Here's How To Store Cucumbers So They Don't Turn Into A Soggy Mess
There's something utterly delicious and satisfying about biting into a cold, crisp cucumber. Yet, for as great at that experience may be, cucumbers can be a particularly difficult type of vegetable to store. If you've ever reached into your crisper drawer only to pull out a soggy, mushy mes, you've already learned this the hard way. But if you know the best way to store cucumbers, you can easily keep them fresh and crisp for a while — at least long enough to enjoy in salads, with hummus, or even as a spicy appetizer.
According to Epicurious, it's actually added moisture that causes cucumbers to fall into a soggy or even downright moldy state. And while it is quite important to clean and remove any bad spots on a cucumber before storing it, the most vital step you can make towards properly storing the produce is drying it off really well. Use multiple kitchen or paper towels if you need to; any moisture left on the whole cucumbers will speed up their degradation.
After that, simply wrap your cucumbers in a clean, dry paper or cloth towel and place them in an airtight bag or container. They should keep this way for up to a week.
This is the best way to store sliced cucumbers
If you are not working with whole cucumbers, but sliced or cut ones instead, then you essentially need to forget everything you thought you knew about the produce. Cucumbers that have already been sliced actually need to be stored in an airtight container filled with cold water, according to EatingWell. Water prevents the slices of cucumber from drying out, and can also help to preserve their characteristic crunch for up to a week.
But no matter what kind of cucumbers you are trying to store, you need to make sure that they are cold — but not too cold. Cucumbers should ideally be stored in the door of your refrigerator, in the crisper drawer, or towards the front. All three are key spots where the fridge temperature increases when the door is opened (via Epicurious). This will ensure the cucumbers do not get too cold and begin to deteriorate.