In order to keep cucumbers fresh for as long as possible, housewives use a variety of methods, including some unusual methods. Let us list some of how to keep cucumbers fresh.
After the vegetable season is over, put a plate of fresh homemade cucumbers on the plate, which will surprise any family and guests. And if you choose cucumbers suitable for long-term preservation and put them in the “right” position, you will succeed. Experienced gardeners say that there are many ways to store cucumbers, among which cucumbers can remain fresh and crispy for a long time.
Which cucumber keeps longer
The cucumbers you are about to store for a long time should be harvested recently from the garden. It is best to choose small and medium-sized cucumbers, which are ripe but not overripe. Cucumbers should have no damage, no spots, and dense skin. In addition, they must be shaken off the ground and dried a bit.
Overripe cucumbers are more suitable for harvesting seeds. But remember, not all cucumbers are suitable for this.
In most cases, it is not recommended to wash cucumbers before long-term storage, because vegetables will deteriorate faster if they come in contact with water.
It should be noted that we are only talking about homemade cucumbers, because vegetables bought in markets or shops may have been preserved for a long time, and there are some special varieties of cucumbers suitable for pickling and canning.
Cucumbers should be stored separately from other ripe fruits because many fruits release ethylene, which accelerates the ripening and deterioration of cucumbers.
If you are not sure how long your cucumbers will last, they are perfect for winter salads.
How to store fresh cucumbers at home
There are several traditional methods to extend the life of fresh cucumbers at home. However, this storage time will not be too long: from a few days to two weeks.
For example, you can put cucumbers in a plastic bag and wrap them in wet gauze, but keep them open-this will keep the vegetables “normal” for about 10 days. You can wrap each cucumber in a napkin before putting the fruit in the bag. In this way, the vegetables can be kept for two weeks. If you “plant” the tails of cucumbers in a bowl of cold water, it will keep them fresh for 3-4 weeks. Indeed, in this case, the water must be changed every day.
The resourceful housewife also knows another method, which is to store cucumbers in the refrigerator for a relatively long time. Cucumbers should be rinsed with cold water, dried, and processed with a little beaten egg white. It is important that the place where the fruit is placed should be as far away as possible from the freezer because a temperature around 0°C will promote the formation of mucus on the fruit.
If you do not store cucumbers in the refrigerator, but in the cellar or basement, you can put the cucumbers in a wet cloth to increase the shelf life of the cucumbers. This can extend the life of cucumbers by at least 10 days. During the same period, you can keep the fruits fresh if you put them in paper bags or wooden boxes and send them to a dark room with a temperature of 6-8°C.
Another way to get delicious crispy cucumbers is to pickle them. But for this, it is recommended to use cucumbers that are entirely bee-pollinated varieties.
How to store fresh cucumbers in other ways
Let’s talk about the less traditional cucumber storage method. Experts do not promise to comment on the terms of this storage but believe that it is an order of magnitude longer than the conventional method described above.
If you have a well in your yard, cucumbers can be conveniently stored there. To do this, place the cucumbers in a dry bucket and cover them with a cloth. Lower the bucket into the well so that it slightly touches the water surface. In the absence of wells, natural oil reservoirs are also suitable. In order to store the cucumber in this way, place it in a synthetic string bag with small compartments, install the load from below, fully immerse the cucumber in the water, but at the same time secure the string bag firmly on the shore.
The alternative to water is dry sand. In this case, put the cucumber in a clay pot, water it with clean sand (should be washed and dried beforehand), and then bury the container in the ground. If the latter action cannot be taken, put the vegetable container in the cellar or basement.
Vinegar can also help cucumbers stay in their original state longer. Before use, rinse the vegetables with clean water, dry them, and put them in a strainer or sieve. Pour the vinegar (9%) into a clean enamel bowl with a larger diameter so that the sieve or strainer placed there does not touch the liquid. Put the lid on the container and store it in a cool room. Regularly “check” the stored vegetables. According to netizens, the cucumber in this case can be stored for at least one month.
If you use vinegar to store cucumbers, be sure to restrict access to the room where the fruit is stored, especially for children.
The most unusual of the suggested methods is to store cucumbers in cabbage. To achieve this goal, cucumbers are first planted in the middle of the late-ripening cabbages. Afterward, the inner leaves of the cauliflower should be carefully put together to avoid injury. After the Chinese cabbage is harvested, the ripe cucumbers still remain in it. According to the vegetable gardener, they can be stored in a suitable cellar or basement until spring.
If you feel that the idea of long-term storage of cucumbers with the above method is still weird, you can always put them together.
Have you ever stored cucumbers at home for a long time? What method did you choose and what was the effect?
