We just learned some surprising information about the best way to keep cucumbers fresh. Apparently we've been doing it wrong; how about you?
According to a post at Root Simple, cucumbers should be stored at room temperature – not in the refrigerator. We knew this about tomatoes, but cucumbers, too?
Root Simple cites the University of California, Davis, which determined that cucumbers are sensitive to temperatures below 50°F and may develop "chilling injuries" including water-soaked areas, pitting, and accelerated decay. If you must refrigerate your cucumbers, limit it to 1-3 days and eat them as soon as possible. (We'd also suggest keeping them off the bottom shelf, which is usually the coldest part of the fridge.)
In addition, cucumbers are highly sensitive to ethylene and should be kept away from bananas, melons, and tomatoes, in particular.
Read more: Don't store your cucumbers in the fridge at Root Simple
Related: A Guide To Storing Fruits and Vegetables Without Plastic
(Image: Flickr member Clay Irving licensed under Creative Commons)
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I think this probably depends on the temperature of your room. An air conditioned 70 degrees? Sure, leave them out. But 96 and humid? They go in the fridge. I've never had a problem with them spoiling, but they usually don't last long before being eaten, either.
but.. they're so much more delicious when cold...
nice, thanks for the tip! I kept getting a LOT of cucumbers last year in my CSA, and was frustrated by how many went bad in my fridge. Now I know why!
Doesn't this break the cardinal rule about storing your produce the way the grocery store does?
Best tip ever!
Thank you. This is all good to know. My cukes always get mushy in my fridge. Now I know why.
@ny2midmo many Asian grocery stores display cucumbers in the unrefrigerated bins in the middle of the produce section. Now I understand why!
This has happened to my cucumbers recently. But we're in a 95 degree heat streak, and I suspect that isn't good for them either. Boo.
@ny2midmo I get so frustrated because my grocer sells the potatoes from the refrigerated bin. Potatoes should never be refrigerated because the cold converts the starch (which you want in a potato) to sugar (which you don't want). So, don't go by what the grocer does....they don't always display them in the right place.
I keep mine in one of my Tupperware produce saver bins and they can easily last over a week.
I keep trying to eat cucumbers but after a day or two they are FUNKY. Thanks for this! They were in the fridge on the bottom shelf!
I would never store my cucumbers at room temperature. Not only because they never really last that long before being eaten, but because even though we keep our house air conditioned in the summer, we still have the energy saver setting on during the day. The house can get up to 80 degrees at a peak (Hi, it's Houston. And our ambient temperature for the day will be a humid 103.)
I'll keep 'em in the fridge and eat them promptly, thankyouverymuch.
I store my cucumbers in the fridge always, uncut they will stay nice and firm for over a week. Does this rule have anthing to do with the type of cucumbers? Are my no-name non-organic grocer's cukes somehow more impervious to the wilting powers of the fridge?
I think its funny when a big fancy lab comes out with such results that probably never involved cucumber growers and distributors.Who has more interest in prolonging the quality of the product than the farmers and merchants themselves?
My dad is a cucumber (persian,israeli,etc.) and tomato distributor for years! The most effective way to keep the cucumbers in their purest quality form is by wrapping them loosely in paper towels (in small bunches) in your crisper drawer but making sure the crisper isn't too cold. This extends the life of the cucumber up to 10 days w/out sacrificing quality.
I wonder what would happen to the cucumbers if you buy them from the refrigerated section, then let them sit out?