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 collect a rich harvest. As a rule, vegetables are canned and processed, but recently the method of storing crops in the freezer is gaining popularity. Freezing is a great way to preserve vitamins in food and save housewives' energy.

How to freeze fresh cucumbers for the winter in the freezer 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 for this it is not at all necessary to go to the store. Vegetables grown in our own beds are always tastier than purchased ones in winter.

But can cucumbers be frozen? The answer is yes. Practice has shown that these fruits feel good in the freezer andafter proper defrosting, they do not lose their taste... Enjoying fresh cucumbers in a salad and okroshka in winter is real.

What fruits can be frozen

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

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

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

Freezing preparation

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

On average, it takes 30 to 60 minutes to fully dry vegetables. Then the tips of the cucumbers are cut off, you can check the fruit for bitterness.

Freezing options

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

Whole

The easiest way to freeze cucumbers in this way is:

1. The fruits are washed and dried.
2. Trim off the ends on both sides.
3. Peel.
4. Lay out in plastic bags.
5. They are sent to the freezer.

However, such harvesting in winter is inconvenient, since it is almost impossible to cut frozen fruits. If left to thaw, vegetables will become watery and unsuitable for salad dressing.

In circles or cubes

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

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

How to prepare:

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

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

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

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

Vegetables cut into small cubes are best packaged in portions in bags. Then it will not be necessary to defrost the entire large bag, it is enough to use only a small part of the blank.

Grated

Clean vegetables are grated on a coarse grater and laid out in bags. The juice released from the fruit is not drained, and 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 molds. After a day, the containers are emptied, and the ice is poured into one bag.

Reference. You can use a juicer or blender to make cucumber juice. Peel the vegetables before putting them into the device.

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, then their shelf life is reduced to 6 months.

Attention. Frozen pickles have a shorter shelf life, they are best consumed within a few months.

How to defrost properly

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

Fruits, frozen as a whole, are rubbed on a grater without defrosting. After defrosting, the peel of a vegetable loses its integrity and becomes lethargic.

Diced cucumbers also do not need to be thawed. They are immediately used when frozen in the preparation of 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. Freezer cucumbers may change color, but the taste and aroma will remain the same.

Pickled cucumbers are taken out of the freezer and placed on the lower shelf of the refrigerator, after a few hours they can be laid out to defrost.

Application after defrosting

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

Important! Whole vegetables are not thawed before use. If the fruits are thawed, they will lose their flavor and become watery.

Diced vegetables are convenient for making okroshka, olivier, vinaigrette and sauté. The main condition for such a blank is that they must be cut into small pieces.

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

Frozen cucumber juice is used in home cosmetology. Ice is rubbed over 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 fine wrinkles.

How to freeze pickles

Few people know that you can store cucumbers in the freezer in salted form.... This method is used when you open a large jar of pickles, but you can't eat them at once. To prevent canned vegetables from souring and becoming moldy in the jar, they are frozen.

Frozen pickles retain their flavor and aroma after defrosting. With this storage, the fruits will lose their crispness, but they can be used to make pickle, olivier, vinaigrette, hodgepodge, azu and tartar sauce.

Before you send the cucumbers to the freezer, they must first be chopped - cut the vegetables into cubes or slices. Freezing as a whole is not worth it, since such a blank is then difficult to use.

Housewives tips

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

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

Conclusion

An alternative to canning has been found - it is freezing vegetables. When stored this way, food retains its freshness, taste and health benefits. Preparing and freezing cucumbers for the winter is a simple task. It is important to select suitable fruits, rinse well and dry before sending to the freezer.

Frozen cucumbers are suitable for making okroshka, vinaigrette, Russian salad, fresh vegetable salad, sandwiches and sauces. Thawed vegetables are much tastier than store vegetables, and their shelf life allows you to prepare a New Year's table at no extra cost.