Content
- Two ways to freeze cucumbers
- Freeze cucumbers for later cooking
- Freezing pickled cucumbers
- Often the better alternative: pickle cucumbers in vinegar
For delicious cucumber water cucumbers can be embedded in ice cubes
Two ways to freeze cucumbers
Quite rightly, it is often discouraged to freeze vegetables with a high water content raw - because spongy cucumbers and mushy tomatoes nobody would like to have on their plates. Nevertheless, there are two useful ways to freeze cucumbers.
Freeze cucumbers for later cooking
The soft texture of thawed vegetables is only a problem if it is to be consumed raw. However, if you want to prepare a dish made from cooked cucumbers, such as cucumbers in mustard sauce, it is quite possible to use frozen cucumber slices. Cooked, the frozen version tastes just as good as the fresh one. After one year at the latest you should use up the frozen cucumbers.
When freezing, do the following:
- Peel the cucumber. Halve them in half and scrape out the watery seeds with a spoon. Cut the cucumber into thick slices. Put the panes in freezer bags or plastic boxes and close them carefully before refrigerating. For later cooking, put the frozen slices straight into the hot pot.
If you like preparing the cold vegetable soup gazpacho, you also have the option to freeze cucumbers pureed in stock.
Freezing pickled cucumbers
The second option for deep-freezing cucumbers is to prepare a kind of cucumber salad, which then comes into the freezer.The added vinegar supports the consistency of the cucumbers so that they can be consumed raw after thawing. The cucumber slices taste in salad or on sandwiches. After a few months in the freezer, the aroma suffers, but the cucumber slices are stable for up to one year.
- Slice the cucumber into thin slices. Pour liberally with a mixture of vinegar, a little salt and sugar (you can add other spices if you wish). Mix the cucumber slices carefully with the liquid. Put the cucumber mixture in freezer bags or plastic boxes and seal well before freezing. The cucumber slices are allowed to thaw slowly in the refrigerator before consumption.
Often the better alternative: pickle cucumbers in vinegar
As you can see, the uses of frozen cucumbers are limited. Most hobby gardeners therefore prefer to put their cucumber harvest in vinegar water and possibly boil it. Sour cucumbers are a classic that can last up to a year in the pantry.