a barrel (original old recipe)

This method allows you to prepare fresh cucumbers fresh without the addition of spices and brines. It was practiced by our ancestors and is sometimes still found in villages. To keep cucumbers fresh in this way, you will need a pre-scalded and dried wooden tub. Horseradish leaves are laid on its bottom (they interfere with fermentation processes).

Cucumbers are placed in a barrel vertically, tails down. The fruits must be laid very tightly so that there are no gaps between them. When the barrel is full, the cucumbers are covered with another layer of horseradish leaves on top. Then the barrel is corked with a wooden circle-lid and placed in a reservoir, at the bottom of which cold springs beat.

The nutritional value of such cucumbers, however, as well as their taste, is preserved until the New Year. Even in spring they remain crispy, juicy and fragrant. And all thanks to the fact that at the bottom of the reservoirs the temperature is constantly kept at about + 4-6 degrees, and there is also no light and air access.

Method number 3: in the glacier cellar

This method resembles the previous one in terms of keeping cucumbers fresh. The only difference is that the barrel filled with fruits is filled to the brim with spring water (not tap water!). After that, a tightly closed container is placed in a cellar in which a glacier is equipped.

Method number 4: in a head of cabbage

To preserve cucumbers for a long time in this way, you need to start preparing at the beginning of summer. For this, several cabbage bushes are planted next to the cucumber bed. At the moment when the heads of cabbage begin to wrap, a cucumber is stolen into their center without disconnecting it from the whip. The essence of this method is that cabbage leaves will tightly wrap around the still growing cucumber fruit, blocking the access of air and light to it. After the onset of cold weather, the head of cabbage is carefully dug out along with a clod of earth and placed in the basement with the roots up.

The advantage of this method is the complete absence of time spent on preparing dishes and processing vegetables. The disadvantage is the likelihood of rotting of the head and cucumber in it, as well as a small amount of fruits kept fresh.

Method number 5: in a protein shell

The essence of this method is to create an airtight film of egg whites on the surface of the cucumber, so that it does not lose its qualities a little longer than without such treatment.

Selected cucumbers must be absolutely healthy, fresh and even, with a preserved “tail”. They are thoroughly cleaned of dirt, dried and covered with egg white. The shell should completely cover the fruits, and dry completely before laying in storage.

It is better to keep such cucumbers in a cool and dark place, shifting greens with wax paper. The maximum storage period is about 60 days.

How long to keep cucumbers in the refrigerator

When trying to store cucumbers in the refrigerator, many housewives make the mistake of placing them on a shelf with too low temperatures, which accelerates their spoilage. To avoid this, it is better to put greens in the warmest section, where the temperature ranges from +4 to +6 degrees. Under such conditions, they can remain fresh for about 3 weeks.

To reduce the risk of spoilage of cucumbers, place them in jars or earthenware pots, as well as remove other vegetables and fruits that can emit methane (apples, bananas, pears) away. It is they who most often cause damage to their neighbors on the shelf. Garlic will help protect greens from spoilage. You can put several of its cloves in one container with cucumbers.

Freezing: Another Option to Keep Cucumbers Fresh

Dense and not very juicy cucumbers are suitable for freezing. Before freezing, they must be thoroughly wiped and cut into cubes, straws or mugs. They are placed on baking sheets or plates in one layer and sent to the freezer for a couple of hours. After freezing, cucumbers can be poured into a tight plastic bag and immediately put back in the freezer.

Such cucumbers are stored for a very long time, subject to intermediate defrosting.

How to freeze cucumbers for the winter (video)

Despite its tenderness and pronounced seasonality, it is possible to keep cucumbers fresh until the New Year. To do this, you should carefully study the recipes proposed above and strictly follow them.

Reviews and comments

(14 ratings, average: 3,61 out of 5)

Annushka 03/21/2016

In glass jars - the most wonderful way, I always do this. In cabbage - very interesting, but cabbage also needs to be stored. But I didn't like the frozen cucumbers at all. After defrosting, they become like a rag.

