How to freeze fresh cucumbers in the freezer for the winter: step-by-step instructions from preparing vegetables to defrosting them

The goal of any gardener is to reap a rich harvest. As a rule, vegetables are canned and processed, but recently the method of storing crops in the freezer has been gaining popularity. Freezing is a great way to preserve vitamins in foods and save housewives energy.

How to freeze fresh cucumbers in the freezer for the winter and what to cook from them later - read our article.

Is it possible to freeze fresh cucumbers for the winter?

It is quite possible to prepare a dish in winter from fresh cucumbers, and you don’t have to go to the store for this. Vegetables grown in your own beds are always tastier than purchased in winter.

But is it possible to freeze cucumbers? The answer is yes. Practice has shown that these fruits feel good in the freezer and after proper defrosting they do not lose their taste. Enjoying fresh cucumbers in salads and okroshka in winter is real.

What fruits can be frozen

Not all cucumbers are suitable for storing in the freezer at home. For freezing, choose strong young fruits with intact skin.. The main thing is that there is no yellowness or rot on the skin.

It is better to freeze fruits with elastic pulp. When choosing a variety, pay attention to the number and size of seeds: cucumbers with large seeds are not suitable for long-term use. storage.

Advice. Experienced housewives recommend using universal varieties for freezing.Hybrids and salad vegetables have a softer structure.

Preparing for freezing

Cucumbers are washed under running water and dried thoroughly with a cotton towel or paper napkins. If the vegetables were purchased in a store or market, it is better to soak them in water for 1 hour.

On average, it takes from 30 to 60 minutes to completely dry vegetables. Then the tips of the cucumbers are cut off and the fruits can be checked for bitterness.

Freezing options

There are several methods for freezing fresh cucumbers. The housewife determines the most suitable option, taking into account the way they are consumed in winter.

Whole

The easiest way to freeze cucumbers is:

1. The fruits are washed and dried.
2. Trim the ends on both sides.
3. Peel off the skin.
4. Place in plastic bags.
5. Sent to the freezer.

However, such preparation in winter is inconvenient, since cutting frozen fruits is almost impossible. If you leave them to defrost, the vegetables will become watery and unsuitable for salad.

In circles or cubes

Housewives most often use this method of storing cucumbers in the freezer. Vegetables are cut circles or cubes and freeze. When choosing a cutting method, housewives take into account what dish will be prepared from the workpiece.

Vegetables are cut into cubes for okroshka and vinaigrette, and into thin slices for salads and sandwiches.

How to prepare:

1. Cut clean and dried vegetables into slices 2-3 mm thick.
2. Dry the pieces well from moisture - this will take up to 30 minutes.
3. Arrange the cucumbers in a single layer on a baking sheet, cutting board or tray.
4. Cover the workpiece with cling film.
5. Place the container in the freezer for one night.
6. Place frozen pieces into one bag.

The procedure for freezing cubes is similar.The only difference is that it is advisable to cut the fruit at both ends and remove the peel.

For storage, use special plastic freezer bags, foil or food containers.

Important! To prevent the pieces from sticking together into one big lump, they are first frozen in one layer on a cutting board, and then poured into one bag.

Vegetables cut into small cubes are best packed in portions in bags. Then you will not need to defrost the entire large bag; it is enough to use only a small part of the workpiece.

Grated

Clean vegetables are grated on a coarse grater and placed in bags. The juice released from the fruit is not drained and is also frozen. It can be poured into ice cube trays. After freezing, the ice is taken out and poured into a bag.

Juice

Clean fruits with skin are passed through a meat grinder or grated. The juice squeezed through cheesecloth is poured into ice trays. After a day, the containers are emptied, and the ice is poured into one bag.

Reference. To obtain cucumber juice, you can use a juicer or blender. Before putting vegetables into the device, they are peeled.

Terms and conditions of storage

Frozen fresh cucumbers can be stored in the freezer for up to 8 months, provided that the fruits were immediately subjected to quick freezing. If vegetables were packaged in containers and stored, their shelf life is reduced to 6 months.

Attention. Frozen pickles They have a shorter shelf life and are best consumed within a few months.

How to defrost correctly

It’s not enough to just freeze cucumbers: so that the vegetable does not lose its freshness, it must be defrosted properly.

Whole frozen fruits are grated without defrosting.After defrosting, the peel of the vegetable loses its integrity and becomes limp.

Diced cucumbers also do not need to be defrosted. They are frozen and used immediately when preparing a dish.

If the slices are used to make sandwiches or fresh vegetable salad, they are first immersed in cold water for a few minutes. It is better to defrost the workpiece at room temperature. The water released from the vegetables is drained.

Reference. Cucumbers stored in the freezer may change their color, but the taste and aroma will remain the same.

Pickled cucumbers are taken out of the freezer and placed on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator; after a few hours they can be put out to defrost.

Use after defrosting

Whole frozen vegetables can be used to make sauces. The taste and aroma will remain as if you just picked them from the garden.

Important! Do not defrost whole vegetables before use. If the fruits are defrosted, they will lose their flavor and become watery.

Diced vegetables are convenient to use for preparing okroshka, Olivier salad, vinaigrette and sauté. The main condition for such a preparation is that they must be cut into small pieces.

You can decorate a sandwich, fresh vegetable salad or any other dish with slices or slices of cucumber. Grated cucumbers are suitable for sauce lovers.

Frozen cucumber juice is used in home cosmetology. Ice is used to wipe the face instead of toning and moisturizing lotion. Thawed juice is suitable for making masks - one cube is thawed before making the product. Cucumbers are used to lighten age spots, tone the skin and smooth out fine wrinkles.

How to freeze pickles

Few people know that pickled cucumbers can also be stored in the freezer.. This method is used when you open a large jar of pickles, but you can’t eat them in one go. To prevent canned vegetables from turning sour and moldy in the jar, they are frozen.

Frozen pickles retain their taste and smell after defrosting. When stored in this way, the fruits will lose their crispness, but they can be used to prepare rassolnik, Olivier salad, vinaigrette, solyanka, azu and tartar sauce.

Before putting cucumbers in the freezer, you must first chop them - cut the vegetables into cubes or circles. It is not worth freezing in its entirety, since such a preparation is difficult to use later.

Tips from housewives

Experienced housewives are happy to share the secrets of freezing fresh cucumbers:

• prepare vitamin soup sets for the winter from dill, parsley, cucumber, green peas and onions - all ingredients are packaged in portions for preparing one dish;
• preparation for okroshka - freeze diced cucumbers, radishes and dill in a portioned bag;
• for okroshka, freeze cucumbers in whey - pour the dairy product into a bag with chopped pieces of the vegetable;
• Re-freezing cucumbers is prohibited, so it is better to freeze vegetables in small bags;
• before placing the bag with the preparation in the freezer, remove all the air from it - you can use a cocktail straw for this;
• Cucumbers are stored in the freezer away from meat.

Conclusion

An alternative to canning has been found - freezing vegetables. With this storage, products retain their freshness, taste and benefits. Preparing and freezing cucumbers for the winter is not a difficult task.It is important to select suitable fruits, rinse them well and dry them before putting them in the freezer.

Frozen cucumbers are suitable for making okroshka, vinaigrette, Olivier salad, fresh vegetable salad, sandwiches and sauces. Thawed vegetables are much tastier than store-bought ones, and their shelf life allows you to prepare a New Year's table without extra costs.