Cucumber is a vegetable with a low capacity for storage, it usually looses quality 14 days from the beginning of storage. It is usually kept at 95% of relative moisture and between 7 and 10ºC.

The benefits of cold storage are not the same for all the fruit or vegetables, some given vegetables are more suitable for cold storage than others. However, pre-cooling is always advisable, because the produce takes profit from the benefits of low temperatures in cold storage rooms.

Cucumber has a low capacity for storage. It is usually stored for a period of 14 days; from two weeks onwards, the physiological alterations increase. Some problems with rots or alterations in the colour of the skin may arise.

In the cold storage rooms they are kept under temperatures between 7 and 10ºC, and levels of relative moisture at 95%. An excessively low percentage of moisture would dehydrate the product all throughout storage, whereas temperatures below those indicated would bring about chilling injuries in few days.

Cucumber is very sensitive to ethylene, in concentrations of 1-5ppm (parts per million) we may observe rotting and yellowing. Therefore, storage with produce giving off high levels of ethylene must be avoided. Bananas, melons or tomatoes must not be stored together with cucumbers.

Controlled atmosphere (CA) is barely used in the storage of cucumbers, because the storage is hardly prolonged under these conditions. In any case, concentration of 3-5% of oxygen delay rotting and yellowing. Cucumber tolerates up to 10% of carbon dioxide.

Some recommendations are found in the Web page of the University of Davis ( http://postharvest.ucdavis.edu/producefacts/ )

During the post-harvest period cucumbers may undergo certain alterations that would diminish the value of the produce in the market. The most frequent alterations are yellowing, blight or diseases caused by fungi.

Cucumber’s post-harvest life is around 14 days. During the post-harvest period there are some alterations in the produce. These alterations, caused by different factors, affect the post-harvest life of cucumbers.
The factors that modify the post-harvest life of cucumbers are:

- Blight: Cucumbers tend to loose water quite easily, causing wrinkles and softening the tissues. In order to avoid this, they are usually protected with plastic.

- Yellowing: Chlorophyll degrades and causes the presence of yellowish tones. Temperatures below 10ºC, low levels of oxygen and the application of cytokinin slow down the process of yellowness.

- Diseases: The most common diseases during post-harvest life are Botrytis and Mucor.

Botrytis
The fungus Botrytis cinerea brings about watery spots where the fungus’ grey mycellium grows.

Mucor
Mucor mucedo is a fungus that causes injuries similar to those of the fungus Botrytis.