Alexander 12/26/2016

Show me at least one cucumber that grew and was stored in cabbage!!! Show me at least one cabbage in which the leaves grow first, and then the leaves are wrapped. As far as I know, the head of cabbage grows from the inside. Compare the ripening dates of cabbage (winter, of course) and cucumbers! Cucumber grows 2 days, cabbage 2 months. Etc.
This idea can only be printed on April 1st. By the way, I read it for the first time 30 years ago.
Frozen cucumber can be rubbed into okroshka for smell. And when it melts, it’s disgusting to take it not only in your mouth, but in your hands.

Fresh cucumbers on the table in winter are a rarity. After all, even if you find this vegetable in the supermarket, it will cost exorbitant prices. So we put pickles on our tables. And from our beds, in order to treat yourself to this crispy delicacy in the cold season? We'll talk about this today.

What vegetables keep best?

Clean, dry, undamaged cucumbers last the longest. Their skin is thick and hard. Such samples are grown in a natural environment, for example, in a country house or garden. Watery, tender vegetables with a thin skin are terribly stored. These varieties are grown in greenhouses. And the shelf life of such cucumbers is no more than 3 days. Often they are sold in plastic bags or in special packaging. And they do this in order to give the vegetable a marketable appearance. When you open the package, it is difficult to keep them for a long time. But you can wrap it in plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator. Sometimes in supermarkets you can see this green crunchy vegetable lying on a window at a low temperature. When you come home with such a purchase, you will be unpleasantly surprised, because when you put the cucumbers in the refrigerator, you will find that they have turned into gruel. And the thing is that this product is afraid of temperature changes.

The first way: putting vegetables in a jar

Cucumbers picked from the garden can be kept in the refrigerator for one week. Then they begin to wither and rot. How to keep cucumbers fresh longer, what measures to take in order to prolong the life of this crispy vegetable? An ordinary bottle and a burning candle will come to the rescue. The scheme is this:

1. Collect cucumbers, select the best ones. Wash them and dry them on a towel. It is advisable to wipe dry with a cloth.

2. Turn on the oven and place the washed three-liter jar there. Close the cabinet door and sterilize the container for 20 minutes. After the time has elapsed, remove the bottle with special tacks (so as not to burn yourself).

3. Put the cucumbers in a jar, but not to the top, but about a quarter.

4. Place an ordinary unscented candle between the vegetables and light it.

5. It should burn for about 10 minutes. Then roll up the jar in the usual way, using a metal lid. The candle does not need to be extinguished. When there is no oxygen, it will go out on its own.

6. Now determine the finished jar of cucumbers in a cool place (ideal - cellar). With this method, vegetables can be stored for up to six months. Due to the fact that there is no oxygen in the container, the crispy delicacy will not spoil.

The second way: protein to help

1. Collect whole beautiful cucumbers. It is desirable that they even have a tail. You don't need to cut anywhere. Rinse them under cold water and pat each unit dry with a paper towel.

2. Separate the protein from the yolk. Coat each cucumber with a transparent mass that looks like slime.

3. Hang each individual vegetable (possibly in a row) in a cool, dry place.

The shelf life with this method is about 2 months.

The third way: creating special conditions with vinegar

The fact is that this table solution in a closed environment is able to preserve vegetables for quite a long time. To do this, you need to perform a number of actions:

1. Peel the cucumbers, wipe them. You don't need to trim the ends.

2. Pour 1 capful of vinegar into an enamel saucepan.

3. Put a grate on top or put gauze, but in no case should it touch the solution.

4. Define cucumbers on top.

5. Close the lid tightly to keep air out.

You can save cucumbers in this way for 2-3 months, provided that they are in a cool place.

Fourth way: vegetables in the cellar

If you have your own underground, then this is the best way to store food. Since the temperature in the basement does not drop below zero, the vegetables are thus not frozen. So, they retain all their useful properties. But there is a secret to keeping our crispy green delicacy as long as possible, until spring. How to store plucked cucumbers in the cellar and how to do it right - read below.

