The cucumber salad called “Nezhinsky” has excellent taste. It is not necessary to use even and beautiful fruits: crooked, overgrown and even slightly spoiled fruits will do, but they will need to be trimmed. According to some versions, this salad was invented in Nizhyn, which explains its name, but now it is popular throughout the country.
There are several proven recipes, including without sterilization, according to which experienced housewives make Nezhinsky cucumbers.Cucumbers rolled into jars using any of the methods given here are stored well in the basement, in the refrigerator, and even in the room under the bed: the solution does not become cloudy, the lids do not swell and do not fly off the jars. The color, taste and benefits of cucumbers are preserved.
Salad in an autoclave
This type of salad is made by sterilizing the jars in an autoclave.
First prepare the ingredients:
- 2 kg of medium-sized cucumbers;
- 1 kg white or red onion;
- 165 ml oil (any vegetable oil will do);
- 3 tsp. 80% table essence;
- 50 g rock table salt (iodized salt is not suitable);
- 10-15 bay leaves (at the rate of 2-3 pieces per 1 jar);
- 10 pieces. peppercorns.
The tails of the cucumbers are cut off, the onions are peeled and the bottoms are removed, then the vegetables are cut into layers 2 mm thick. You can use a food processor for this purpose - it allows you to reduce chopping time. The cucumber is chopped whole or pre-cut lengthwise into 2-4 slices.
The prepared vegetables are sprinkled with salt and left at room temperature for 1 hour. During this time, the jars are washed and dried, and tin lids are prepared. Vinegar obtained by diluting the essence with water and vegetable oil are added to the mixture of cucumbers and onions. Mix everything well.
Place a few peppercorns and 7-10 bay leaves at the bottom of each jar. Fill with salad to the very top so that there is almost no air between it and the lid. They're rolling up. The jars are placed in an autoclave, the cassette is filled with water, the device is closed and turned on. Sterilization occurs at 1000 degrees for 15 minutes, after which the autoclave is turned off and left for a while until the temperature drops to 800 degrees.
Drain the water and wait for the cans to cool completely, after which they are taken to the basement or other place where preparations for the winter are usually stored.
Classic recipe
According to this recipe, housewives who remember canned food from Soviet times like to prepare Nezhinsky cucumbers for the winter. They were quite tasty, and even the dull packaging didn’t spoil the impression, which is why women still make cucumber salads today using the classic method.
For 4.5 kg of salad you will need:
- 3 kg of small fruits with non-bitter skin;
- 1 kg of onion;
- several sprigs of parsley;
- 1 bunch of dill;
- 5 tbsp. spoons of granulated sugar;
- 250 g of vegetable oil (it is better to take unrefined);
- 5 pieces of allspice;
- 2 tbsp. spoons of acetic acid.
Cooking procedure
The cucumbers are washed, filled with cold water and left for 2 hours, then taken out, dried, and the bottoms and tails are cut off. Cut into circles 0.5-1 cm thick and place in a large glass or ceramic bowl. Add finely chopped greens and onions, cut into neat thin rings. Add peppercorns, essence diluted with water, oil to the same container, mix everything well. Leave the vegetables in the bowl, covered, for 30 minutes to allow them to release their juice. Immediately begin to sterilize glass containers. This can be done in the traditional way - over a kettle, or in the oven at temperatures no higher than 170 degrees.
Important: the oven must not be opened during sterilization, otherwise the glass will break due to sudden cooling.
The glass container is placed with the neck up and boiling water is prepared.The vegetable mass is placed quite tightly, but not compacted, then so much boiling water is added to each container so that the water does not reach the narrowing to the thickness of the index finger. Immediately cover with heated tin lids and leave for 20 minutes.
The next stage is sterilization in a pan over fire. It is very important to be careful here, because one careless movement can easily ruin everything: the jar may burst or slip out of your hands. Place a wooden circle or thick cloth on the bottom of a wide metal dish, place a liter container, fill the space with water so that it reaches the necks, and sterilize for 14-16 minutes. They roll up the key and leave it on the table. Some housewives cover the containers with preservation with a blanket so that they cool more slowly, but this is not necessary.
Substandard salad
Thrifty housewives will love this recipe. You can prepare a “Nezhinsky” salad using it very quickly, and any cucumbers will do: different sizes, ugly and crooked. You can process produce from your own garden or buy cheap vegetables at the market - uneven cucumbers usually cost less than calibrated ones.
Ingredients:
- 4 kg of fresh cucumbers;
- 4 kg onions;
- 200 ml food vinegar;
- 200 g sunflower oil (can be replaced with other vegetable oil);
- 6 tbsp. spoons of granulated sugar;
- 4 tbsp. tablespoons of coarse table salt (iodized salt cannot be used);
- allspice peas.
The washed and dried fruits are cut into pieces of arbitrary shape, the onion is chopped into long strips, placed in a wide bowl, pepper, salt, and sugar are added, shaken several times and kept in the room for 30 minutes so that the mass releases the juice.Then put the salad on the stove, after boiling, reduce the heat and boil for 10 minutes, add vinegar and oil, stir and let it boil. For taste and aroma, add dill and parsley, and spicy lovers add another 2-3 rings of hot pepper.
You can add one small pepper to each jar, then the taste of the pickled fruits will be spicy.
The mixture is put into jars, covered with lids, sealed with a seaming machine and left to cool, turned upside down. Canning cucumbers for current use does not require the use of a seamer - you can simply close the jars with plastic lids.
Classic recipe without oil
The basis of this preparation is onions and cucumbers, but every second housewife cans it in her own way, adding additional ingredients for taste. The good thing about this recipe is that it can be improved. For piquancy, you can use garlic, capsicum or peppercorns, parsley, dill, various spices, carrots and even tomatoes.
Main components:
- 3 kg of medium-sized, smooth fruits of the pickling variety;
- 1 kg of onion;
- 5 tbsp. heaped spoons of sugar;
- 3 tbsp. level spoons of salt;
- 3 tbsp. spoons 9% vinegar.
The cucumbers are kept in cold water for 4 hours, which is changed several times. This is necessary for them to become elastic. Then they are dried, peeled and cut into round pieces half a centimeter thick. Place in a steel or enamel container of suitable volume.
The onion is peeled, chopped into thin rings or half rings and also placed in a bowl. Washed and finely chopped greens are also added there. Next, add sugar and salt, pour in vinegar, mix gently so that the vegetables do not fall apart, and leave in the same bowl for 2 hours. During this time, the mass will release juice.While the salad is infusing, steam the glass containers and boil the tin lids.
The salad is placed in a container, trying to evenly distribute the thick mass and juice, placed on top of the lid, but not rolled up yet. Place a wooden circle or thick cloth in a large saucepan, place jars there and pour in enough water so that it does not reach the narrowing.
On a note. The pan must first be placed on the stove: when it is already filled with jars, this is more difficult to do.
The canned food is sterilized for 15 minutes from the moment of boiling, then the jars are taken out and immediately rolled up. The container is turned upside down and placed in this position on the floor or table. You can cover it with a blanket on top. After cooling, take it away for storage. The salad can be stored for a year or longer, but usually Nezhinsky cucumbers stored for the winter are eaten earlier.
