Preserving cucumbers for the winter without adding vinegar is a problem that often interests housewives who do not want to use an acetic acid solution in their twists. You can do without this preservative if you add some sour substitute. Lactic acid fermentation is stopped by a sufficient amount of salt, sugar and pasteurization of jars of vegetables. You don’t have to pasteurize the jars, but you will have to store the preparations in a cool room.
- Is it possible to preserve cucumbers without vinegar?
- How can you replace vinegar when canning cucumbers?
- Requirements for main ingredients
- Preparing the container
- How to preserve cucumbers without vinegar?
- Lightly salted cucumbers
- Cold way
- Sour cucumbers
- With red currants
- With gooseberries
- With spicy mustard
- With aspirin
- With vodka
- With powdered citric acid
- How exactly to store the workpieces?
Is it possible to preserve cucumbers without vinegar?
In order for the twists to last all winter and not “go off”, the following preservatives are traditionally used: table salt, sugar, vinegar. If for some reason the addition of acetic acid is undesirable, you can try alternative preservatives.
You can replace vinegar with various products that will acidify vegetables and inhibit lactic acid fermentation.
How can you replace vinegar when canning cucumbers?
Preservatives that can replace vinegar (required amount per 3-liter jar):
- citric acid - 5 grams or one teaspoon;
- juice from ½ lemon;
- red currants - half a kilogram;
- lingonberries - 305 grams;
- cranberries - 205 grams;
- sorrel - 305 grams;
- cherry plum - 10 pieces;
- vodka - 55 milliliters;
- aspirin - 2 tablets;
- gooseberries - half a kilogram;
- sour apples - 2 pieces.
Requirements for main ingredients
Cucumbers are canned at the height of the summer season or early autumn. Vegetables grown in the garden or purchased at the market are suitable for preservation. Greenhouse plants are usually not stored for future use; they are used only for making salads.
Cucumbers selected for preservation must be:
- ripe;
- bright green;
- no yellow spots;
- with pimples and dark spines;
- medium size (10-13 centimeters);
- with thick skin;
- not bitter;
- free from defects, damage, rot.
The vegetables are first soaked in cool water for 3-6 hours. Before putting them in jars, the tails of the cucumbers are cut off.
Preparing the container
Vegetables are usually preserved in large 3-liter, sometimes 2-liter, glass jars. Pre-wash the container with water and soda. Carefully inspect to ensure there are no cracks or chips on the neck. The jars are sterilized for 4 minutes over steam, in a boiling liquid or in the oven.
Containers are closed with plastic, tin or twist-off lids. They are also pre-sterilized.
How to preserve cucumbers without vinegar?
There are recipes that allow you to make blanks without using a solution of acetic acid. For preservation you need to prepare jars, marinade or brine, and the cucumbers themselves. Horseradish leaves, dill umbrellas, and spices are placed at the bottom of the jars. You can put currant, cherry, oak leaves, as well as garlic and onions. Then compact as many cucumbers as possible.
Vegetables are marinated with a vinegar substitute or brine with table salt. A 3-liter container contains 1.5 liters of liquid and 1.5 kilograms of vegetables. Non-iodized salt and crystalline sugar are used for preservation.
Lightly salted cucumbers
What ingredients are used for preservation:
- cucumbers - 1.455 kilograms;
- herbs, garlic, spices, horseradish leaves and root;
- water - 1.45 liters;
- table salt - 3 tablespoons.
Place the greens in a 3-liter container, compact the cucumbers, and pour hot or cold salted brine. After 2-3 days, lightly salted cucumbers are ready.
Cold way
How to cook delicious and crispy vegetables:
- cucumbers - 3.05 kilograms;
- celery;
- currant leaves, cherries, horseradish root;
- laurel leaves;
- pepper.
For cold brine:
- water - 3.05 liters;
- salt - 9 tablespoons;
Vegetables are placed in containers, filled with cold brine and covered with plastic lids. After 3-4 days, the cucumbers are ready.