1. Gather fresh, beautiful vegetables. Wash them and dry them.

2. Spot the cucumbers in the pottery.

3. Take ordinary sand, wash it, dry it. When it's ready, top it with your crispy vegetables.

4. Be sure to cover the container with a lid and place the dishes in the cellar.

With this method, vegetables can be stored for up to 7 months.

Little secrets of cucumber storage

1. To keep this vegetable crispy longer, do not put it in the refrigerator next to apples, bananas, and other vegetables and fruits that emit ethylene.

2. To prolong the life of this green treat, you can wrap it in a paper towel and put it in a bag, then send it to the refrigerator.

Fresh, crunchy cucumbers with a full range of vitamins will always prevail over the canned version. Unfortunately, if stored improperly, fresh cucumbers begin to decompose very quickly. The solution in this case is to eat vegetables as soon as possible while they are fresh, or find a new way to store them. Fortunately, simple methods have long been invented to allow cucumbers to stay fresh for a long time. Check out our recommendations to learn how to keep cucumbers fresh all winter long.

Rules for choosing cucumbers for long-term storage

Consider the mandatory requirements for choosing cucumbers for storage. First of all, cucumbers must be fresh. It is necessary to minimize the time of transportation of cucumbers from the garden to the storage place. Cucumbers that have lain for 3-4 days at room temperature are no longer suitable for long-term storage. When choosing cucumbers on trading floors, you need to take into account the condition of the entire batch of vegetables. If in general the product looks stale, you should not choose individual fruits that differ in greenery - they still quickly deteriorate.

Did you know? The word "cucumber" in Greek means "unripe", "unripe". Indeed, the further the cucumber is from the moment of its full maturity, the better it is. Young greens have delicate skin, small and soft seeds, and a refreshing taste.

Cucumbers must also be free of defects and damage. Otherwise, the fruits will not last long.

Another important requirement is that only soil varieties are suitable. The dense body and bubbly skin of ground cucumbers are well stored. On the contrary, the juicy pulp and thin skin of greenhouse varieties are completely unsuitable for long-term storage of fresh cucumbers.

Based on the experience of specialists, cucumbers of the Kharkov and Nezhinsky varieties are best stored. Also, the fruits of long-fruited varieties meet our requirements:

• Parade;
• Competitor;
• Sadko;
• Bush;
• Irresistible 40;
• Nezhinsky 12;
• Nizhyn local.

And the last tip: if you are going to stock up on cucumbers for the winter, choose fruits from the last harvest.

Features of storing cucumbers in the refrigerator

If you keep cucumbers in the refrigerator without much preparation, they will only stay fresh for 3 days. However, there are a few simple secrets that will help ensure that cucumbers are stored in the cold for much longer. So, let's figure out how to properly store cucumbers in the refrigerator.

Freezing cucumbers

The appearance of frozen whole vegetables leaves much to be desired. Form and consistency are completely lost. Zelentsy become wrinkled and soft, and their taste deteriorates. Therefore, cucumbers should be finely chopped before freezing. So the vegetables fully retain their freshness and taste. In addition, cucumbers frozen in this way do not need to be thawed before use. Therefore, freezing is a perfectly acceptable option for keeping cucumbers fresh longer. However try to follow the correct freezing technique. It is necessary to cut the vegetables into medium or small cubes. Next, the cutting must be tightly placed in special bags with a clasp. Send the packages to be stored in the freezer. This product is convenient to use in the preparation of salad or okroshka.

Storing cucumbers in the refrigerator without freezing

• In water. In a tray or bowl of cold spring water, lower the cucumbers (vertically, tails down). Water should only cover the fruits by 1-2 cm. The bowl of greens should be kept in the refrigerator (in the vegetable compartment). It is advisable to change the water once a day. By absorbing water, cucumbers will compensate for the natural loss of moisture. The fruits will stay fresh for up to 4 weeks.

