Here’s How to Freeze and Preserve Cucumbers Easily

Cucumbers have high water content, but they could still be frozen and stored for months. This Tastessence post discusses the different methods through which this can be achieved.

Quick Tip!

Always move the frozen cucumber pickles from the freezer to the refrigerator, the night prior to serving or about four hours before use.

Freezing is one of the easiest ways to preserve food. Almost any vegetable can be frozen, even cucumbers! However, cucumbers cannot be frozen without being pickled because they are watery, and become soft and mushy on direct freezing. To make the pickles, you need to prepare the cucumbers in a brine solution. A brine is a strong solution of salt and water used for pickling, and the cucumbers thus prepared are often referred to as ‘freezer cucumber pickles’. The freezer pickles make a tasty condiment to complement your meals any time of the year. They can also be used in multiple recipes including soups, hamburger toppings, and many more. In this Tastessence article, we discuss 3 different ways to prepare freezer cucumber pickles.

Ways To Freeze Cucumbers

Recipe

Ingredients

● Unpeeled cucumbers (thinly sliced), 2 quarts.
● Onions (sliced), 1 large
● Salt, 2 tbsp.
● Sugar, 1½ cup
● Cider vinegar, 1 cup

Method

1. Mix together cucumbers, onions, and salt in a large bowl.
2. Cover with cold water and let it stand for 2 hours.
3. Drain the mixture.
4. Combine sugar and vinegar in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer until the sugar dissolves. Let it cool.
5. Pour the solution over the cucumbers and onion; mix well.
6. Put in plastic containers and freeze. (Leave ¼ inch at the top for expansion.)
7. Thaw before serving.

Recipe

Ingredients

● Unpeeled cucumbers (thinly sliced), 5 cups
● Water, 2 cups
● Salt, 1 tsp.
● Sugar, 2 cups
● White vinegar, 1 cup

Method

1. Place the cucumbers in a freezer bowl. (Leave ¼ inch at top for expansion.)
2. Mix together water, vinegar, salt, and sugar in a saucepan. Heat the saucepan and bring the solution to a boil.
3. Cool the solution and pour it over the cucumbers.
4. Cover the bowl and keep it in the freezer.

Recipe

Ingredients

● Unpeeled cucumbers (thinly sliced), 7 cups
● Green pepper (thinly sliced), 1 cup
● Onion (thinly sliced), 1cup
● Salt, 1 tbsp.
● Sugar, 1 cup
● Mustard seeds, 1 tbsp.
● Celery seeds, ½ tbsp.
● Apple cider vinegar, 1 cup

Method

1. Mix together cucumber, pepper, onion, and salt in a large bowl, and let it stand at room temperature for 2 hours.
2. Drain the excess liquid. (Do not rinse.)
3. Mix together vinegar, sugar, mustard seeds, and celery seeds in another bowl, and pour it over the cucumber mixture.
4. Keep the pickles in the refrigerator for 2 days. After that, transfer the pickles into freezer bags and freeze.

You can also make cucumber-flavored ice cubes. For this, peel and blend the cucumbers in a blender, and strain and take out their juice. Pour the juice in ice cube trays and keep them in the freezer. Your cucumber cubes are now ready to be used in smoothies.

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