The recipe for pickling cucumbers is striking in its diversity; each housewife has her own signature way of pickling vegetables. Many people associate pickled cucumbers with childhood, visiting grandma, or home-preserving them. The older generation knows how to make preparations in a special way; pickles, like those of your beloved grandmother, cannot be compared with anything.
Little tricks for preparing cucumbers for the winter
When pickling, preference should be given to medium-sized, fresh vegetables, without signs of rot, cracks, or stains. The fruits are soaked in water for 5-6 hours. Spices and spices are placed in a sterilized jar in layers. If you violate the chronology of the bookmark, the taste of the product will deteriorate. Next, the washed cucumbers are placed in a vertical position and compacted.
The canned food is turned over, placed in a basin, and covered with a towel dipped in warm water. The jar is watered after 4-5 minutes with medium-heat water, then cold. This cooling will prevent the food from becoming soft.
Features of product selection
The fruits should be small or medium-sized, bright green in color with convex pimples. Be sure to soak the vegetables in filtered water before salting. Experienced housewives recommend avoiding trimming the tails, as this can lead to lethargy and softening of the fruit.
Preparing containers
The container must be intact, without cracks, chips or other damage. Containers should be washed in a soapy solution with a brush or sponge. Particular attention must be paid to the neck of the jar; often dried remains of preserved food and rubber gaskets from the lids remain on it. After washing, the bottles are rinsed several times.
Best Recipes
Pickled cucumbers, according to my grandmother’s recipe, go well with any dish; they are used as an appetizer with vodka, meat and potato dishes. The ideal combination is pickles and country-style fried potatoes. Next we will look at some of the most popular “grandmother’s” recipes.
Pickling cucumbers, “grandmother’s” method
To prepare you will need:
- 1,700 cucumbers;
- 1 bunch of dill;
- 2 heads of garlic;
- currant, cherry leaves 5-6 pcs.;
- 4 tbsp. l. salt;
- 2 liters of water;
- 4 bay leaves;
- 9 peppercorns;
- 4 cloves.
How to do:
- Cucumbers are soaked in water and dried. The bottom of a sterilized jar is covered with dill, garlic, currant and cherry leaves, and the vegetables are compacted.
- Boil water in a saucepan, add salt, add spices and herbs, boil for 5-10 minutes.
- Cucumbers are poured with marinade, sterilized, and sealed with plastic caps.
The twist should stand for 1 day, then it will be ready for use. Crispy cucumbers can be stored in jars for 1-2 days at room temperature, then the preparation is placed in the refrigerator.
Pickled cucumbers like grandma's
Preparation is impossible without:
- cucumbers 3.5 kg;
- hot pepper 1 pc.;
- celery, parsley, dill 1 bunch each;
- 1 head garlic;
- oak, cherry leaves;
- water 5 l;
- salt 5-6 tbsp. l.;
- vinegar 2 cups.
Cooking technology:
- Small cucumbers are washed and left in water for 3-4 hours. The bottom of a sterilized jar is covered with hot pepper, oak and cherry leaves, celery, parsley, and dill.
- Compact the cucumbers, placing garlic, pepper, and herbs between them. Boil water in a saucepan, add salt and vinegar.
- After boiling the brine, it is poured into jars.
After sterilization, the container is sealed and placed under a blanket for several days. The readiness of the twist is checked by the changed color of the fruit.
Option with mustard seeds
Mustard adds piquancy and spiciness to the dish. The following products are needed for cooking:
- 2 kg of cucumbers;
- 4 onions;
- 6 tbsp. l. salt;
- 4 cups apple cider vinegar;
- 3 cups granulated sugar;
- 4 tbsp. l. mustard seeds;
- 1 tsp. turmeric;
- 10 peppercorns.
Cooking technology:
- Vegetables are washed, peeled and chopped. Cucumbers and onions are cut into rings, salted, stirred, and left to steep for 3-4 hours.
- Next, the fruits are washed in a colander with water.Place a pan of water on the stove, mix with sugar, salt, mustard, turmeric, black pepper, and boil.
- Next comes the turn of cucumbers and onions, they are added to the marinade. After the fruits change color, they are pulled out, compacted into a jar, and filled with brine.
The bottles are tightly corked and placed under a blanket for several days. It is allowed to taste the preparation no earlier than after 30 days.
In tomato sauce
You can add brightness and juiciness to the twist using tomato juice or paste.
Components:
- cucumbers 2 kg;
- water 1.5 l;
- tomato paste 200-250 g;
- salt 1 tbsp. l.;
- granulated sugar 1 cup;
- vinegar 200 ml;
- 1 bunch of dill with parsley;
- 1 head of garlic.
Step-by-step preparation:
- Wash the vegetables, cut off the ends if desired, add water and leave for several hours. Wash and clean the remaining components. The bottom of the jar is covered with garlic and herbs.
- Boil water in a saucepan, mix with tomato paste, salt, sugar, stir. The mixture is boiled and diluted with vinegar.
- Cucumbers are compacted into jars. After removing the mass from the heat, stir it, pour it into containers with vegetables, and sterilize it.
Having sealed the container, it is turned over, wrapped in a blanket, and left for several days.
How to properly store workpieces
Canned snacks are stored in a dark, cool place. The twist can be stored for no longer than 1 year. Vegetables without sterilization are sealed with a plastic lid and kept in the refrigerator for no more than 1 month.
