Housewives are faced with a dilemma in the summer and autumn, when the conservation season comes. The whole family wants to please and prepare delicious cucumbers for the winter. There are a lot of recipes, it’s quite difficult to choose. Those with a sweet tooth can be advised to prepare sweet, sweet and sour, and pickled cucumbers. To do this, take the classic recipe for cooking vegetables as a basis, changing only the amount of sugar, salt, and vinegar.
- Features of pickling sweet cucumbers for the winter
- Selection and preparation of main ingredients
- How to prepare containers for the start of the process
- Cooking recipes
- Classic “finger lickin’ good” recipe for a 3 liter jar
- Without sterilization
- Sweet crispy pickled cucumbers 1 liter
- In sweet and sour marinade
- Delicious, with mustard
- With citric acid
- With sweet peppers, marinated with onions
- With horseradish
- With tomatoes
- In oil
- Sweet cucumbers, sliced, with grapes
- Spicy-sweet cucumbers
- Specifics and shelf life
Features of pickling sweet cucumbers for the winter
Pickling cucumbers involves adding vinegar to the brine. Substitutes can be citric acid, vinegar essence, sour fruits: grapes, cherry plums, apples, currants. Place whole cucumbers in containers, cut in various ways: into circles, longitudinal slices, grated.
After laying the vegetables, the containers are filled with boiling water, a second time with salt and sugar, and a third time with vinegar. After such filling it is not necessary to sterilize. Just seal it and cover it with a blanket until it cools down.
If the marinade is poured immediately, the preservation is sterilized, 3-liter jars - 30 minutes, 2-liter jars - 25 minutes, liter jars - 15 minutes, half-liter jars - 10. The countdown is carried out after the water boils in the pan.
The taste is sweet, sour and sweet. Adjust the desired taste with the amount of sugar.
Selection and preparation of main ingredients
The main products in canning are cucumbers. Select vegetables without damage, with firm pulp and small size. In order for the fruit to crunch, the skin must be thick.
Additional vegetables and fruits are selected according to the same principle. Choose greens that are bright, fresh, and have a pronounced aroma.
Before storing, vegetables are soaked in water for 2-6 hours, cutting off the ends on both sides.
How to prepare containers for the start of the process
The jars are pre-sterilized over steam. The lids are boiled in water.
Cooking recipes
In all recipes, the amount of sugar, salt, vinegar is calculated per 1 liter.
Classic “finger lickin’ good” recipe for a 3 liter jar
We are preparing a simple classic recipe for cucumbers called “Finger-lickin’ good.” A 3-liter jar will require 1.5-2 kilograms.
Traditional spices:
- garlic – 3 cloves;
- currants – 3 leaves;
- cherry – 3 leaves;
- dill - a bunch or umbrella;
- cloves - 2 pieces;
- parsley - 1 bunch.
For marinade per 1 liter of water:
- salt – 2 tablespoons;
- sugar – 2 tablespoons;
- vinegar 9% - 16 teaspoons.
The vegetables are placed in sterilized jars, poured with marinade and vinegar and the jars are set to sterilize.
Without sterilization
The classic recipe can be simplified even further. To do this, use the 3 fill method. No sterilization is required.
Sweet crispy pickled cucumbers 1 liter
To pickle a 1-liter jar and get sweet, crispy cucumbers, you will need more sugar than in the classic recipe. Spices are selected to taste: dill umbrella, horseradish leaf, 4 peppercorns, garlic clove, 1 bay leaf.
For the marinade:
- sugar – 150 grams;
- salt – 40 grams;
- citric acid – 1 teaspoon.
Spices are placed on the bottom, then vegetables. Pour boiling water over. To properly season the marinade, measure the amount of liquid. If there is, for example, 250 milliliters of water, the dosage calculated for 1 liter is divided into 4 parts. Close the preservation using the 3-fill method.
In sweet and sour marinade
Pickled cucumbers will turn out sweet and sour if you add 30 grams of salt, 70 grams of sugar, 250 milliliters of 9% vinegar to 1 liter of water. Vegetables are prepared using the 3-pour method without sterilization.
Delicious, with mustard
Cucumbers taste piquant with mustard.Place greens, dill, 1 bay leaf, 5 grams of mustard seeds at the bottom of 3-liter jars. 5 black peppercorns. A sweet and sour marinade goes well with this recipe.
You can use mustard powder - 1 level tablespoon per 1 liter of marinade. After the water boils, set the container aside and add mustard. Stir until completely dissolved. The canning method is suitable for single and 3 pours.
With citric acid
Some people don't like vinegar; it can easily be replaced with citric acid. In the classic recipe, vinegar is replaced with 1 heaped tablespoon of acid. Add it to the sweet, salty brine for the third time.
With sweet peppers, marinated with onions
Sweet bell pepper gives cucumbers an unusual taste. To prepare it, take 1 kilogram of cucumbers, cut them into longitudinal pieces, add an onion in half rings, half a teaspoon of mustard, chopped dill, and 1 pepper in squares. All products are mixed in one bowl. Throw 2 peas of allspice at the bottom of the jars and add vegetables.
Pour boiling marinade over:
- vinegar - glass;
- sugar – 3 cups;
- salt – 4 teaspoons;
- water – 1 liter.
The jars are rolled up and placed under a blanket until they cool.
With horseradish
Cucumbers acquire a spicy note if you add 3 horseradish rings to the classic recipe.
With tomatoes
Pickled cucumbers are prepared with the addition of tomatoes. Each jar contains 50x50 different vegetables and traditional spices. The marinade is chosen according to your taste.
In oil
Sweet cucumbers are prepared with the addition of oil. To do this, cut 4 kilograms of cucumbers, add sugar - 250 grams, salt - 100 grams, a glass of vinegar, a head of garlic, 2 tablespoons of ground black pepper, 250 grams of refined oil.All ingredients are mixed and left to marinate for 4 hours. Then they are laid out in jars, filled with the released brine and sterilized.
Sweet cucumbers, sliced, with grapes
Unripe grapes can be a substitute for vinegar. All the ingredients of the classic recipe are placed on the bottom, then cucumbers, and a glass of grapes on top. Choose a sweet marinade recipe and preserve using the 3-pour method.
Spicy-sweet cucumbers
The combination of sweet taste with bitter notes in pickled cucumbers will appeal to gourmets. To do this, cucumbers are poured with a sweet marinade. Chili pod will provide spiciness.
Specifics and shelf life
Pickled cucumbers are good because they can be stored for a long time at room temperature.