• Wrapping in paper towel – Another magical option for keeping cucumbers fresh. Zelentsy will stay perfectly fresh for two weeks. Put the cucumber in the center of the paper towel (napkin) and wrap, and then pack in cellophane. Do this for each fruit. Now don't forget to put the "bags" of wrapped cucumbers in the fridge. Raw cucumbers, surrounded by paper towels, stay dry for a long time. This effect is achieved due to the absorption of water from the surface of the fetus by the towel. The moisture level is lowered, which helps keep the cucumber fresh.

• In egg white. The principle of operation of this method is similar to the previous version. Thanks to the egg white, a film forms on the surface of the cucumbers, which prevents the formation of moisture. The fruits must be carefully, trying not to damage the skin, washed and dried. In the meantime, take a raw egg, separate the protein from the yolk. Next, you need to coat the cucumbers with protein. Store prepared cucumbers in the refrigerator.

Important! Do not store cucumbers in the refrigerator together with or next to vegetables and fruits that emit ethylene (apples, bananas). These products include: tomatoes, apples, bananas, pears, peaches,apricots,melon.

Rules for storing cucumbers in the cellar

To learn how to properly store fresh cucumbers in a barrel, check out our tips. Cucumbers can be stored in the cellar in ordinary wooden boxes. To do this, lay a thick plastic film on the bottom of the box and put selected cucumber fruits on it. Cover the top with cellophane to retain moisture. Any enameled or ceramic container with a lid is also useful as a container. Lay cling film on the bottom. Wrap each cucumber in a paper towel and place in a bag. Then carefully place the wrapped cucumbers in a container. So cucumbers retain moisture and freshness better. In a dry and cool cellar, cucumbers can be stored for a month.

Other ways to store cucumbers for the winter

Consider the ways of storing cucumbers that our grandmothers and great-grandmothers used. Unconventional methods help keep cucumbers fresh for a sufficiently long period. If you have the desire and opportunity, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with unusual recipes on how to keep fresh cucumbers until the New Year.

Recipe from the magazine "Worker"

We use only small or medium cucumbers. Vegetables must be whole, dry, unwashed and directly from the garden. Before harvesting, it is advisable to knock the dust off the fruit and water the bushes. Let the fruits dry on the bushes. Then we collect the fruits, trying to touch them less with our hands. Cucumbers do not wipe anything!

We place an ordinary wax candle in a sterile three-liter jar, and carefully and loosely place cucumbers around. After filling the jar, we light our candle. The fire displaces oxygen, and the container is filled with carbon dioxide. We roll up the jar with a metal lid. The candle will go out when the jar runs out of oxygen. Jars with cucumbers should be placed in a cool place. As Rabotnitsa magazine explains to us, fresh cucumbers in a sealed jar with a candle end up in an oxygen-free environment. This makes it possible to extend their freshness by 1-2 months. In an oxygen-free environment, cucumbers are stored much better.

Important!It must be remembered that this storage method is in no way a twist (preservation) of cucumbers for the winter. This is just a technique that allows you to slightly extend the life of fresh cucumbers.

How to store cucumbers in a barrel

The next option will tell you how to keep cucumbers fresh so that they do not spoil for a long time. First you need to purchase a wooden barrel made of solid wood. Oak barrels that are resistant to decay are excellent. We tightly pack the selected fruits of cucumbers into the barrel and hermetically cork with a wooden lid. The prepared barrel with cucumbers must be delivered to the river and lowered to the bottom. Take care that the barrel is not carried away by the current. In this way, you can keep the freshness of cucumber fruits until the middle of winter.

Storage in a vinegar chamber

How to help vegetables retain their moisture for a long time, as well as how to keep fresh cucumbers for the winter, will tell you the following non-traditional method. To store cucumbers in the vinegar chamber, you will need an enameled container and a plastic stand with holes. The container must be resistant to acetic acid. We set the stand so that the cucumbers on it do not touch the vinegar. Pour 9% food grade acetic acid (3-4 mm thick) onto the bottom of the dish. Cucumbers are laid on a stand in several layers, tightly closed with a lid and transferred to a cool place. Cucumbers keep fresh up to 1 month.

