Zucchini is an easily digestible vegetable, rich in minerals and vitamins. It contains a lot of phosphorus, calcium and iron. Zucchini pulp is rich in fiber, delicately cleanses the body of poisons and toxins, and helps with constipation. The vegetable does not require special care when growing and produces a good harvest. Zucchini is useful in the diet and in canned form. They are great as an appetizer and addition to salads. You can experiment with zucchini by covering them with citric acid for the winter. After all, any vegetable on the table in winter adds variety to dishes.
The principle of preparing zucchini with citric acid without vinegar for the winter
The recipe for canned zucchini and zucchini with the addition of lemon juice does not contain vinegar; the jars are not sterilized after filling with vegetables.
When preserving vegetables, vinegar is usually used; it is this seasoning that is responsible for the shelf life of the product. Vinegar in marinades gives a specific taste to the filling; seasoning in the form of citric acid gives the same taste.
Zucchini and zucchini processed with lemon without sterilization will be stored in the refrigerator, as well as in a dark, cool place underground for a long time and will not spoil.
Required Ingredients
We need to stock up:
- a couple of medium zucchini or zucchini,
- half a teaspoon of citric acid,
- 2 cloves of garlic,
- 1 tbsp. l. sugar and salt,
- 1 tbsp. l. salt,
- 4 allspice peas.
You can take basil leaves or a sprig of green parsley. If you don't have green dill, dry dill will do.
Important. Instead of lemon juice, you can use lemon zest juice.
Requirements for vegetables
You can can fresh vegetables of any size. If the zucchini is young, then they should be 8-12 days old, have a length of 10-11 cm, and a diameter of 4.5 cm. It is not necessary to remove the skin from the zucchini; half-liter and liter jars are suitable for them. But large, ripe vegetables should be chopped as desired: first into circles, then into cubes or cubes. Unripe zucchini should be canned without the skin.
Preparing containers
Containers: cylinders, enamel and ceramic pans, flasks for processed vegetables must be sterilized.If glass containers are used, then you need to take a jar that is colorless or has a bluish tint (a greenish tint is possible) without cracks or defects. Jars or bottles that are too dirty should be soaked in a 1% solution of soda ash, then washed with baking soda, rinsed well with running water, then again with boiled water. Tin and plastic lids, clamps, and brackets for lids should be boiled.
To sterilize a glass container, you can use steam from a kettle by placing the jar neck over a boiling kettle. Leave for 15-20 minutes. Can be sterilized in the oven by placing neck side up on a baking sheet.
Glass and metal lids, stoppers, and rubber bands are sterilized immediately before the seaming process.
Cooking process
Fresh zucchini must be peeled from the stems (stems), washed thoroughly, and cut into slices or cubes as desired. Dill is also cut into pieces 3-5 cm long.
Aromatic spices are placed on the bottom of the container: chopped garlic cloves, allspice peas, chopped green sprigs of parsley, dill.
Advice. For an original taste of pickled zucchini, you can use cilantro.
Next, the chopped zucchini is placed in the container. When placing vegetables, you need to compact them so that the filling completely covers the vegetables.
To prepare the filling, take 80-90 g of salt and 70-75 ml of 9% vinegar per liter of water. Once ready, pour the brine into a jar with zucchini, cover with a lid and leave for about 20 minutes so that they are saturated with the marinade.
At the next stage, the filling is poured from the jar into another container, it must be boiled again, poured into the jar with zucchini, and kept in brine for 15 minutes.
Before pouring the filling for the third time, add the required amount of salt and sugar to boiling water and bring to a boil.
A jar of canned vegetables can be sterilized and stored for winter storage.
Option without sterilization
Add citric acid to the filling container. After boiling, it is poured into jars with zucchini and immediately closed. Then, like any canned food, the jars should be placed under a thick blanket with the lid down, carefully covered, and kept until cool.
Storage rules and periods
Jars of canned zucchini in sealed packaging should be sent to a cool, dark place. In such a place, the vitamins of vegetables are not destroyed. They must be stored at above-zero temperatures of 4-8 degrees. When the temperature drops to minus, glass jars may burst. The shelf life of any preserves is 12 months. During storage, jars should be inspected periodically.
