Freezing fresh and pickled cucumbers in the freezer for the winter: reviews, videos, recipes

It is very difficult to preserve the taste, structure and aroma of such a complex product as cucumbers after freezing. Before starting the process, you need to not only find out how to properly freeze cucumbers for the winter, but also find out what preparatory work needs to be done. Only in this case can you count on an excellent result.

Is it possible to freeze fresh and pickled cucumbers for the winter?

Freezing is one of the most popular methods of preparation, as it allows you to preserve a maximum of vitamins and beneficial micronutrients. However, it is with cucumbers that housewives often have difficulties.

The fact is that cucumbers are a vegetable consisting of 96% water, and this factor greatly affects when trying to store the product in the freezer. And yet, as practice shows, you can freeze cucumbers. The main thing is to do it correctly.

Freezing preserves vitamins and macroelements

First you need to decide on the type of future blanks.Much attention should be paid to the appearance of the product, its quality, cutting form and storage. Fresh frozen vegetables are used for preparing salads, first courses and sauces, that is, where consistency is not critical.

In addition to fresh cucumbers, you can freeze salted vegetables for the winter. They are also used in the preparation of pickle soups, salads or roasts with meat. The principles of their preparation are not much different.

Which cucumbers are suitable for freezing?

The choice of raw materials is critical in a process such as freezing.

The requirements for vegetables are very simple, they must be:

• fresh;
• young;
• small size;
• strong and resilient;
• healthy.

Before freezing, you need to carefully inspect the vegetables for rot, darkening, yellow spots, and the presence of traces of insects and pests. As for the variety, universal varieties will do, but it is better to avoid salad and hybrid varieties, since their flesh is friable.

Thaw cucumbers only before adding them to dishes.

The following varieties are the best choice for freezing:

1. Muromsky.
2. Far Eastern.
3. Nezhinsky.
4. Droplet.
5. Courage F
6. Phoenix.

Preparing cucumbers for freezing

To properly freeze fresh cucumbers for the winter, you need to properly carry out the preparatory work. Freshly collected raw materials are thoroughly washed before use.This is necessary not only to remove dirt, but also to get rid of various substances remaining after treatment against diseases and pests (colloidal sulfur, Bordeaux mixture, insecticides).

The purchased product is pre-soaked for 1-2 hours in cool water. Then the raw materials are dried with paper napkins or a towel, but it is better if the vegetables dry naturally after 40-50 minutes.

It is better not to freeze cucumbers with a bitter taste, but to use them in hot preservation.

The cucumbers are then checked again for damage, rot or spoilage, and then cut off at both ends. A substance called cucurbitacin is responsible for the bitter taste. It is synthesized as a result of improper care or unfavorable growing conditions. Bitter cucumbers should not be frozen, but can be used in hot preservation. In this case, after proper heat treatment, the bitter taste will go away.

Next, you should bring the cucumbers into the form in which you plan to freeze them, that is, cut, grate or squeeze the juice.

What is the best way to freeze cucumbers for the winter?

Vegetable preparations for the winter are frozen, as a rule, in 4 ways: whole, in circles, cubes and in the form of juice. In rare cases, cucumbers are cut into strips or grated. The freezing method is chosen depending on the future use of the product.

Entirely

You can freeze cucumbers whole, but whether it’s necessary is the question. After defrosting, even partial, the vegetable significantly loses its appearance: the skin wrinkles and slides off, and the pulp becomes too liquefied.In this state it is impossible to cut or grate it.

It is not recommended to freeze whole vegetables; they are too difficult to defrost and cut later.

To avoid this as much as possible, you need to choose the appropriate grade and size of raw materials. Cucumbers should be strong, healthy and small.

The work algorithm will look like this:

1. Wash and dry the product thoroughly.
2. Cut off the ends and check the cucumbers for bitterness.
3. Place the product in the refrigerator for some time (30-40 minutes) to make it easier and more convenient to cut.
4. Peel the cucumbers.
5. Place the raw materials in a plastic bag or a special bag for freezing.
6. If possible, remove all excess air from the packaging.
7. Place the cucumbers in the freezer.