Cucumber is a herbaceous plant of the gourd family, which means that it is a close relative of zucchini, squash and pumpkin. But unlike them, it does not have a hard peel and cannot be stored throughout the winter without any adaptations.

It is used fresh, canned and frozen. In order for cucumbers to stay fresh longer, they are tried to be preserved in various ways.

There are several ways, the most popular is storage in the refrigerator, in the vegetable section. But it is not enough just to put the fruits in the refrigerator, there are certain storage rules.

How to choose cucumbers?

• The fruits should be firm, with no signs of wilting;
• It is necessary to collect vegetables, which will then go to storage, either early in the morning or in the evening. The best time is when the crop is harvested in rainy weather;
• Not all varieties are suitable for storage; preference should be given to those with a dense and thick skin;
• It is necessary to collect fruits for storage at the stage of technical ripeness, so that fermentation processes do not go inside;
• On cucumbers, it is necessary to leave tails 1-2 cm long;
• The skin should be intact without cuts and dents;
• All fruits must be thoroughly cleaned of dirt and wiped dry, if possible, do not wash;
• Pluck cucumbers just before storing them.

If cucumbers are not properly selected or prepared, they will either wither or start to rot.

Storage methods

1. 1. In the refrigerator.

Storing fresh cucumbers in the refrigerator is the most popular method. In order to keep this vegetable as long as possible, you need to pay attention to such trifles as temperature and packaging.

In order for the storage of fresh cucumbers in the refrigerator to be successful, you first need to monitor the temperature:

• At a temperature of +1-+2, the shelf life will be 20 days;
• At a temperature of +4-+8, the shelf life will be 15 days;
• Up to +15 degrees, the shelf life will be no more than 7 days.

In no case should the temperature be allowed to drop below zero, frozen places will immediately appear on the fruits, which will lead to spoilage of all fruits.

Do not store cucumbers in the refrigerator without packaging, as they will quickly begin to lose moisture and fade.

There are several options for packaging:

• Wrap each fruit in white paper, but do not use newspapers for this, firstly, it will quickly get wet from condensation, and secondly, printing ink can give fruits an unpleasant odor;
• Place the cucumbers in a plastic bag and tie it tightly. Place a few vegetables in each bag, without stuffing it to capacity. Try to leave as much air in the bag as possible, this will extend the shelf life.
• Wrap each fruit in cling film as tightly as possible, this method is good because it creates almost airtight conditions;
• Place the cucumbers in a plastic food container with a lid. You can use special containers in which it is possible to create a vacuum.

All these methods are applicable to your own crop, but how to store cucumbers in the refrigerator if they are purchased at a retail outlet? To do this, store packaging needs to be removed only before putting cucumbers into food, since a special gas is pumped into it, which slows down the spoilage process.

Storing fresh cucumbers in the refrigerator does not require much effort, but at the same time allows you to not wonder how to store fresh cucumbers for a long time. Although it is a rather capricious vegetable, with proper storage, you can keep it fresh, up to 30 days.

In addition to storing in the refrigerator, there are several other methods on how to preserve cucumbers.

1. 2. At the bank.

Storing cucumbers in a vacuum glass jar is one of the most effective methods to keep fresh cucumbers longer. It is in this form that the fruits for a long period will look like they were just picked from the garden. This method makes it possible to keep almost any vegetable fresh for almost the entire winter period.

Take the required amount of cucumbers and rinse them with water. The washing procedure must be carried out as quickly as possible so that the cucumbers do not have time to absorb water. But an even better solution would be to leave them without a wet treatment, but simply wipe them with a paper towel. Then take a washed jar and sterilize it, and then put all the cucumbers in it. Select for this only fresh and beginners to wither, because this is what will keep the cucumbers fresh. Next, place a small candle in the jar and light the wick.

