When we salt cucumbers for the winter in different ways, hot or cold, the main thing is that they remain crispy and not too salty in the jars. There are recipes that will be useful to every housewife who loves to pamper her loved ones with delicious pickles. You don’t have to invent anything special to prepare it, but little tricks will help you get the job done faster.
Features of pickling cucumbers with hot brine
Presumably, salting methods are divided into two: cold and hot. For some, it is important to preserve the beneficial qualities of the vegetable, so heat treatment is not suitable for them. The older generation always chose the hot method. This way you can count on the pickles not to spoil even if they are stored in a warm place.
The main ingredient here is the marinade. This is boiled, salt, vinegar or aspirin are added according to the recipe. In this case, you don’t have to be afraid that the cucumbers will become moldy or the fermentation process will begin.
Preparing vegetables and containers
In order for pickles in jars to last for several months, you need to choose the right varieties of cucumbers. First of all, the emphasis is on the shape and size of the vegetable. Any salad will do, you can even take an old cucumber with large seeds and a thick peel.
For a crispy cucumber that goes well as a snack and as a dish on the winter table, it is better to choose a specific variety.
The vegetable should be small, with young grains and smooth. It is better to select cucumbers of the same size so that they are evenly distributed in the jar and properly pickled. It’s good when black ends are visible on the pimples, this means that the look has been chosen correctly.
If the cucumbers have been sitting for a while and are not so elastic, you should keep them in cold water. The batch will need to soak for several hours. The main thing is not to overdo it. If the vegetables become too saturated with moisture, they will begin to spread, crack, and the skin will begin to slide off.
Preparing and selecting vegetables does not take much time. The housewife can prepare the containers while the cucumbers are soaking. It is recommended not to use modern detergents for cleaning jars. It is better to wash with natural powders: soda, mustard or even laundry soap.
Before processing, you need to ensure that the container is intact, without dents, cracks or chips. They may break during sterilization. Processing cans has a huge number of options. The simplest is boiling, when the container is placed bottom up over a bowl of boiling water.
Steam penetrates inside and kills germs. Some craftsmen use an oven or microwave for sterilization. Here everyone chooses a method at their own discretion, the main thing is that the processing is done efficiently.
How to hot pickle cucumbers at home?
Even those who have never tried canning vegetables will be able to cope with the task. It’s not all that difficult if you understand the dosage correctly and follow it step by step.
Pickling cucumbers at home is easy. It is better to choose the hot method. This method is especially suitable for residents of high-rise buildings. There are no cool cellars, and the pantry remains at room temperature.
Recipe with vinegar
This is the simplest option known to many. Spices can be used as additional ingredients: pepper, fruit tree leaves, horseradish, garlic.
Ingredients:
- Cucumbers.
- Currant or cherry leaves.
- Horseradish root.
- Black peppercorns.
- A few cloves of garlic.
- Dill umbrellas.
- Salt - 3 tbsp. spoons.
- Sugar - 3 tbsp. spoons.
- Vinegar 9% - 3 tbsp. spoons.
This recipe comes with hot marinade. Spices and cucumbers are placed in jars, everything is poured with boiling water. Leave for 20 minutes, then the water is poured into the pan, salt and sugar are added to it, the marinade is brought to a boil and poured back into the container, then filled with vinegar.
Salting occurs gradually, so the jars need to be rolled up with metal lids, turned upside down, and left warm until completely cooled.
Method without vinegar
Ingredients:
- Cucumbers - 2 kg.
- Horseradish - 2 pcs.
- Tarragon - 2 pcs.
- Cherry leaves - 5-6 pcs.
- Garlic - 5 cloves.
- Dill.
- Peppercorns.
- Salt - 1.5 tablespoons.
- Sugar - 1.5 spoons
- Citric acid - 1 teaspoon.
The jars do not need to be sterilized, but simply washed well with soda. Place the ingredients in jars, then fill the entire contents with water. Let stand like this for a few minutes. Drain everything. Next, pickling is done from salt, sugar and citric acid. The jars are rolled up with lids.
Quick salting without sterilization
This method is most loved by young housewives and residents of big cities. There is no need for sterilization, which means the time for preparing pickles will be reduced.
Components:
- Cucumbers - 1.5 kg.
- Allspice or black peppercorns.
- Garlic - 1-2 cloves.
- Dill, horseradish and currant leaves.
- Hot pepper and bell pepper.
- Bulb onions.
- Vinegar 9%.
- Salt.
- Sugar.
The cucumbers are aromatic, tasty and crispy. In addition, there is no need to turn up the heat in the kitchen and roll up the jars. They need to be salted under a nylon lid. They will retain their beneficial properties, plus they will acquire a special taste.
How to properly store preserves
To store hot preserves, no great wisdom is required. It keeps well at room temperature for a year and a half. You should no longer keep pickles, as they lose their properties and become soft and salty.
For the cold method, the time is reduced to six months. In this case, you need to observe the temperature regime. Pickles are best preserved in basements, cellars and refrigerators.
