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What Are the Best Tips for Freezing Cucumbers?

Christina Edwards
Christina Edwards

Cucumbers typically do not freeze well when they are simply placed in the freezer without any preparation. When freezing cucumbers, they should first be washed, sliced, and covered in salt or a brine solution. They can also be soaked in vinegar before being placed in containers and frozen. Some cooks also add other vegetables, spices, or sugar. Frozen cucumbers may not taste just like fresh cucumbers, but they can last up to a year when stored this way.

Since they have a high water content, cucumbers typically don't freeze very well. When thawed, they will often be mushy, and they may also have unusual tastes or odors. Pickling cucumbers is usually the best method of cucumber preservation. Instead of following a traditional pickle recipe, some individuals may want to make freezer pickles.

Cucumbers growing on the vine.
Cucumbers growing on the vine.

Before freezing cucumbers, they should be washed well. Washing fresh picked cucumbers will help remove the dirt, as well as any pesticides and fertilizers. Store-bought cucumbers also usually come covered in a very thin layer of wax that needs to be washed away.

Many individuals who are interested in freezing cucumbers will also peel them first. The peels, however, can also be left on the vegetables. Before freezing cucumbers, most individuals also slice them or cut them into spears.

Pickling cucumbers.
Pickling cucumbers.

The cucumber pieces can then be generously sprinkled with salt or soaked in a salt water solution. Pickling salt is usually recommended when pickling or freezing cucumbers, which is a fine grained salt designed for pickling. Unlike regular table salt, this type of salt does not have any additives, like iodine.

After the cucumber pieces have been allowed to set in the salt or salt solution for several hours, they should then be rinsed with cold water. The cucumber pieces can then be placed in freezer safe containers and covered with vinegar. When freezing cucumbers, nearly any type of container is usually sufficient. Some individuals like to use glass canning jars, but it is important to leave at least 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) in the jar, since the mixture will expand as it freezes. Plastic containers or freezer bags can also be used to freeze pickles.

A sliced salad cucumber.
A sliced salad cucumber.

Depending on their tastes, individuals can add a number of flavorings to their freezer pickles. Onions and garlic are very popular additions, for instance. Sugar can also be added, which will result in more of a sweet pickle taste. Peppers, such as jalapeños, can also be added, and these will cause the frozen pickles to taste slightly spicy.

Discussion Comments

discographer

When freezing pickled cucumbers, do I include the brine with the cucumbers or do I just put the cucumbers?

serenesurface

@fify-- My mom actually makes freezer pickles every summer and they come out very good. Of course freezing regular pickles is not a good idea, they don't just get mushy, they also get slimy. But freezing pickled cucumbers is not a bad idea at all. The key is letting the cucumbers sit in a salt, sugar and vinegar brine for a long time. If you don't let them sit in it long enough, it won't work.

The salt and sugar are the most important ingredients in the brine. They help remove the water from the pickles so that they don't become a slimy mess after thawing. My mom lets the cucumbers sit in the brine overnight.

fify

I froze cucumbers once and later made relish with them. The end result was quite bad. I wasn't aware that cucumbers have to be treated before freezing. But does salt or vinegar really make that much difference? The cucumbers will still have a lot of water content and will become mushy after thawing right?

Has anyone ever had success with freezing cucumbers?

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    • Cucumbers growing on the vine.
      By: Natalya Korolevskaya
      Cucumbers growing on the vine.
    • Pickling cucumbers.
      By: Elenathewise
      Pickling cucumbers.
    • A sliced salad cucumber.
      By: Kenishirotie
      A sliced salad cucumber.
    • Pickling salt is usually recommended when pickling or freezing cucumbers.
      By: uwimages
      Pickling salt is usually recommended when pickling or freezing cucumbers.