Proven recipes for preparing preserved cucumbers in an autoclave will appeal to almost any housewife. Thanks to modern equipment, the salting process takes place quickly, with minimal effort. You can make delicious cucumbers in an autoclave, since they hardly lose their taste, unlike the classic canning method. To safely cope with the preparation, you should familiarize yourself with the recommendations below.
Features of preparing cucumbers in an autoclave
Pickled cucumbers should be placed so that about 5 cm remains to the surface. Pour in water until it covers the top jars by 3-4 cm, and an oxygen pocket of 5 cm remains between the surface of the liquid and the lid. Salt only ripe vegetables, without foulbrood or other defects.
From processing, they resort to washing, sorting, slicing, cleaning, and cooking as necessary. Place clean containers on the bottom according to the recipe, add vegetables usually without tamping. To fill, use a marinade of hot water with salt, granulated sugar and vinegar.
Pour brine into glass containers so that there is 2 cm left before the lid. During sterilization, the composition will expand and will require space.
Required Components
To prepare preserves in an autoclave, you will need cucumbers, greens - horseradish leaves, black currant leaves, dill, laurel leaves. You also need hot pepper, garlic, sugar, salt, 9% table vinegar. It is better not to use iodized salt; it softens the structure of vegetables and they become loose. It is advisable to take coarse-grained or stone. A liter jar can hold up to 600 g of cucumbers; their quantity is pre-calculated taking this factor into account.
Selection and preparation of cucumbers
Cucumbers should be medium or small in size, without yellowness, ripe. If they were picked from the garden no later than a day before storage, this is the best option. Rinse the fruits from dirt, soak in a container for 1 hour. Manipulation allows them to become crispy. Afterwards, take it out and dry it naturally.
How to cook cucumbers in an autoclave?
You should check the serviceability of the autoclave in advance. Close the lid, making sure the sealing ring is present.To prevent it from warping, it lay flat, tighten the nuts crosswise.
If the device does not have cassettes that compensate for the difference in pressure in the tanks and the apparatus, pump oxygen into the tank through the “nipple” until the pressure gauge shows 1 atm. Then the jars will remain intact during heating and cooking.
Towards the end of preservation, gradually reduce the pressure, reducing the heat until the heat source is completely turned off.
The installation should cool to a temperature of 30 degrees Celsius, then gradually release the pressure using the nipple. There should be no sudden heating, cooling, release or increase in pressure. Otherwise, the banks may open. Before opening the lids, turn the pressure relief valve once. The manipulation will help ensure that the pressure in the device and outside is equalized. If no changes have occurred, you can safely open the lid.
Making the marinade
For a liter jar, you will need 300-400 grams of marinade. It is prepared by adding 100 g of salt, 50 g of sugar to 2 liters of water. Stir the mixture and cook over low heat until bubbles appear. Afterwards, boil for another 5 minutes.
Adding components to jars
While the brine is being prepared, the components for preservation are placed in containers. Horseradish stems are taken, cut into pieces 5-7 cm long, and placed in small pieces on the bottom of each container. Place an umbrella of dill or parsley there, at your discretion. To them add a leaf of dark currant, laurel, 2 peppercorns, 3-4 heads of garlic.
Afterwards, lay the vegetables, alternating layers with horseradish. Place a piece of hot pepper on top of the cucumbers. Vegetables should be placed as tightly as possible, but not compacted. At the final stage, fill the workpiece with brine, leaving an air gap of 2-3 cm to the lid. Add 2 tbsp to containers.9% vinegar. Roll up the jars with lids, measuring the temperature in one of them in advance.
Canning cucumbers
Vegetables should be placed in the autoclave that is turned off so that they are not exposed to high temperatures for a long time. Otherwise, the cucumbers may turn into mush. Reduce the total heating time of the equipment and the preservation process itself by 5 minutes. Pour the marinade not boiling, but slightly cooled.
When the jars are assembled into cassettes, loaded into an autoclave filled with hot water, close the equipment with a lid and set to heat. Wait until the device reaches 90 degrees Celsius. Preserve the containers in this mode for 10 minutes, then turn off the heating. After the pressure inside the device drops to zero, open the lid and take out the preserved food.
Warnings
To safely prepare canned food in an autoclave, it is important to follow these tips:
- do not open the lid when it is under pressure;
- do not turn on the device if it is still filled with water;
- it is forbidden to exceed the pressure specified in the annotation;
- You cannot take containers with stickers for sterilization.
While the autoclave is operating, do not tilt it, move it or touch hot surfaces.
Shelf life and storage rules for preparations
Preservations prepared in an autoclave are preserved for 2-3 years, longer than after pickling cucumbers using the classical method. This is explained by the fact that the equipment powerfully sterilizes containers and products, the processing temperature is high, and all bacteria die.
It is advisable to keep canned cucumbers in a dark room such as a basement, pantry or cellar. It is important that the jars are not exposed to sunlight and that the area is not damp, otherwise the vegetables may become moldy.
