A simple yet effective cucumber storage hack claims to keep the green vegetables fresh and crunchy for an impressive length of time. Chef and recipe developer Kat, known as @katcancook on social media, shared her method on TikTok.
In her video, Kat says: “These cucumbers are 10 days old. I’m going to show you how to store cucumbers so they stay nice, fresh, and crunchy and they don’t get soft in three days.”
To start, Kat advises unwrapping and recycling the packaging the cucumbers come in from the store, as it has served its purpose and is no longer needed.
She continues: “The way that produce is transported is often not the way that produce should be stored. We’re going to give them a little rinse and pat them dry with a paper towel.”
According to Kat, produce has two “enemies” – oxygen and water.
“Too little or too much of either one is going to make them turn on you,” she explains. “Cucumbers are full of water so what we want to do is soak up the moisture.
“First, I’m going to take a silicone bag, or you can use a ziplock bag if that’s what you have. We’re going to make my little paper towel sleeping bag and put the rinsed and dried cucumbers in the bag, seal it, and put it into the refrigerator.
“The paper towel is going to help soak up excess moisture to keep your cucumbers fresh.”
One impressed user commented on her video, saying: “Problem is right after I do this I’m never opening that bag again.”
Another user chimed in: “I just buy them to do mould experiments in the veggie drawer.”
A third user suggested: “I have found that baking paper works even better than paper towels. No idea why, but try it out.”