TOP 10 ways to freeze fresh and salted cucumbers at home for the winter

Among all the methods freezing vegetables for the winter Freezing is gentle. Vitamins and minerals contained in foods are preserved to the maximum extent. And with the widespread use of freezers, freezing has become a priority. Therefore, most housewives prefer this preservation method. All seasonal fruits and vegetables are preserved fresh for the winter, but few know how to freeze cucumbers so that they are both tasty and healthy.

Can cucumbers be frozen?

You can freeze greens, squash, peppers, tomatoes, cabbage, peas, corn, cauliflower, and, of course, cucumbers. However, cucumbers need to be properly prepared, the appropriate variety selected, and the right specimens chosen.

Avoid freezing watery vegetables or berries, such as watermelon or certain types of salad.

What varieties should you choose?

There are no recommendations regarding which varieties are suitable for freezing and will retain their flavor. You can choose universal varieties, such as Muromsky, Nezhinsky, Etap, and Nosovsky, which retain their shape and flavor when preserved. Salad varieties and hybrids are best avoided due to their soft flesh.

In their homeland, at the foot of the Himalayan Mountains, the fruits grow like wild plants, on their own.

Preparing fruits for freezing

To prevent frozen cucumbers from turning into a mushy mass when defrosted, keep the following in mind:

1. Choose fruits without damage or rot on the skin. Cucumbers should be young, firm, and fresh, with small seeds.

UAE scientists have bred cucumbers with square fruits.

2. First, wash the vegetables to remove dust and dirt.
3. Soak cucumbers in cold water for 60-120 minutes.
4. Dry the fruit on paper or cotton towels. Excess moisture will spoil the flavor.
5. Trim the ends to prevent the fruit from becoming bitter. Do not peel the skin.
6. Chop the cucumbers in a way that is suitable for preparing future dishes.

Don't freeze cucumbers whole. Once thawed, they're virtually impossible to chop.

Methods for freezing vegetables at home

There are several easy ways to freeze cucumbers:

1. Prepare the fruits into cubes.
2. Freeze the cucumbers in the form of circles.
3. Prepare frozen cucumber juice.
4. Freeze pickled cucumbers.

When choosing a freezing method, it's worth considering two options: dry freezing and shock freezing. The latter involves quickly and easily freezing washed and dried vegetables. This method preserves up to 90% of the product's vitamin content.

The dry method involves first laying the vegetables (whole or chopped) out in a thin, even layer on a cutting board and placing them in the freezer. Once the fruits have set and frozen, they are transferred to prepared bags or containers.

The inhabitants of Ancient Egypt placed cucumbers at the burials of pharaohs as one of the valuable gifts.

Freezing in circles

The easiest and most convenient way to freeze fresh cucumbers for salads or sandwiches is to prepare the fruit in circles.

Slightly thawed cucumber slices are used for cosmetic procedures, for example, to combat dark circles under the eyes.

The preparation involves the following sequential stages:

1. Prepared, washed and dried vegetables, cut into slices 2-2.5 mm thick.
2. Place the cucumber slices on a cutting board and let them dry for 30 minutes to remove the juice. Alternatively, pat them dry with paper towels.
3. After this, wrap the cutting board, baking sheet, or tray with cling film. Place the slices on top of the cling film in a single layer. Cover the chopped fruit with more cling film or a plastic bag.
4. Place the vegetables in the freezer for 12 hours.
5. After the time has elapsed, transfer the prepared rings into plastic containers, plastic bags, or containers.

If you immediately pour vegetable preserves into one bag and freeze them, it will be impossible to separate them from each other or from the ice.

Freeze into cubes

To prepare favorite summer dishes like okroshka, Greek salad, or vegetable soups during the winter, cucumbers are frozen into cubes. To do this, you'll need:

1. Cut the prepared fruits into cubes without ends.
2. Pour the semi-finished product onto the board in an even layer and cover with cling film.
3. After 6-12 hours, transfer the frozen slices into bags, release the air and put them in the freezer for permanent storage.

To make okroshka in winter, it's best to freeze a vegetable mix of radishes, cucumbers, and herbs in portioned bags.

Frozen cucumber juice

Frozen cucumbers are an ingredient in masks, lotions, or cleansing toners. In this case, you can make cucumber juice.

Cucumber nectar is prepared in the following way:

1. Grind the pre-prepared cucumbers with the peel in a blender, grate on a fine grater or pass through a meat grinder.
2. Cucumber nectar can be extracted using a juicer after peeling the fruit.
3. Place the cucumber pulp on cheesecloth. Squeeze the juice into a clean container.
4. Pour the vegetable drink into ice cube trays.
5. Place the molds in the freezer for storage.
6. Just before using, thaw 2-3 cucumber cubes.