In order for the twists to stand all winter, the cloudy solution is poured into a saucepan and boiled. Vegetables are removed from the jars, washed in boiling water, then placed back in a sterile container. Fresh herbs and spices are placed at the bottom of the jars. Vegetables are poured with hot solution. The jars are pasteurized for 15-22 minutes and rolled up with tin lids.
Sour cucumbers
How to preserve vegetables:
- Vegetables, herbs, spices are placed in jars.
- Prepare a brine from 1.56 liters of water, 4.5 tablespoons of salt. You can pour table salt directly into jars without dissolving it in boiling water.
- All ingredients are poured with a hot solution and allowed to stand in a warm place for 3-5 days.
- Then the cloudy brine is drained, the cucumbers are removed from the jars, washed in boiling water, and again placed in a clean container. Change herbs and spices.
- Vegetables are poured with boiled brine and covered with plastic lids.
With red currants
What components are needed for preservation:
- cucumbers - 1.505 kilograms;
- red currants - 505 grams;
- onion - half a head;
- dill umbrellas;
- horseradish root;
- pepper - 5-10 peas;
- garlic - 3-4 cloves;
- 2 bay leaves.
For hot marinade:
- water - 1.56 liters;
- table salt - 4 tablespoons;
- sugar - 1 large spoon.
With gooseberries
What components are needed:
- cucumbers - 1.499 kilograms;
- gooseberries - 505 grams;
- spices;
- greenery;
- garlic.
For hot marinade:
- water - 1.47 liters;
- table salt - 4.5 tablespoons;
- sugar - 1 tablespoon.
With spicy mustard
How products are needed:
- cucumbers - 1.506 kilograms;
- dill umbrellas - 5 pieces;
- mustard seeds - 3 tablespoons;
- spices.
For the marinade:
- water - 1.49 liters;
- salt, sugar - 65 grams each;
- citric acid - 1 teaspoon.
Pour hot marinade over vegetables, herbs and mustard.Pasteurize a 3-liter jar for 15-20 minutes, then close it with a tin lid and turn it over.
With aspirin
What to take to prepare the twist:
- cucumbers - 1.499 kilograms;
- spices;
- greenery;
- garlic - 3 cloves;
- horseradish leaves and root;
- cherry and currant leaves.
For the marinade:
- water - 1.45 liters;
- table salt - 4 large spoons;
- sugar - 1.5 tablespoons;
- aspirin - 2 tablets (crushed).
All components are placed in a jar. Then pour in hot marinade. A 3-liter container is pasteurized for 15-22 minutes and turned over.
With vodka
Components:
- cucumbers - 1.495 kilograms;
- garlic - 2-3 cloves;
- cherry, currant, horseradish leaves;
- dill;
- spices.
For the brine:
- water - 1.55 liters;
- table salt - 4.5 tablespoons;
- vodka - 55 milliliters.
All ingredients are poured with cold brine. After 3-5 days, the snack is ready. Banks are stored in a cold room.
With powdered citric acid
What you will need:
- cucumbers - 1,650 kilograms;
- dill;
- spices;
- garlic;
- leaves of horseradish, tarragon, celery.
For the marinade:
- water - 1.46 liters;
- table salt - 3 tablespoons
- sugar - 3 large spoons;
- citric acid - 1 teaspoon.
Vegetables and herbs are placed in glass containers and filled with plain boiled water. After 23 minutes, the liquid is drained. Then pour boiling water over again. After 25 minutes, the liquid is again poured into the pan, table salt and crystalline sugar are added, and the liquid itself is boiled.
Add spices to the cucumbers, pour hot marinade over them, and finally add citric acid. After this, the containers are rolled up with lids and turned over.
How exactly to store the workpieces?
The twists can be stored in the room if the jars have been pasteurized, that is, the containers with vegetables and marinade were boiled over low heat for 16-22 minutes.It is better to store cucumbers filled with cold or hot brine in a cool room at a temperature of 0...+1 degrees.
Opened twists should be eaten within 3-7 days. All this time, it is better to keep the uncorked jars in the refrigerator.