How to store fresh cucumbers in the refrigerator and without until winter

The content of the article

1 What fruits to choose
2 How and how much fresh cucumbers can be stored in the refrigerator
3 Other ways that the vegetable does not spoil longer
- 3.1 Vacuum
- 3.2 Egg shell
4 If left in the cellar

Who does not like to eat pickled tomatoes in the winter, remembering the abundant summer? Is it possible to keep fresh cucumbers, for example, in an apartment, so that they retain their freshness, taste and aroma until the new year?

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. To prevent fresh cucumbers, 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 differences.

What fruits to choose

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

Grade. Cucumbers of the Nezhinsky, Competitor, and Parade varieties are able to “lie down” even until next year. In addition, all varieties of gherkins are perfectly stored.
The size. It is necessary to choose fruits of a 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 peel 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 much fresh cucumbers can be stored in the refrigerator

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

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 much 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 at the cottage 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 out the vegetables.
Up to ten days. If unwashed fruits are wrapped with a damp cloth and not allowed to dry, then the storage of fresh cucumbers at home in the refrigerator can be extended to two weeks. Moreover, vegetables packaged in this way can be folded both in a plastic bag and in glass containers. The main thing is to open the jar or make holes in the bag to give the fruit the opportunity to "breathe".
30 days or more. To preserve the freshness of summer cucumbers until the winter, carefully selected fruits must be folded into 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 needs to 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 carefully consider possible "neighbors": apples and bananas actively "distribute" ethylene, which contributes to the early ripening and subsequently decay of cucumbers.

Other ways that the vegetable does not spoil 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 storage 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. By creating an airless space, you can store the fruits in any dark place. The main thing is far from heating appliances and direct sunlight. To save cucumbers for up to three months, the following method will help, providing for four main actions.

To clean vegetables from pollution. It is necessary to act carefully, trying not to touch the skin.
Identify in packaging. Preferably - in a clean glass container, leaving about a quarter of the free space.
Light a candle. It should be put on the fruits and left to burn for a quarter of an hour.
Close the lid. This is done when all the oxygen “burns out” and the flame goes out by itself.

Carbon dioxide surrounding the fruit prevents the formation of rot. Judging by the reviews, 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. There are four steps to take.

To clear vegetables of pollution.
Grease each fruit with egg white.
Allow to dry.
Fold in a non-metallic container.

Before use, the fruit should be thoroughly washed. Egg white provides 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

To the happy owners of the cellar or basement, you can advise the following storage methods.

Using sand. Vegetables are folded into a container, sprinkled with sand and put away in a cool place. The shelf life of cucumbers in this case is increased to at least a month.
Using paper. Each copy is wrapped with a paper towel, folded into an open container and cleaned in a cool place. After such processing, there is a chance to decorate the New Year's table with crispy summer cucumbers.
Using vinegar essence. A non-metal pan is filled with about one finger of vinegar essence. A grill is mounted on top, on which the fruits are laid. Then the container is closed by a lid. Vapors of vinegar 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 ponds. To do this, cucumbers were tightly laid 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 were completely absent. Since the bottom is kept at a constant temperature of about + 5 ° C, the vegetables remained juicy and crisp for a long time.

There are many ways to store fresh cucumbers at home, extending shelf life up to six months. But if you do not want to bother, then vegetables can always be frozen. True, here you need to consider: when thawing, cucumbers do not lose useful properties, but, alas, the taste is not the same.