How to Store Cucumbers for Pickling

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Things You'll Need

  • Perforated plastic bags

  • Water spritzer

Keep your cucmbers fresh before pickling.

Closely related to melons and squash, the cucumber is a popular summertime crop, either to grow in the home garden or to use as fresh produce. Cucumbers are a popular addition to salads; however, the most popular preparation of cucumbers involve making them into pickles. Pickles, if properly prepared and canned, can last all year round. If you buy a large store of cucumbers to make pickles, you need to keep the cucumbers fresh until you begin the canning process.

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Step 1

Harvest 6-inch cucumbers from your garden in the morning, before the afternoon sun has had a chance to raise the cucumber's internal temperature.

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Step 2

Choose cucumbers from the market that have smooth green skin without any soft spots or bruising.

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Step 3

Lightly spray the cucumbers with water to help them retain water.

Step 4

Place the cucumbers in perforated plastic bags. Do not over pack the bags. Make sure the cucumbers have some room.

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Step 5

Place the bags of cucumbers in your refrigerator. They should be kept cool, but not colder than 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Adjust your refrigerator's settings as necessary.

Step 6

Store the cucumbers for no longer than 3 to 5 days to ensure maximum freshness.

Tip

Don't store your cucumbers in the same area as apples, tomatoes or other fruit.

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