How long to keep cucumbers fresh in the refrigerator?

When in summer there are so many cucumbers in the house that it's impossible to quickly eat them all in a conventional salad, and it's a pity to throw out, naturally, the first solution that comes to mind: salinize. But, perhaps, there are options for how to keep fresh cucumbers in the refrigerator longer? After salting - it's a completely different taste!

What conditions like cucumbers

The vegetable is surprisingly whimsical. If he is too cold, then he softens and mucks. If it's hot, then turns yellow and fades.

Therefore, in order to understand how long to keep cucumbers fresh, you need to know the optimal conditions for it. It has a humidity of 90-95% and a temperature of plus 5-6 degrees. In this situation, the cucumbers will "live" two to three weeks without any additional processing.

Also, in the process of storage, do not place cucumbers along with tomatoes, apples, melons, otherwise quickly deteriorate.

It is desirable for storage to choose a glass, wooden or clay container. In it you can put a slice of garlic to protect cucumbers from rotting.

How much can you store cucumbers?

Finding out how long to keep the cucumbers fresh, it would be nice to clarify what period is meant by the word "long". These are the terms that these fruits can survive at different temperatures, if not provide them with some special conditions:

• Up to 8 degrees - up to 7 days;
• From 0 to 4 degrees - from two weeks to a month;
• From -2 to -6 - 1-2 months;
• From -8 to -12 - up to 5 months;
• From -18 to -14 - 5-9 months;
• From -24 to -18 - about a year.

Cold storage

What do we usually do when we want to extend the "life" of the product? We send it to the cold. Cucumbers at a temperature of about 0 degrees can be stored in a refrigerator for about twenty days. But there are two nuances.

First, there are varieties of cucumbers, including greenhouses, which do not tolerate low temperatures. Secondly, for safety they need humidity of 90%. And the cold softens the cucumber. How long to keep cucumbers fresh in the refrigerator with these features in mind?

Without any preparation, cucumbers from their own beds calmly lie in the refrigerator on the vegetable shelf for 3-5 days. Shop vegetables last for 7-8 days. If you need to increase this time, do the following.

Go over the cucumbers. If there are yellow inflorescences, remove them. You do not need to wash. Wrap each fruit with a paper towel, and then fold it into closed, but not sealed bags. In this form they will lie for 10-14 days.

Just in plastic bags without wrapping paper is not recommended. If you are using them, make sure that they have holes in them.

Freezing

How long to keep the cucumbers fresh, if you do not plan to eat them in the next few months? Only by freezing.

Wash and dry the vegetables. Cut into slices or cubes - depending on how you intend to use them.

Distribute crushed cucumbers on a plate, cover with food film of polyethylene and send it to the freezer for several hours. Ready-to-store cucumbers pour into the bag, tie and return to the freezer. Try to keep at least a minimum of air in the bag. You can use a straw for juice to blow it out.

It is permissible to freeze whole fruits, before wrapping them in polyethylene. But in the future you still have to grind them before use, and make it more convenient when the vegetables are fresh.

In polyethylene without a refrigerator

These fruits contain a large amount of water, which quickly evaporates through the skin. Based on this feature, you can figure out how to keep the cucumbers fresh for a long time.

The most obvious option is to prevent evaporation of moisture by covering the fruit with a plastic bag or film. But "breathe" cucumbers, too, you need, so do not tightly wrap each of them in film.

Put them in bags or wrap on a few pieces (not more than 2 kilograms) of film. At a temperature of no higher than 15-20 degrees they will "live" from 15 to 30 days, in some cases - longer.

In the water "bouquet"

Try to provide moisture-loving vegetables with a constant supply of liquid. Arrange them in a pan vertically, tails down. Fill the container with water so that it covers the cucumbers by about a third.

Usually, green fruits are stored for a long time in such conditions. However, water must be changed every day, otherwise the vegetables will rot.

In the "wrapper" of egg white

The owners of the cellars rarely have a question about how to keep the cucumbers fresh for a long time, since there are more conditions for this: there is a cool room with a sufficiently high humidity.

For the described method, it is advisable to take cucumbers with a long stem, since after processing the fruit needs to be suspended somehow.

Wash and thoroughly dry the vegetables. Whisk egg white and generously cover them with cucumbers. After drying, the protein forms a film, which, on the one hand, prevents the evaporation of moisture, and on the other - gives the fetus to breathe.

Processed cucumbers are hung from the ropes behind the stalk and stored in a cool place. In this form, they will keep their useful properties and taste qualities for a long time.

Before use they will have to be cleaned.

In a jar with a candle

This method is somewhat exotic, but if you want to know how long to keep cucumbers fresh, and under the word "long" understand the term for more than a month or two, then the candle in the bank is a real find.

The method allows to fully preserve the taste. It is more suitable for storing fruits that have just been ripped from the garden, but shop vegetables can also be saved by this method.

Go over the cucumbers. They should be of excellent quality, without the slightest spoilage. Take a three-liter jar and sterilize. Freshly picked or bought cucumbers wipe with a dry cloth, do not wash.

Place in the jar an ordinary candle (any, just not flavored!), And fold the vegetables around it. But do not fill up, you need to leave some space. Light a candle and let it burn for ten minutes.

Then take the metal cover and clog the jar. It must be done so that the candle does not go out. It will go out by itself, when oxygen in the closed pot will end.

Keep container with cucumber in a cool place.

Another way

This is an ancient recipe that promises to be safe for at least a few months. You will need vinegar and non-metallic container. You can take an enamel pot.

At the bottom of the tank, pour a little vinegar. Lay the cucumbers so that they do not touch it. For example, use a grate. Then close the lid tightly. Inside, a gas atmosphere is created that is comfortable for fruits.

We have analyzed many options for how long to keep the cucumbers fresh. Choose the right one and enjoy fresh vegetables at any time of the year!