In circles

Frozen cucumber slices are often added to winter salads, and are also used for cosmetic procedures at home. This mask well moisturizes and tightens the skin, providing a lifting effect.

Can be added to salads, sandwiches and used to decorate dishes

The procedure for preparing for freezing will look like this:

1. Wash the cucumbers well and dry naturally for 1 hour.
2. Test for the presence of cucurbitacin (bitterness) by cutting off the ends.
3. Chop the vegetables into slices 3 mm thick.
4. Place them on a tray in 1 layer.
5. Leave everything to dry for 30-40 minutes to get rid of excess cucumber juice.
6. Cover the workpiece with cling film and put it in the freezer for 8-10 hours.
7. Remove the vegetables, place them in a container or bag and put them back in the freezer.

A cutting board, baking sheet or piece of thick cardboard can be used as a tray.

Cubes

Most housewives prefer to freeze cucumbers in the form of cubes. This makes it most convenient to add them to salads and okroshka.

Frozen diced cucumbers can be added to Olivier salad, okroshka and vinaigrette

The algorithm of actions in this case is not much different from the previous instructions:

1. Wash fresh vegetables well and dry naturally for 40 minutes.
2. Check for possible bitterness by cutting off the ends.
3. Peel the product.
4. Cut into medium sized cubes.
5. Carefully place the pieces on the tray and leave to dry for 30-40 minutes.
6. Cover with a bag or cling film and place in the freezer for 6-8 hours.
7. Take out the finished product, put it in bags (removing excess air) or boxes and store it in the freezer.

Experts recommend removing the peel not only from purchased vegetables, but also from those grown with your own hands.

Grated

Grated cucumbers are not frozen so often. In most cases, housewives prefer to prepare cubes or juice. The grated product can be used to prepare sauces based on sour cream and yogurt, as well as adding them to cosmetic masks.

Grated cucumbers do not need to be defrosted, but added immediately to dishes

Freezing grated cucumbers is very easy. The following actions must be taken:

1. Wash fresh vegetables well.
2. Dry the cucumbers naturally (40-50 minutes).
3. Trim ends to check for bitterness.
4. Peel the cucumbers.
5. Grate on a coarse grater in a bowl with a tray.
6. Place the pulp in an ice-freezing mold, filling the cells ⅔ full.
7. Add the juice that came out during rubbing into the section.
8. Place in the refrigerator for 6-8 hours.

In the same way, you can freeze cucumber juice or gruel made using a blender.

Cucumber juice can be obtained in 2 ways. The easiest way is to use a juicer. However, in its absence, you can extract the juice manually. To do this, grate the cucumbers on a fine grater and then squeeze the resulting pulp through cheesecloth. In this case, you can freeze both the juice and the dehydrated pulp itself.

Cucumber juice contains many vitamins that are beneficial for the skin. It is indispensable for inflammation, acne or acne. On mature dermis it demonstrates its tightening effect. Women use ice cubes to wash their face and also add them to freshly squeezed juices and smoothies. Cucumber ice cubes go especially well with healthy fruit and vegetable smoothies.

Salty

You can also freeze pickled cucumbers without any problems. Almost every housewife has encountered a situation where, after opening a 3-liter jar, pickles were left uneaten for some reason. In order not to throw away a quality product, you can freeze pickles in the freezer.

Salted vegetables can be added to rassolnik, vinaigrette and Olivier salad.

It's easy to do. To do this you need:

1. Wash the vegetables from excess brine and dry them slightly with damp cloths.
2. Cut the product into circles 2-3 mm thick, place everything on a tray and leave to “dry” for 40 minutes, otherwise a large amount of juice released will cause the cucumbers to stick together.
3. Cover the pieces with cling film and put them in the freezer for 2-3 hours.
4. Remove from the freezer and carefully transfer to a special box or bag.
5. Store in the refrigerator freezer.

It is not necessary to chop the cucumbers into circles. If desired, you can cut the raw materials into cubes. After this treatment, cucumbers will not lose either taste or smell. They can be used for vinaigrette or pickle. The main condition is to add them to the dish in an unfrozen state.