This procedure is necessary so that the air in the bank burns out and evaporates. To do this, let the burning candle stand in the jar for 4-6 minutes, and then cover the jar with a lid as tightly as possible and wait until the wick goes out, this will mean that there is no more air there. Then you need to place the resulting jar of cucumbers in a cool place.

1. 3. Dry.

It must be remembered: after they are washed, green vegetables, including cucumbers, immediately begin to lose their shape and elasticity. Therefore, there is no need to rush to wash the cucumbers; for better preservation, they must be left in the form in which they are plucked from the garden.

Then choose a container that fits the size of the selected cucumbers. Wipe them with a dry cloth and fold them tightly, leaving as little space as possible between them. If there is no suitable container, then it can be replaced by ordinary plastic bags in which food is stored.

1. 4. In the water.

In order to keep the freshly harvested cucumber crop fresh for as long as possible, it must be put into a container as soon as possible and poured with cold clean water. You need to do this procedure immediately after buying or picking cucumbers.

This method will keep cucumbers fresh for up to 3 weeks. You need to fold them vertically, tails up, the water level above them should be at least 4 cm. Place the container with water and cucumbers in the refrigerator or other place with the same temperature as far as possible from other vegetables and fruits.

1. 5. Using egg white.

It is this product that can be a good tool in the matter of preserving the crop of cucumbers. To do this, wipe each cucumber dry and apply a thin layer of protein on it. Let them dry, and then put them in a wooden or plastic box. After that, the period of cucumbers will increase to a month, or even two. The protein, when dried, forms a film on the peel of the cucumber that does not allow oxygen to pass through. Thus, the fruit is placed in a vacuum, and without air access, spoilage processes slow down.

Before use, all cucumbers will need to be simply washed thoroughly with warm water.

Non-traditional methods

There are several unconventional ways to surprise guests with fresh cucumbers saved until the new year. With the help of the first, a very limited number of fruits can be saved. This is a very interesting way.

When the cucumber is just beginning to tie, you need to take it and, without tearing it off the whip, place it in a rosette of cabbage leaves, from which a head will then form. Both vegetables will grow together, and the cucumber will be inside the head, and will be stored with it all winter.

Cucumber is a moisture-loving vegetable, as it consists of more than 90% water. At room temperature, it begins to dry, lose moisture, appearance and taste. In addition, a sluggish fruit loses its beneficial properties. So that fresh cucumbers do not wilt, they need to be stored in a cool place with high humidity. Moreover, it is desirable to maintain the storage temperature at the same level, since the vegetable immediately reacts to its changes.

What fruits to choose

Salad cucumbers, with thin skin and juicy pulp, are best eaten immediately, as they are not suitable for long-term storage. In order to keep fresh cucumbers longer for the winter, when choosing fruits, you need to pay attention to the following points.

• Sort. Able to "lie down" even until next year, cucumber varieties "Nezhinsky", "Competitor", "Parade". In addition, all varieties of gherkins are perfectly stored.
• Size . It is necessary to choose fruits of small size, up to 10-12 cm in length. In addition, it is better to give preference to thin or medium thickness vegetables.
• Appearance . The skin should be without visible damage, saturated green with dark sharp "pimples".
• Pulp. Cucumbers with dense pulp and small seeds inside are stored the longest. Large overgrown specimens, loose and with large seeds, quickly deteriorate.
• Peduncle. It is important to choose cucumbers with a stalk, then the pulp of the fruit will be reliably protected from all sides from the penetration of putrefactive bacteria, and the vegetable itself will be stored longer.

How and how long can fresh cucumbers be stored in the refrigerator

Fresh cucumbers can be stored at room temperature for up to three days. At the same time, it is important not to wash the fruits so as not to damage the natural protective coating that protects against premature decay. Since cucumbers are "water" fruits, it is better not to keep them in a plastic bag so that the vegetables do not "suffocate" in the process of moisture evaporation.

If there is a need for a longer preservation of the freshness of vegetables, it is worth identifying them in a cool place. The answer to the question of how long fresh cucumbers can be stored in the refrigerator depends on many factors.