Vegetable juice is suitable for combating fine wrinkles and age spots, and helps tone and refresh skin cells.

Frozen pickles

Freezing pickled cucumbers is a great option if you can't quickly consume a bottle of pickled or salted cucumbers. Moreover, lightly salted cucumbers, when thawed, retain their flavor without losing their appearance or aroma. They're perfect for rassolnik (soup soup), vinaigrette (a type of salad made with pickles), or Olivier salad.

Freeze vegetables in the following way:

1. Vegetables are marinated or salted in advance in any convenient way.
2. Cut the fruits into cubes.
3. Dry-freeze the cucumbers. Place the cucumber pieces on a cutting board, freeze for 30-60 minutes, and then transfer them to the freezer in a freezer bag.

How to properly thaw cucumbers?

1. Grate cucumbers, frozen whole, without defrosting, and use in first courses.
2. Throw the diced fruits into salads straight from the freezer.
3. Thaw pickled cucumbers and fresh vegetable slices first in the refrigerator on the bottom shelf for 2-3 hours, and then leave at room temperature until completely thawed.

What dishes can be prepared from defrosted cucumbers?

Fresh or pickled cucumbers can be used to make a huge number of treats after freezing.

For example, cucumber slices are suitable for:

• sandwiches;
• serving salads, hot dishes;
• as a cosmetic product.

Pickled cucumbers are a great addition to vinaigrette, rassolnik, solyanka, or Olivier salad. Cucumber cubes are perfect for okroshka, spring salad, or sauté. Cucumber juice or pulp can be used for sauces.

Sauce

Frozen cucumber sauce goes well with fish and meat delicacies and is suitable as a salad dressing.

Ingredients:

1. Frozen cucumbers – 300 grams.
2. Sour cream – 40 grams.
3. Garlic – 1 clove.
4. Mayonnaise – 40 grams.
5. Lemon – 0.5 pieces.
6. Salt – 7 grams.
7. Greens – 1 bunch.
8. Vegetable oil – 17 grams.

Cooking plan:

1. Thaw diced cucumbers or cucumber pulp in the refrigerator. To remove excess liquid, squeeze the vegetable mixture by hand.
2. Peel the garlic and chop finely. Squeeze the lemon juice. Chop the herbs as finely as possible.
3. Add mayonnaise (homemade is fine) and sour cream to the chopped fruit. Add garlic, vegetable oil, and lemon nectar.
4. Blend the sauce in a blender at minimum speed for 4-5 minutes.
5. Add fresh herbs to the cucumber tartare and serve the dressing.

Salad

Ingredients:

1. Potato, apple, egg – 1 each.
2. Ham – 150 grams.
3. Green onions – 2 sprigs.
4. Cucumbers – 150 grams.
5. Yogurt – 50 milliliters.
6. Salt – 3 grams.
7. Butter – 17 grams.

Preparation:

1. Cut boiled potatoes, egg, apple and a piece of ham into cubes.
2. Finely chop the green onions.
3. Combine the salad ingredients in a bowl. Add diced cucumbers straight from the freezer.
4. Season the treat with natural yogurt, olive oil, and salt to taste. Stir with a spoon, let it sit for 30 minutes, and serve for lunch.

Okroshka

Components:

1. Potatoes – 200 grams.
2. Eggs – 4 pieces.
3. Smoked chicken leg – 300 grams.
4. Milk sausage – 200 grams.
5. Cucumbers – 200 grams.
6. Green onions, parsley – 1 bunch.
7. Radish – 100 grams.
8. Kefir – 1 liter.
9. Serum – 1 liter.
10. Mustard, salt, lemon – to taste.

Algorithm of actions:

1. Cut boiled potatoes, eggs, chicken and sausage into cubes.
2. Remove chopped onions and parsley, diced cucumbers and radishes from the freezer.
3. Mix all ingredients in a deep bowl.
4. Season the okroshka with whey and kefir. Add spices and herbs to taste.
5. Let the dish steep and begin eating.

Olivier

Products:

1. Pickled cucumbers – 3 pieces.
2. Potatoes – 4 pieces.
3. Eggs – 5 pieces.
4. Peas, canned – 250 grams.
5. Chicken fillet – 300 grams.
6. Mayonnaise – 30 grams.
7. Salt – 3 grams.
8. Greens – for decoration.

Preparation procedure:

1. Cut boiled potatoes, eggs and chicken fillet into squares and place in a salad bowl.
2. Add canned peas and diced pickles straight from the freezer to the bowl.
3. Mix the salad ingredients with mayonnaise and salt. Garnish with chopped herbs.

Shelf life

Freeze-dried vegetables can be stored for 5 to 8 months. If frozen first, consume within 6 months.