Why do cucumbers spoil in the refrigerator and whether it is possible to extend their shelf life

The fresh vegetable season has begun. In the refrigerator, their number is constantly increasing, but there is a problem. I began to notice that vegetables quickly mold. And if tomatoes still somehow hold, then cucumbers spoil in a couple of days. Accordingly, the question arose what to do and how to store cucumbers in the refrigerator so that they remain fresh longer.



And today's edition. "Site" They will try to answer this question in as much detail as possible.

Other vegetables can be easily stored in the refrigerator, but cucumbers spoil in a matter of days. Why is that? The thing is, cucumbers love heat. The optimal storage temperature is 15 degrees. When we put them in the refrigerator, white plaque, mucus and black dots form on the surface of the fruit. Cucumbers simply get sick, putrefactive bacteria multiply on them. After a couple of days, they are only good to go to the trash.

It is clear that finding a place with a temperature of 15 degrees in the middle of summer is quite difficult. So let’s see if something can be done to extend the shelf life of vegetables in the refrigerator.



Before storage First, you need to properly select the fruits and put them on storage correctly. The following points should be taken into account:

  1. Keep only whole fruits for safekeeping. Make sure the cucumbers are without dents, cuts, rot. The cucumber must be firm and fresh. It is better to use all fruits with squirrels immediately as food.
  2. Send the cucumbers to storage right away. The longer they stay warm, the less they will be stored. It is best to send them to the refrigerator immediately after harvest.
  3. If you decide to stock up on vegetables from the market, pay attention to their condition. Soft and dry cucumbers will not be stored for long.
  4. Put the cucumbers away from the freezer. Make sure that there are no sudden changes in temperature. Keeping cucumbers fresh is easiest in the vegetable compartment.
  5. Do not store cucumbers near apples, pears, bananas, melons, tomatoes, peaches and apricots. They secrete substances that cause cucumbers to deteriorate rapidly.





How to store cucumbers All precautions are taken. Now let’s figure out how to extend the shelf life of cucumbers. There are a couple of proven methods.

Cucumbers are usually stored for about 3 days. However, during this time it is impossible to eat everything, especially during a generous harvest. You can put cucumbers in pressurized. Then they will stay from 7 to 10 days.

There is also one unusual method: smearing. Cucumbers need to be washed and dried. Then smear a thin layer of egg white. Wait until it's dry. Then the vegetables should be wrapped in food film and sent to the refrigerator. Protective coating of protein will not allow cucumbers to deteriorate quickly.



Some gardeners are also used. storage. To do this, cold water is poured into a large bowl. In it, cucumbers are immersed by 2 cm. The container with cucumbers is sent to the refrigerator. The water is changed once a day.



If you don't want to play with a bowl, you can just play with it. wrap up. Be careful with the use of water. If you overdo it, cucumbers can spoil even faster.

Another reliable way. vinegar. To do this, you need to pour vinegar into a clean enameled container so that it covers the bottom. Inside, place some kind of stand with holes, for example, a dummy on the legs. Put the fruit inside. It is important that they do not touch the vinegar. The container should be covered and put in the refrigerator. Fresh pickles will last a month.



In principle, this is the most reliable and proven ways to store cucumbers. Nothing else can be done. If for some reason these methods do not suit you, then we suggest making low-salt cucumbers. Not the same as fresh and crispy fruits, but still no less delicious!

What tricks do you use to keep the cucumbers fresh?