• Up to five days. Without any additional processing, the shelf life of fresh cucumbers, bought or grown in the summer in the country, is about five days. After this time, the fruits begin to turn yellow, and after the formation of mucus on the skin, it is better to throw the vegetables away.
• Up to ten days. If you wrap the unwashed fruits with a damp cloth and do not let it dry out, then the storage of fresh cucumbers at home in the refrigerator can be extended up to two weeks. Moreover, vegetables packed in this way can be folded both in a plastic bag and in a glass container. The main thing is to open the jar or make holes in the bag to allow the fruits to "breathe".
• 30 days or more. To keep the freshness of summer cucumbers until winter, it is necessary to put carefully selected fruits in a deep pan with the sharp part down. Fill the container with ice water for a couple of centimeters and put it in the refrigerator. Water must be changed every day.

It is better to store cucumbers in the so-called "freshness zone", where the optimum temperature for vegetables and fruits is maintained. Moreover, one should also carefully consider possible “neighbors”: apples and bananas actively “distribute” ethylene, which contributes to the early ripening and subsequently rotting of cucumbers.

Other ways to keep a vegetable from spoiling longer

Since it is impossible to store fresh cucumbers at room temperature for a long time, and there is not always room in the refrigerator for long-term placement of huge containers with fruits, there are a number of ways to enjoy crispy cucumbers without cluttering the refrigerator compartment.

Vacuum

Vacuum packaging allows you to extend the shelf life of many products, cucumbers are no exception. Having created an airless space, you can store the fruits in any dark place. Most importantly, away from heaters and direct sunlight. To save cucumbers for up to three months, the following method will help, which involves four main steps.

1. Clean vegetables from dirt. It is necessary to act carefully, trying not to touch the skin.
2. Determine in a container. Preferably - in a clean glass container, leaving about a quarter of the free space.
3. Light a candle. It should be put on the fruit and left to burn for a quarter of an hour.
4. Close the lid. This is done when all the oxygen has "burned out" and the flame goes out on its own.

The carbon dioxide surrounding the fruit prevents the formation of rot. Judging by the reviews, the fruits processed in this way can lie from autumn to spring. However, after opening the lid, vegetables should be consumed within two days.

egg shell

In addition, you can make an individual vacuum shell for each instance. To do this, four steps must be taken.

1. Clean vegetables from dirt.
2. Lubricate each fruit with egg white.
3. Let dry.
4. Place in a non-metal container.

Before use, the fruit should be washed thoroughly. Egg white creates a protection on the surface of vegetables through which oxygen does not penetrate. Vegetables prepared in this way can be stored for several months.

If left in the cellar

The happy owners of a cellar or basement can advise the following storage methods.

• With the help of sand. Vegetables are stacked in a container, sprinkled with sand and cleaned in a cool place. The shelf life of cucumbers in this case increases to at least a month.
• With paper. Each copy is wrapped in a paper napkin, folded into an open container and put away in a cool place. After such processing, there is a chance to decorate the New Year's table with crispy summer cucumbers.
• With vinegar essence. The non-metal saucepan is filled with vinegar essence about one finger deep. A grate is installed on top, on which the fruits are laid. The container is then closed with a lid. Vinegar fumes will extend the shelf life of vegetables.

In the old days, the freshness of vegetables was preserved until spring in the following way. Most often it was used in houses without a basement, but near water bodies. To do this, cucumbers were tightly packed in wooden tubs, the bottom of which was lined with horseradish to reduce fermentation processes. The barrel was closed with a lid and sent to the bottom of the reservoir, where light and oxygen are completely absent. Since a constant temperature of about +5°C is kept at the bottom, the vegetables remained juicy and crunchy for a long time.

There are many ways to store fresh cucumbers at home, extending their shelf life by up to six months. But if you don’t feel like messing around, you can always freeze vegetables. True, it must be taken into account here: when defrosted, cucumbers do not lose their beneficial properties, but, alas, the taste is not the same.