How to freeze fresh cucumbers for the winter at home

Each of us loves to eat cucumbers in the summer, but what about in winter? Today we will look at how to freeze fresh cucumbers for the winter, because this is the best method to preserve the vitamins and nutrients contained in them, and other vegetables.

Which cucumbers can be frozen

Only high-quality vegetables can be frozen. They must be young, literally fresh from the garden, ripe. Be sure to select soft cucumbers.Vegetables should not be damaged or covered with rot or anything else.

There is simply no exact list of cucumbers to be frozen. They need to be selected using your own trial and error and observations. The main thing to remember is that hybrids are definitely not suitable, as well as salad-type vegetables, since their flesh is soft.

Preparatory stage

After you collect fresh vegetables, they must be thoroughly washed and dried. If they are purchased, then leave them in water for one hour. You can dry it using a paper towel. It is advisable that drying last from 30 to 60 minutes.

Next, you need to cut off both ends of the cucumbers, and also check if they are bitter. Next, you should cut them, squeeze out the juice, and, in general, bring them to a state in which they will be frozen.

Freezing cucumbers

There are different freezing methods. We will discuss only some methods of freezing for the winter at home.

Entirely

Of course, it is better not to freeze vegetables whole, as there will be difficulties with defrosting and cutting. Most people do not recommend this method, because the skin of the vegetable becomes flaccid and begins to peel off.

Recipe:

1. Vegetables need to be thoroughly washed and, of course, dried.
2. Next you need to trim the ends on both sides.
3. Be sure to peel off the skin.
4. Place the vegetables in a plastic bag or in a pre-prepared bag intended for freezing.
5. Put the whole thing in the freezer.

Freezing in circles

This type of freezing of cucumbers for the winter is used if you plan to add the resulting vegetables to salads, sandwiches, or simply decorate dishes with them in winter. Also, cucumbers frozen in this way can be used for cosmetic procedures on the face.

Recipe:

1. Dried fresh cucumbers should be chopped into thin slices.
2. Next, let them dry from the released juice (20-30 minutes).
3. Then lay them out in one layer, for example, on a board, tray or something like that.
4. Take some cling film and cover it all.
5. Next, transfer the vegetables to the freezer overnight, then transfer the mugs to a container and leave in the freezer.

Freezing cubes

These are perfect for okroshka, Olivier salad, vinaigrette or something like that. The recipe is quite simple:

1. Cut off the ends of each pre-washed and dried cucumber.
2. Chop the vegetables into cubes, then place them on a baking sheet.
3. Let them dry for about half an hour.
4. Now take the cling film and cover the cubes with it, then transfer the cucumbers to the freezer.
5. The next day, move them to a container or bag.

How to freeze cucumber juice

It is frozen for use in cosmetic purposes such as face masks, face rubs, lotions and more.

Recipe:

1. As usual, wash the cucumbers and dry them. Next, you need to grate them.
2. Using gauze, you need to squeeze the juice out of the resulting mixture.
3. Next, pour it into special ice molds.
4. They can then be poured into a bag and stored in the refrigerator.
5. To extract juice, you can use a juicer, blender or meat grinder. The main thing is to clean the peel before doing this.

Freezing pickles

Is it possible to freeze pickles? It often happens that you pickle cucumbers, open pickled vegetables, but do not consume them. In this case, the best option would be to freeze the pickles. Moreover, they will not lose their taste, smell, or taste properties.

Recipe:

1. Dry the cucumber fruits thoroughly to remove moisture.
2. Chop lightly salted vegetables into cubes.
3. Place them on a cutting board.
4. Cover the resulting product with special cling film.
5. Place in the freezer.
6. After 4 hours have passed, remove the frozen cucumbers and transfer them to a vacuum bag.
7. Then return it back to the freezer.
8. Now you know whether you can freeze pickles.

Storage

Frozen cucumbers can be stored for several months, from five to eight. Without freezing, the maximum shelf life is six months.

Defrosting

We have learned how to freeze, now let's discuss the reverse process. If frozen in the form of cubes or circles, then they will defrost in the dishes where you add them.

If you do this before throwing them into the dish, you will end up with a mush, because they will lose their appearance.

If we are talking about defrosting whole fruits, before using them, you should move the cucumbers from the freezer to the lower compartment. According to reviews from knowledgeable people, when you defrost vegetables, they will be slightly watery, but will not lose their taste and smell. You won't notice the difference between fresh and frozen.

Conclusion

Now you know all the basic ways to freeze cucumbers. This will help you enjoy the wonderful taste of fresh cucumbers during the cold season.