Step-by-step recipes for crispy pickled gherkins for the winter, just like in the store

Gherkins are miniature cucumbers, 3-8 cm long. The fruits are collected a few days after flowering. Gherkins are covered for the winter in different ways, but in any case they turn out tender and crispy. This canned food is enjoyed by adults and children. Cucumbers sealed in this way can be used to prepare hodgepodges and salads.

Subtleties of preparing gherkins for the winter

For rolling, it is advisable to take small cucumbers, 5-6 cm long. Such fruits are convenient to put in a jar, they are crispy and tasty. To make the preservation truly tasty, you should follow these recommendations:

• Small cucumbers do not need to be sterilized; they can be filled with hot water several times.
• To make the taste of the preparation for the winter richer, you should add other vegetables to the cucumbers - peppers, tomatoes, onions and carrots.
• Cucumbers come out crispy only with vinegar, but in extreme cases it can be replaced with citric acid.

The snack is sealed in half-liter and liter jars. In this case, the jar will be enough for several meals. Opened cucumbers should not be stored for a long time.

Selection and preparation of the main ingredient

The gherkins are sorted, leaving only whole and strong fruits. If the cucumbers are uneven, it’s okay, these are also suitable for pickling. Pour the vegetables into a large bowl and rinse well in cool water, changing the water several times. When washing, it is necessary to remove the inflorescences if they remain on the fruit. After washing, the gherkins are poured with cold water and left for 3 hours.

After this, the cucumbers are transferred to another bowl. You should not wipe them, as they will be filled with hot water several times.

It is necessary to put aside cucumbers that have limp or spoiled areas, such fruits can lead to spoilage of the preserved food.

Preparing containers for pickling

It is customary to pickle small cucumbers in half-liter and liter jars. Before starting preservation, the containers should be washed well with soda and dried in the oven or in the sun.There is no point in sterilizing jars, since they will contain unsterile greens and cucumbers.

The lids should be wiped with a napkin and then boiled for 10 minutes. If threaded caps are reused, they are inspected for rust; damaged ones should be replaced.

Methods for pickling gherkins at home

Many housewives strive to ensure that the taste of homemade gherkins is no worse, but better, than store-bought ones. At the end you want to get crispy, sour cucumbers that smell of fragrant spices. You can close such preservation using different recipes; each housewife chooses them according to her taste.

Recipe for gherkins for the winter: step-by-step instructions

Pickled cucumbers can be closed using a simple recipe. The taste of the finished product will definitely please not only household members, but also guests. To close crispy gherkins, you need to take the following components per liter of water:

• Gherkins - how many will go into the jar.
• Salt - 2 tbsp. spoons.
• Sugar - 3 tbsp. spoons.
• Vinegar 9% - 50 ml.
• Spices - dill umbrellas, currant leaves, cloves and pepper.

Spices are placed on the bottom of the bottles and the cucumbers are stacked tightly. Boil water, fill jars and let sit for 15 minutes. Next, drain the water and pour boiling water one more time. After 10 minutes, pour out the water, add sugar, salt, vinegar and boil the brine. Pour into jars and seal with lids. Cover the preservation with a blanket and leave it like that for a day.

According to this recipe, the cucumbers come out crispy, just like in the store. If you add small tomatoes to the jar, the preservation will acquire an interesting taste and aroma.

Without sterilization with cinnamon

If you want something unusual, you can use cucumbers with cinnamon. They have a pleasant bitter-sweet taste.To pickle vegetables you will need the following products:

• Cucumbers - 3 kg. There are more or less of them, depending on how many fit in the jar.
• Cinnamon powder - a teaspoon.
• Garlic - 1 head.
• Hot pepper - small pod.
• Sugar and salt - 2 tbsp each. spoons.
• Vinegar - 80 ml.
• Water - 2 liters.
• Spices.

Cucumbers are placed in jars. Pour boiling water over and wait 15 minutes. The water is poured out and the bottles are filled with marinade made from water, spices, salt, cinnamon and sugar. Pour a tablespoon of vinegar into each jar and seal with lids.

