Gardeners love zucchini for its simplicity and productivity. The vegetable stays on housewives’ tables from early summer until late autumn. Casseroles and pancakes, cutlets and stews - the palette of dishes is extensive. Our grandmothers and mothers know many recipes for clogs and pickles. This affordable product has been popular since the times of the Soviet Union. Preserving aromatic pickled zucchini, prepared as in the USSR, is not at all difficult, the main thing is to find “the same” recipe.
What is special about those “zucchini from the times of the USSR”?
They taste excellent. Neat light green circles in a sweet and sour marinade. Notes of dill, allspice and cloves added a special taste. Let's try to reproduce this pickle, remember the zucchini that could be bought in a store during the Soviet era.
What you need to cook zucchini
For cooking you need the vegetables themselves. It is best to choose young, small, smooth ones; zucchini will also do. Ripened dill umbrellas will give the necessary aroma, and horseradish leaves will make the clog crispy. Young garlic, dried clove buds, allspice peas and bay leaves will complement the taste.
Preparing vegetables
Pre-wash the jars and sterilize them in a conventional oven or over steam. Cut clean zucchini into centimeter slices. Wash the greens, cut them, pour boiling water over them and dry them, because this recipe does not involve sterilizing the product.
Recipes and step-by-step preparation of “store-bought zucchini”
The zucchini is ripe. Below are five simple recipes. You will find all the components for them in your garden or in the nearest store.
Marinated zucchini “Yummy”
The ingredients for this recipe are as follows:
- zucchini – 2 kg;
- carrots – 200 g;
- head of garlic;
- greens (parsley, celery, dill);
- salt – 1.5 tbsp. l.;
- sugar – 125 g;
- water – 1 tbsp. boiling water;
- refined oil – 1 tbsp.;
- vinegar – 120 g (9%).
Makes 5 half-liter jars. Preparation is simple:
- zucchini can be cut as desired, do not pour boiling water over the greens;
- finely chop the peeled carrots onto a blender grid or grater;
- Place all the ingredients into a saucepan at once and mix gently;
- put on the fire, when it boils, reduce the heat and hold for another 5-7 minutes;
- without cooling, immediately put the “Yummy” into prepared jars and seal;
- Turn the jars over and cover with a blanket for a day.
Canned
For one serving of zucchini for the winter, you will need:
- zucchini – 1.5-2 kg;
- garlic – 1 head;
- greenery;
- sugar – 120 g;
- salt – 1.5 tbsp. l.;
- water – 1 l;
- vinegar - 120 g (9 percent);
- spices: allspice, laurel leaves, cloves.
This quantity of products makes 2 liter jars. Cooking method:
- Place chopped dill and horseradish into jars, add three cloves of garlic, crushed with a knife or coarsely chopped;
- in a deep saucepan, dissolve all the components of the marinade in water and boil;
- put the chopped main product and spices into the marinade, bring to a boil, then leave on low heat for another 5 - 7 minutes, stirring;
- then place the zucchini tightly in jars, cover the top with dill umbrellas;
- remove the bay leaf from the marinade so as not to interrupt the desired aroma, and bring it to the active boiling phase;
- pour the brine into jars, evenly placing clove buds and allspice in them, roll up;
- Turn the sealed jars upside down and cover them with a blanket for a day.
With cabbage
For zucchini and cabbage, all components are cut coarsely and in layers and placed in jars. For one serving you will need:
- zucchini – 2 kg;
- cabbage – 1 head;
- garlic – 1 head;
- greens - a bunch of dill;
- spices - optional.
Add to liter jars
- refined oil – 2 tbsp. l.;
- salt – 1 tsp;
- sugar – 2 tsp. l.;
- vinegar - 3 tbsp. l.
Sterilize by adding boiling water for about 15 minutes. Roll up the cans. As in previous recipes, leave under a blanket for a day.
With onion
By changing the ingredients, you can get new blockages without changing the process technology.
Let's replace the carrots in the "Yummy" recipe with half a kilogram of onions - we get zucchini with onions.
In tomato
Instead of carrots and water, you can add a kilogram of chopped tomatoes to the same recipe, mix everything except herbs and garlic - these ingredients are added 5 minutes before the end of cooking. But you need to simmer here for 30 minutes, and you’ll get zucchini in tomato.
Serving rules
The time you spend canning will pay off in the winter. Your loved ones will be grateful for the bright taste of zucchini pickles. In the cold season, they will be a good addition to the table and are perfect as a side dish for meat and fish dishes. You can serve them as a snack with alcohol.
Storage rules and duration
Zucchini is considered a capricious component of winter preparations. Rolled jars are stored in a cool place, preferably in a refrigerator or cellar.
It is better to eat them within a year.
