Attention to Those Who Put Cucumbers in the Fridge – Health News
Did you know that cucumbers, one of the main ingredients in many recipes such as tzatziki, sandwiches, salads and pickles, contain about 96% water? Thanks to its high water content, it is low in calories, healthy and tasty. Although it is a juicy vegetable, it can quickly become soft and spoil if the storage conditions are not observed.
Cucumbers, thought to have a deep-rooted 4,000-year agricultural history, were one of the most consumed food sources in ancient civilizations such as ancient Greece, Rome, India, and China. It has also been used to treat nearly 40 diseases. Although we don’t use cucumber as a medicine these days, we add it to many recipes, from salads to pickles.
Of course, there’s more than one reason why cucumbers are such a versatile vegetable: They’re delicious, low in calories thanks to their high water content, and high in nutrients like vitamin K, vitamin C, folate, caffeic acid, manganese, and beta-carotene. It is also one of the few vegetables that can be eaten raw.
However, when cucumbers lose their firmness and soften, they lose their flavor and this is actually one of the first signs of spoilage. However, cucumbers can keep their freshness for a long time if stored under the right conditions.
First of all, you may want to pay attention to a few details when buying cucumbers from the market stall or markets. The color of the cucumbers must be as pure green as possible. We don’t want yellowed or very dark cucumbers! The surface should not be wrinkled, pitted or shrunken.
In addition, a small or medium size is best, as cucumbers that are too large can cardel. Finally, it must of course be spicy.
Are cucumbers spoiled? Yes, it will inevitably deteriorate if not kept in proper conditions. But what are the correct storage conditions? Although cucumbers are summer vegetables, they like the cold. That’s why they can stay in the crisper drawer of the fridge for up to 2 weeks without spoiling. However, it is best to consume within a maximum of 1 week for best quality.
If, on the other hand, you want to consume cucumbers in the short term, you do not need to put them in the refrigerator. On the counter (at room temperature) it can stay intact for about 1 week. The sooner it is consumed, the better, as it may soften after the first few days.
One trick to keep cucumbers fresh is to wrap them in nylon stretch. Storing them this way helps keep them fresh by slowing the spoilage time. Stretch films prevent moisture loss in the vegetables by forming a second airtight layer of skin.
After washing your cucumbers, dry them to completely remove the moisture and wrap them in stretch nylon. Then put it in an airtight container and put it in your fridge. Cucumbers preserved in this way can retain their freshness for up to 20 days.