Recipes | Recipes by Course | Meal Prep | How to Freeze Cucumbers (The Easy Way!)
by Laura Miner, 2 Comments | This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Prep Time 5 hours hours
Cook Time 2 hours hours
Total Time 7 hours hours
Learn how to freeze cucumbers the easy way! If you have an overabundance of cucumbers in your garden, buy too many at the grocery store, or just want to have cucumbers prepped and on hand for the future, this is for you!
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Table of Contents
🥒 Why It Works
Freezing cucumbers is an awesome way to preserve them and have cucumbers on hand all year round! It only takes a few minutes of hands-on time, so it’s easy as can be!
Following this method freezes diced or sliced cucumbers without the pieces sticking together, too. This means you get to use whatever amount of cucumbers you need at a time, and it making them easier to puree in blended recipes, too.
👉 Once you defrost frozen cucumbers, their flavor will be identical to fresh, however, the texture will be changed.
👉 Cucumbers have high water content, so once they’re frozen and defrosted, they won’t be nearly as crispy as when they’re fresh. For that reason, I do not recommend using frozen, defrosted cucumbers on vegetable trays (crudités), salads, or other recipes that serve them as-is.
👉 There are many ways to enjoy your frozen cucumbers! Use frozen cucumbers (like frozen garlic, strawberries, ginger, oranges, bell peppers, and pineapple) in place of fresh in smoothies, soups, infused water, and more!
🔪 What You Need
- Cucumbers. You can freeze any type of cucumber, including english cucumbers, mini cucumbers, and garden cucumbers.
- Knife.
- Parchment paper. If you don’t have parchment paper, a suitable substitute is wax paper. I do not recommend using foil.
- Baking Sheet.
- Freezer safe zip top bag or any other airtight container.
🧑🍳 Step by Step
Step 1: Wash the outsides of the cucumbers and use a towel to dry them off. You can peel them if you prefer that, but I like the skins on.
Slice the cucumbers into even slices, about 1/4 inch thick. Alternately, you can dice them, depending on how you like them.
Step 2: Lay the cucumber slices in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet. Set in the freezer and allow them to freeze for at least 2 hours. Freezing each piece separately in a single layer ensures that you won’t end up with a frozen clump of cucumbers, so this is important!
Step 3: Last, transfer the frozen cucumber slices to an airtight freezer bag. Store in the freezer until you’re ready to enjoy them!
To defrost frozen cucumbers: Set the cucumbers on a rimmed dish or bowl at room temperature for 3-4 hours.
FAQ
What type of cucumbers can be frozen?
Any kind of cucumber can be frozen, including garden cucumbers, English cucumbers, mini cucumbers, and more.
How long can I store frozen cucumbers?
For best quality, use frozen cucumbers within 8-12 months.
Can I make pickles with frozen cucumbers?
I do not recommend it. It’s better to make pickles with fresh cucumbers, and then freeze the pickles in their brine. Be sure to leave space in the container to account for expansion when you freeze them!
Are cucumbers good for you?
Cucumbers are low in calories and fat, and they contain fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, magnesium, among other healthy benefits!
🥣 Ways to Use Frozen Cucumbers
As a rule of thumb, frozen cucumbers can be used in place of fresh cucumbers in any blended or pureed recipes, or for use to infused flavor in water, co*cktails, and mocktails.
- Infused Waters. Use in my Lemon Cucumber Ginger Water or in any infused detox water you enjoy. As an added bonus, they help to keep the water chilled!
- Smoothies & Juices. Make my Cucumber Pineapple Smoothie, or use as a great addition to any smoothie. It adds fiber, vitamins, and lovely flavor!
- Dips & Soups like tzatziki or cold cucumber soup.
More Cucumber Recipes
- Tomato, Cucumber, and Avocado Salad
Are you making this recipe? I’d love to hear about your experience!
Please leave a comment below or tag me on Instagram @cookathomemom.
How to Freeze Cucumbers
Learn how to freeze cucumbers the easy way! If you have an overabundance of cucumbers in your garden, buy too many at the grocery store, or just want to have cucumbers prepped and on hand for the future, this is for you!
Course Meal Prep
Cuisine American
Servings 2 servings
Calories 36kcal
Author Laura Miner
Prep Time 5 hours hours
Cook Time 2 hours hours
Total Time 7 hours hours
Equipment
heavy duty freezer bag or other freezer safe container
knife
Ingredients
- 2 cucumbers, any variety (garden, English, mini, or any other cucumbers will work great!)
Instructions
Wash the outsides of the cucumbers and use a towel to dry them off. You can peel the cucumbers if you prefer that, but I like the skins on.
Dice or slice the cucumbers into even slices, about 1/4 inch thick.
Lay the cucumber slices in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet. Set in the freezer and freeze for at least 2 hours, up to 24 hours.
Transfer the frozen cucumber slices to an airtight freezer bag, then return them to the freezer.
Video
Notes
To defrost frozen cucumbers:Set the cucumbers on a rimmed dish or bowl at room temperature for 3-4 hours.
Nutrition
Calories: 36kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 6mg | Potassium: 408mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 216IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe? I’d love to see it!Share and tag @cookathomemom on Instagram.
