Storing cucumbers: They quickly become mushy in the fridge

Created: 06/18/2022, 03:00 p.m

By: Ines Alms

Cucumbers from the fridge are refreshing, but storing them too cold can easily make the cold-sensitive vegetables mushy and tasteless.

Munich – Cucumbers like to be a little cooler – but not in the fridge.

Not even the somewhat warmer vegetable compartment of the refrigerator is suitable for the cucumber, because since the vegetable consists of 95 percent water, it is particularly sensitive to cold, it quickly becomes soft and loses its aroma.

Storing cucumbers: They quickly become mushy in the fridge

Cucumbers are a cold-sensitive vegetable and should not be stored in the fridge.

(symbol image) © JuNiArt/Imago

Cucumbers that are stored in the refrigerator quickly become soft and mushy, and they can lose their flavor.

The temperature in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator is around eight degrees Celsius, slightly higher than in the other areas, so that vegetables are not damaged by the cold.

According to the Bavarian Consumer Center, however, the ideal storage temperature for cucumbers is just above between eight and 15 degrees Celsius, so they last about three weeks.

Unless you have a multi-zone refrigerator with a so-called cellar compartment, it is best to store the cucumber in the cellar or in a cool pantry or, if necessary, wrap it in a tea towel in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator.

It also makes sense not to buy cucumbers in advance and then only to keep them in the fridge for a short time.

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Peppers, tomatoes and courgettes also do not belong in the refrigerator

By the way, in case you have already wondered why some cucumbers are shrink-wrapped in plastic: The plastic film around the vegetables ensures, among other things, that they do not release their water into the environment so quickly and are therefore fresh and durable for longer.

In addition to cucumbers, there are other cold-sensitive vegetables that should not be kept in the fridge:

• paprika

• tomatoes

• eggplants

• zucchini

• potatoes

No matter where you store the cucumber, it's important that it's not near fruits and vegetables that emit the natural ripening gas ethylene.

Examples include apples, pears and tomatoes.

They also soften the vegetables.

On the other hand, if the cucumber tastes bitter, you should not eat it, as these bitter substances are poisonous.