The pickling comes out tasty and aromatic. This quantity of products yields 4 liter jars of fragrant snacks.

Recipe for a liter jar

Many housewives prefer to pickle gherkins in liter jars. To pickle vegetables according to the classic recipe, you need to take:

• Cucumbers - 600 grams.
• Salt - a teaspoon.
• Sugar and vinegar - according to Art. spoon.
• Spices.

Currant and cherry leaves, dill branches, garlic and pepper are poured into the bottom of a liter jar. Gherkins are laid in rows and boiled water is poured into the container. After 20 minutes, the water is poured out, then salt and sugar are poured into each jar and vinegar is poured. Pour boiling water over the vegetables again and seal.

Cover the preserved food with a blanket and leave to warm up for a day. After this, transfer to a cold place.

Spices can be added at your discretion. Many housewives also add bay leaves.

With oak leaves

Canned cucumbers with oak leaves are very tasty. For a liter jar take:

• Gherkins - 600 grams.
• Salt - a teaspoon.
• Sugar - dessert spoon.
• Vinegar - 20 ml.
• Water - 500 ml.
• Oak leaves.
• Dill.
• Garlic.

Place spices and cucumbers in a jar, then pour boiling water into the container and wait 15 minutes. The water is drained and brine is poured into the container. Seal the bottles with lids and leave them for a day under a blanket.

With citric acid

Some people do not like the smell of vinegar; in this case, the marinade is cooked with the addition of citric acid. For a liter of water you should take a level teaspoon of lemon. The remaining ingredients are taken as in the classic recipe.

With ketchup

For variety, you can pickle cucumbers according to original recipes. Cucumbers with ketchup will not leave even gourmets indifferent. To prepare the workpiece take:

• Gherkins - 3 kg.
• Vinegar and sugar - 0.5 cups each.
• Salt - 2 tbsp. spoons.
• Water - 2 liters.
• Spicy ketchup - 8 tablespoons.
• Garlic - 4 cloves.
• Spices - dill, currant leaves, allspice.

Greens are poured into jars and cucumbers are placed there. Pour boiling water over, keep warm for 15 minutes and drain the water. Cook the marinade from the remaining products, pour it into jars and seal them. The jars are turned upside down and covered.

With onions and carrots

To get the original taste of cucumbers, you can pickle them with apples and carrots. In this case, they are cut into thin pieces and placed on the bottom along with the greens. Pour boiling water over the cucumbers twice and the last time with brine, cooked according to the classic recipe.

With apples

Cucumbers, closed with sweet and sour apples, have an unforgettable taste and aroma. Apples, peeled and cut into pieces, are placed on the bottom of a liter jar; gherkins are placed on top. For the marinade take:

• Water - 0.5 liters.
• Vinegar - half a tablespoon.
• Sugar and salt, a teaspoon.
• Spices - to taste.

The gherkins are first filled with water and then with brine, the jars are sealed and then turned over. Cover with a blanket on top.

With gooseberries

With gooseberries, gherkins are closed according to the same recipe as with apples, only unripe berries are poured at the bottom. You should use less vinegar, as gooseberries add acid to the brine.

In Hungarian

Cucumbers according to this recipe come out sharp and crispy. To prepare the preserves take:

• Gherkins - 1 kg.
• Water - 1 liter.
• Salt and sugar 2 tbsp. spoons.
• Vinegar - 50 ml.
• Garlic - 1 head.
• Bay leaf.
• Dill.
• Hot pepper - a piece.

Spices are distributed into jars and filled with cucumbers. Fill with boiled brine and send to sterilize for 20 minutes. Next, screw the lids on the jars and place them upside down, under the blanket.

It is possible not to sterilize cucumbers. In this case, the vegetables are poured with boiling water 2 times and only a third time with brine.

Terms and rules for storing canned food

Canned cucumbers can be stored for no more than 3 years. Banks are kept in a cool place - a cellar, pantry or loggia. The closing date is written on each jar. If the brine in the jar becomes cloudy or the lid is swollen, the product is thrown away.