Another way to freeze cucumbers is to put them in the freezer directly in the brine. Thus, products are prepared mainly for pickle dishes. To do this, finely chop the cucumbers, then place them in large silicone ice molds and fill them with brine. Next they are sent for freezing. After 8 hours, take out the molds, put them in a separate bag and store until use, adding them to soups without first defrosting.

Storage period and rules

The shelf life of frozen foods is 6-8 months. This applies to both fresh and salted preparations. Store vegetables in the freezer at temperatures from -18 °C to -24 °C.

Experts do not recommend re-freezing defrosted vegetables, as they will not only lose their appearance and structure, but will also be deprived of some beneficial vitamins.

How to defrost correctly

A special feature of such preparations is their use in frozen form. This is how they are added to salads and soups, where they thaw on their own, without losing much in appearance. However, this does not mean that they cannot be defrosted under any circumstances.

Fresh cucumbers can be placed in cold water, then carefully drained to get rid of excess liquid, and then use the preparations at your discretion.If you follow all the rules for freezing and thawing, cucumbers will practically not lose their taste and smell, and will even retain the feeling of crunch.

Most housewives note that in winter, frozen summer produce from their own garden is significantly different from store-bought vegetables with an unexpressed aroma and herbaceous taste.

How to use frozen cucumbers in winter

The scope of frozen vegetables in winter is quite wide. Preparations in the form of cubes can be added to a variety of salads (Olivier salad, vinaigrette), soups (okroshka, rassolnik, beetroot soup) and main courses (basis, roast). It should be noted that salty frozen products are most often included in hot dishes.

Pickled cucumbers are often used for hot dishes.

Cucumbers in the form of circles are perfect for sandwiches, summer salads and decorations for other dishes. Grated vegetables can be used to create delicious sauces suitable for both meat and fish. For example:

• tartar (mayonnaise, lemon juice, chopped dill, pickles);
• sour cream sauce with herbs (green onions, parsley, sour cream, mustard, wine vinegar, spices, fresh cucumbers);
• apple (sour cream, mustard, grated apple and cucumber, lemon juice, herbs);
• Greek sauce “Tzatziki” (natural yogurt or sour cream, fresh grated cucumber, chopped dill, garlic, olive oil, spices).

You can make sour cream sauce with herbs and cucumbers

The grated product along with cucumber juice can be added to yogurt (unsweetened) or made into a morning smoothie that meets all the principles of proper nutrition.

Recommendations from experienced housewives

It is better to freeze cucumbers for a soup set immediately with herbs (parsley, dill, cilantro, green onions).You can also add other types of vegetables to the mixture, such as green peas or bell peppers.

For okroshka, vegetable cubes can be frozen directly in whey. This way they will be better preserved and can be used immediately in the process of preparing the first dish.

Frozen vegetables should also be stored separately from other foods such as fish or meat. During the preparation process, you should not add spices and, especially, salt to the preparations, as it provokes the separation of liquid. Cucumbers should be frozen in small portions “at a time.” This will make them more convenient to use and the vegetables will not be re-frozen.

Conclusion

It is possible to freeze cucumbers for the winter. Moreover, you can also put salted preserves in the freezer, which is later very convenient to use in the process of preparing pickles and vinaigrettes. The right approach and proper preparation will preserve all the taste, aroma and structure of the product.

Reviews of frozen cucumbers for the winter

There are many reviews on the Internet about whether it is possible to freeze cucumbers for the winter. Most users believe that it is not only possible, but also necessary.

Recommended Posts

How to freeze zucchini for the winter at home

How to freeze zucchini for feeding

Freezing honey mushrooms: raw, boiled, stewed and fried

Freezing beets for the winter at home

Freezing milk mushrooms for the winter at home

Freezing figs for the winter at home

Is it possible to freeze blueberries for the winter?

Blackcurrant sorbet recipes

Is it possible to freeze champignons in the freezer: fresh, raw, canned?