How should specimens be prepared if they are not to be standard cured within 48 hours?

Specimens that are not to be standard cured within 48 hours should be stored in a humid environment to prevent them from drying out. This practice is vital because keeping the specimens moist ensures that the hydration process continues as intended, which is crucial for achieving accurate and reliable test results. Proper moisture retention allows the material's properties to develop appropriately, maintaining consistency with standard curing conditions.

Storing specimens in a humid environment results in minimal disruption or change to the specimens' intended hydration state, providing a better approximation to standard curing conditions, which typically involve a controlled environment that maintains moisture and prevents drying. This is particularly important for materials like concrete or cement-based specimens, where moisture is key to the curing process and the final properties of the material.

Other options such as freezing or discarding the specimens would halt any curing process and compromise the integrity of the material's properties, while curing in water, although somewhat beneficial, does not replicate the standard curing conditions adequately and may lead to issues if not monitored properly. Thus, creating a humid environment is the best practice when standard curing cannot occur within the optimal time frame.