Stored vegetables in winter are noticeably different in taste and quality from summer ones. You can preserve all the beneficial properties of products through preservation. One of the popular recipes is pickled zucchini with tomatoes. This attractive-looking appetizer is suitable for any dinner and fits perfectly into the holiday menu.
Is it possible to pickle zucchini with tomatoes for the winter?
For long-term and high-quality storage of zucchini and tomatoes, you must follow these rules:
- The zucchini needs to be cut into pieces and blanched for five minutes.
- When choosing tomatoes, you should give preference to elastic, fleshy and ripe fruits.
- Small zucchini and cherry tomatoes are perfect for a liter jar.
- There should not be a sudden change in temperature in the place where canned vegetables are stored.
- Tomatoes must be of the same size.
- When adding additional ingredients like carrots and cucumbers to the salad, you should give preference to medium-sized fruits. Cucumbers stored for 2-3 days after being picked from the beds are filled with water for 5 hours.
You can give the salad an unusual and attractive look by adding bright vegetables like carrots, chili peppers, green onions, cucumbers, and eggplants..
Preparing containers and vegetables
It is recommended to use tomatoes of the same size and variety, otherwise large ones may not be salted. The color should also be the same. The best varieties for snacks are cream and cherry tomatoes. They are compact, fit into any container and have excellent taste.
Tomatoes must be elastic, whole, without cracks or spots, otherwise juice or pulp will leak out. You should not oversaturate the dish with seasonings - this will worsen the perception of taste.
Glass containers are cleaned of dirt, washed in soapy water, and rinsed with warm water. For quick pickling, vegetables are poured with boiling water and covered with ordinary plastic lids. With the quick pickling method, the jars are not sterilized and are not sealed with airtight lids.
How to cook tomatoes and zucchini
Tender squash pulp is not subjected to long-term processing.It can be preserved as an independent dish or supplemented with other ingredients.
For marinating, you should stock up on zucchini, tomatoes, parsley, dill, garlic, chili and ground black pepper, horseradish, salt, and sugar. The zucchini is placed first, followed by the remaining vegetables and seasonings. The contents of the jar are filled with boiling marinade.
A simple preparation recipe
The product prepared according to this recipe can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1-1.5 months. For marinating you will need:
- 1.5 kg of zucchini;
- 1.5 kg of tomatoes;
- 1 liter of water;
- 2 tbsp. l. salt;
- 4 tbsp. l. Sahara;
- 4 tbsp. l. vinegar essence;
- a few peppercorns and cloves.
How to cook:
- The zucchini is washed, cut into slices, cutting out the seed core - this will prevent seed germination and the formation of bitterness in the salted twist.
- The tomatoes are washed, inserted into zucchini rings, and placed in a container. Place a pan of water on the fire, boil it, and pour it into the container.
- After 10 minutes, pour the marinade into the pan, boil again and pour back into the jar. The manipulation is repeated several more times.
- Next comes the turn of sugar, salt, spices, vinegar. The salad is finally poured with brine, sent for sterilization and hermetically sealed.
After rolling, the twist is turned over and placed under a warm blanket for several days..
Without sterilization
For those who do not like to waste time on sterilization, the following cooking option is suitable. To prepare the salad you need to stock up on:
- zucchini 1.6 kg;
- tomatoes 1.6 kg;
- parsley and dill, 1 bunch each;
- garlic cloves 4 pcs.;
- salt, sugar 3 tbsp. l.;
- acetic acid 6 tbsp. l.;
- bay leaf and a few peppercorns.
Cooking steps:
- Vegetables are washed and peeled.Zucchini is cut into circles 10 mm thick and filled with water for several hours.
- The bottom of the sterilized container is covered with parsley, dill, bay leaf, pepper, and pressed garlic.
- Next comes the turn of tomatoes and zucchini, after which they are poured with boiling water.
- After half an hour, return the water to the pan, add sugar and salt, boil, remove from heat and add vinegar essence.
- The brine is poured back into the container and rolled up.
To give the twist a piquant taste, you can add horseradish, cherry and currant leaves.
Option with pepper
The salad goes well with other vegetables like sweet peppers. To prepare you will need:
- 1 liter of water;
- 1 bay leaf;
- 1.8 kg of zucchini;
- 10 pcs. cherry and currant leaves;
- 4 things. sweet, several peas of allspice and black pepper;
- 1 bunch of dill;
- 3 tbsp. l. salt and sugar;
- 100 ml acetic acid.
Harvesting technology:
- Vegetables are washed and peeled. Zucchini is cut into rings 1.5 cm thick. Sweet peppers are cut into quarters.
- The bottom of the container is covered with spices, herbs, zucchini, and peppers.
- Water is boiled in a saucepan, salt is dissolved, vinegar is added, and the jar is filled.
The containers are sterilized for half an hour over low heat, after which they are rolled up.
Multi-colored assortment for the winter
You can add brightness and unusualness to the preparation by adding other ingredients to the tomatoes and zucchini.
What is necessary:
- 1 kg cherry;
- 500 g zucchini;
- 500 g cucumbers;
- 1 bunch of dill and parsley;
- horseradish 2 pcs.;
- half a chili, allspice and black pepper, a few peas each;
- 5 garlic cloves;
- 1.5 liters of water;
- 2 tbsp. l. salt and sugar;
- 40-50 ml of vinegar essence.
How to do:
- Washed, peeled, chopped vegetables are placed in a jar, spices and herbs are added.
- Boil water in a saucepan, pour into containers, cover with lids.Drain the marinade, add vinegar, boil and pour back into the bottle.
- Seal the jars hermetically.
Turn the container over and place it under a warm blanket.
Rules for storing the finished product
The storage container should be compact, the room should be cold and well ventilated. This could be a room like a cellar, storage room or basement. The twist is stored in the refrigerator for no longer than 30-40 days.
