Who doesn’t love a crisp, refreshing cucumber? That cool crunch is delicious in salads and with dips. However, when cucumbers lose that crunch, they are no fun to munch. That’s why proper cucumber storage is important. 

When shopping, you want to choose fresh cucumbers off the bat. That alone can help to ensure the long lifespan of your cukes. So shop for your cucumbers at a market like Perrine’s Produce, where you can always pick up fresh, affordable fruits and vegetables. Then make sure your cucumbers are firm, with no soft spots or wrinkles. As for color, fresh cucumbers are solid green.

Here’s a fun fact…Let’s say you serve some ranch dip and happen to have cut cucumbers leftover. Did you know that you don’t have to toss those cut cucumbers in the trash? You can wrap them in a damp paper towel, place them in an airtight container, pop them in your crisper drawer and store them for days.

Now let’s talk about crisper drawers, which just happen to be the coolest part of your refrigerator and double as great beer storage! A good rule of thumb here is not to pack anything in your crisper drawer too tightly, as you want to maintain proper airflow.

Crisper drawers also help maintain the ideal humidity to keep your fruits and vegetables fresher longer. Many modern refrigerators come with two, which can be controlled with vents – one with a higher humidity level and one with a lower humidity level.

Some fruits, such as apples, pears, peaches, nectarines, apricots, melons and avocados, produce ethylene gas, which helps them to ripen faster. You want to keep these separate in your low humidity crisper drawer.

Your higher humidity crisper is for leafy greens, fresh herbs, strawberries, broccoli, squash, beans and cucumbers.