Step-by-step recipe for rustic pickling cucumbers in jars for the winter

At any time of the year you want to enjoy delicious solyanka, rassolnik or vegetable salads. Therefore, preparing juicy and crispy country-style cucumbers for the winter should become a mandatory procedure. Cooking is not difficult and takes little time. To make the result pleasantly pleasing, you need to strictly follow the recipe and culinary technology.

Secrets of rustic pickling cucumbers for the winter

There are several secrets, knowing which you can easily prepare amazingly aromatic and crispy pickles for the cold season.

For the best results, it is advisable to use vegetables growing in your own garden - in this case, you can be sure that they do not contain toxic substances. It is important that the cucumbers are not overgrown or overripe.

Oak leaves provide a characteristic pleasant crunch to pickled cucumbers. They will also help preserve the product over time.

The taste and quality of cucumbers largely depend on the brine. For it you need to prepare a bunch consisting of several fragrant cherry twigs, fresh horseradish leaves and dill stalks.

Required Ingredients

To implement the traditional recipe for preparing delicious country-style cucumbers for the winter, you will need the following set of ingredients:

• fresh cucumbers (from 3 to 5 kilograms);
• sea ​​or table salt;
• sprigs of dill;
• oak, cherry, currant and horseradish leaves - to taste;
• a few cloves of garlic.

Features of product selection

For this preparation, you need to select exceptionally beautiful, dense and strong medium-sized cucumbers that have a uniform green color. It is also recommended to use smaller vegetables to fill the top of the container well.

Leaves of oak, cherry, horseradish and currant used as additional ingredients must be without the slightest sign of damage, with a uniform texture and color.

Preparing containers

Glass containers for twisting, first of all, need to be washed in a water-soda solution. After this, sterilize by choosing one of the methods:

• Place upside down on a metal sieve placed over a saucepan.Boil for at least 15 minutes and then place on a cloth.
• Place the containers washed with water in the oven and preheat it to +160 °C. Leave until the droplets dry completely.
• Place the jars in the microwave, first pouring water into the bottom. The steam generated as it boils sterilizes them.

Cooking process

Following the proposed recipe, you can prepare such preservation even with minimal culinary skills:

1. Rinse the selected cucumbers thoroughly and place them on a soft natural fabric towel to dry.
2. Wash the greens, carefully chop them to release the juice, and place them evenly on the bottom of a sterilized glass container.
3. Next, lay out the cucumbers themselves so that the large fruits are at the bottom of the container, and the small ones at the top.
4. Pour boiling water over it for a couple of minutes and drain it.
5. Boil the aromatic and spicy brine. To do this, throw a lush bunch of cherry leaves, dill and horseradish into boiling water. Add salt at the rate of 2 tablespoons per liter and granulated sugar - 1.5 tablespoons per liter. Boil for 15 minutes.
6. Fill the jars with slightly cooled brine.

There is no need to immediately roll up the lids, since within 2-3 days the fruits should be thoroughly soaked. Next, you need to shake the containers so that air bubbles rise to the top - they need to be removed with a clean wooden spoon. Then pour the rest of the brine evenly into the jars up to the neck and close with sterilized, secure lids.

How and for how long can preserves be stored?

For storing pickles in jars prepared according to a simple village recipe, there are several rules and recommendations:

1. The average storage period for pickles is 8 months.However, this is only possible under conditions of temperature from -1° to +4 °C and air humidity within 80-90%.
2. It is not recommended to keep pickles at temperatures above +10 °C.
3. Canned goods that have not been subjected to heat treatment are stored for one week at an air temperature of less than +17 degrees.
4. The optimal storage places are a cellar or attic (in a private house), a balcony and a storage room (in an apartment).
5. When storing preserved food, do not allow the air temperature to rise, as this will lead to acidification of the solution and the proliferation of dangerous bacteria.