This study investigated a freezing method utilizing saccharides for the long-term preservation of vegetables. When a fresh cucumber went through a standard freeze-thaw treatment, almost all of the cells were damaged, drips formed and the cucumber became spongy. Compared with slow freezing at -20'C, quick freezing at -80’C reduced drip formation, but did not prevent cells from bursting.

Cell bursting was successfully arrested by first dehydrating cucumbers with a sugar solution and then quick freezing at -80'C. A mixture of 20% sorbitol and 20% dextrin was found to be the most potent protector among the sugar solutions tested. Using this solution, cell vacuoles remained intact after the freeze-thaw treatment, thereby indicating that a cucumber treated with this mixture would lose little nutritional value.

Sensory tests were performed using lightly pickled cucumbers treated with the sugar mixture prior to freezing. Almost all testers gave positive assessments of the pickled cucumbers.