How to store cucumbers so that they stay fresh in the winter?

Mistresses often ask themselves: how to store cucumbers? After all, these many beloved vegetables do not lie for long, they quickly lose their beneficial qualities and taste. But if you know some tricks, then they will remain fresh and crispy for a long time, as if only from the garden. In some cases, even several months.

What to look for?

It is best to choose strong medium-sized cucumbers for the winter without any damage. Too small ones will soon dry out, and excessively large ones are not so tasty. You need to give preference to those that were grown on open ground. But in greenhouse varieties, the skin is very thin, so even in the refrigerator they will not lie for a long time. Often they are sold in packages filled with carbon dioxide. It is worth leaving the fruits in them, without opening, until the right moment.

To preserve vegetables for the winter, we must remember that they are hurt by temperature extremes in the refrigerator, increased humidity and excessive dryness. Under such conditions, they can begin to rot or, conversely, lose moisture, wrinkling at the same time. On the skin of cucumbers there is a natural protective layer, and if the fruits are from the store, then most likely they are treated with wax or petroleum jelly. Thanks to this film, evaporation and consumption of nutrients are reduced, so that cucumbers remain juicy longer. Therefore, they do not need to be washed before sending to the storage place.

How to store in a refrigerator or cellar?

The easiest way to keep cucumbers fresh for the winter in the refrigerator. They must be removed in a plastic bag with ventilation holes and placed in the vegetable compartment. To protect from rot, put in a bundle a piece of horseradish or a couple of cloves of peeled garlic. Better yet, wrap each fruit with a paper towel. Or you can put it in a jar, cover it with a lid and put on the lower shelf. They need to be checked from time to time. If a yellowed specimen is noticed, then it must be separated from the rest. In this form, the fruits can be left for up to two weeks. Or lower it in a container with water with tails. In this case, water should be changed daily.

Tip: You can not store cucumbers next to apples, bananas and other products that secrete ethanol. So the fruits will deteriorate faster.

In a dry basement, cucumbers can be saved for a month. To achieve this, they are laid out in ceramic or enameled containers and poured with sand. At the bottom you need to lay a cling film. You can also wrap each vegetable with a paper scarf and send it in a bag. Such actions help prevent rapid loss of moisture.

Custom ways

You can try to save cucumbers for the winter and other, not so common methods. For example, in water. To do this, place the fruits vertically with the sharp ends down in the pan. And pour a small amount of water so that the vegetables are partially immersed in it. Water needs to be changed from time to time, this container should stand in a cool place, best of all - in the refrigerator.

The shelf life of cucumbers in the bank can be up to 4 months. You need to do this.

• Sterilize a 3L jar, fill with dry fruits, leaving a little space.
• Place a small paraffin candle on top of the cucumbers and light it. Let it burn for 10-15 minutes. This is done to burn oxygen in the container.
• After this time, close the jar with a tight-fitting lid. After a few seconds, the candle will go out.
• Keep the container with cucumbers in the refrigerator.

How can egg and vinegar come in handy?

For a long time, up to 2 months, to keep vegetables fresh will help an unexpected product - an ordinary chicken egg. More precisely, egg white. Using it is simple: you just need to thoroughly spread them with cucumbers. They should be intact, with uncircumcised tails. Before processing, they must be washed with boiled water. After the protein has dried, the fruits should be folded in a plastic or wooden box and taken to a cool place. Or hang by the tails. The resulting film will reduce moisture loss, but allow the fruit to “breathe”.

Keeping cucumbers fresh is also possible with the help of another product that can be found in almost any home. This is vinegar. In closed containers, it will create a special environment. To achieve this effect, a small amount of liquid is poured into the pan. Then put the lattice, which should not touch vinegar. Purely washed fruits are placed on it and covered with a lid. In the refrigerator or cellar, they will remain fresh for several months, and some varieties throughout the winter.

How did they go in antiquity

Some summer residents grow cucumbers in cabbage so that after harvest they remain longer juicy. Plant seeds are planted among cabbage seedlings. When the fruits are tied, they are still small placed in the leaves. In the process of growth, cucumbers will be placed in a head of cabbage. In the future, they are stored in cabbage heads. They should be cleaned for the winter in a cool place.

You can also try the old way, which was used by our ancestors to keep the cucumbers fresh. After the crop is harvested, vegetables are placed in a wooden barrel, covered with a lid. Then placed on the bottom of the reservoir. In this form, they are suitable for use all winter. Just keep in mind that the water should be cold, but not freeze. Another effective method is storage in a clay pot. Cucumbers are put in a bowl, and dried river sand is poured there and buried in the ground.

Other options

Although fresh cucumbers are the most delicious and crispy, you can still replace them with ice cream. Provided that there is a sufficiently spacious freezer, it is not difficult to keep them. It is only necessary to cut the fruit into pieces, pack it in a plastic bag and place in the cold. For convenience, lay them in layers on a film in a small box. When they harden, the resulting compact briquette must be removed from the drawer and put in a bag. After defrosting, they will become soft, but they will not lose useful qualities. It is also universally accepted to salt and pickle vegetables. They, of course, differ in taste from unprocessed ones. But they’ll probably stand idle all winter if you stick to the recipe.

You can save cucumbers in the refrigerator or basement for a rather long time if you choose the appropriate method. Then even in the middle of a cold winter you can surprise your guests by offering them crispy juicy fruits.