In winter, you want to try not only classic pickles, but also sharper, more savory dishes. An excellent option is to preserve cucumbers for the winter in Georgian style. Depending on the spices used in the recipe, the dish has a more or less bright taste. This preparation will appeal to all lovers of spicy preserves.
Classic cooking method
The classic method of preparing Georgian pickled cucumbers has a calmer taste. Due to the garlic, it has a slight spice.
Ingredients:
- 5 kg of cucumbers;
- 2 kg of tomatoes;
- 250 ml vegetable oil;
- 200 g granulated sugar;
- 3 tablespoons of salt with a small slide;
- 300 g garlic;
- 250 ml acetic acid.
The listed volume of products is used to prepare 7 liters of lightly salted cucumbers in Georgian style.
- Preparing tomato sauce. Ripe tomatoes are cut into pieces and passed through a meat grinder. Salt, sugar and butter are added to the sauce. Cook the tomatoes over low heat after boiling for no more than a quarter of an hour.
- Preparing cucumbers. Root vegetables are washed under water, the ends are cut off and cut into circles.
- Combination of ingredients. After the allotted time after the tomatoes boil, add cucumbers, chopped or crushed garlic, and acetic acid. The salad is brought to a boil and kept on fire for no more than 7 minutes.
- Twist. Canned cucumbers are placed in jars and screwed on with lids. The salad is left to cool “under the fur coat”. The finished pickling is stored throughout the winter.
Spicy recipe with adjika
Seasonings, spices and various herbs are often used in Georgian lightly salted cucumbers. They give dishes a piquant, spicy taste. With the addition of adjika, winter preparations acquire an incredible taste.
Ingredients:
- 1 kg of cucumbers;
- 0.4 kg of tomatoes;
- 50 ml vegetable oil;
- 60 g granulated sugar;
- 0.5 spoons of salt;
- 2-3 cloves of garlic;
- 50 ml acetic acid;
- 1.5-3 spoons of dry adjika.
Adjika and garlic are used in the recipe to taste. If you need to make cucumbers less spicy, it is recommended to reduce the amount of spices. For a more intense aroma, their volume is increased. Georgian-style lightly salted cucumbers are obtained if the canning time is reduced to 1-2 weeks.
- Preparing tomatoes. The tomatoes are washed thoroughly. The unripe part with the stalk is cut out of the fruit. The remaining part is cut into quarters and passed through a meat grinder or blender.It is important that the sauce is homogeneous, without large inclusions of peel.
- Preparing cucumbers. The greens are also washed under water. The ends are removed from both edges. The fruits are cut into thin rings. For cooking, only strong, not overripe fruits are selected.
- Preparing the sauce. In a separate container, mix tomato paste, salt, granulated sugar and butter. Place the pan on the fire and cook for no more than 15 minutes.
- Combination of ingredients. The next step is to mix the cucumbers in the tomato and add acetic acid. The whole mass is brought to a boil. After this, dry adjika is added. The seasoning already has a balanced composition. It is optimal to use 1.5 tablespoons of seasoning for 1 kg of root vegetables. Spicy lovers increase this volume to 3 tablespoons. The seasoning is poured into the canned food. Garlic is added last. All ingredients are thoroughly mixed. To store cucumbers for the winter, boil them over low heat for at least 10 minutes. In the finished dish, the vegetables have a darker swamp color.
- Twisting and storage. Pickled cucumbers are placed in pre-prepared jars and screwed on with metal lids. The mass is applied to the very top, so that there is almost no air left between the lid and the salad. The finished salad is left to cool under a warm blanket. Picklings are stored in a cold basement for the winter.
Recipe with a twist
Georgian dishes often contain spice and piquant taste. They appear in cases where vegetables are preserved with the addition of hot peppers and herbs. Cucumbers according to the Georgian recipe for the winter have an original taste.
Ingredients:
- 2 kg of cucumbers;
- 1.5 kg of tomatoes;
- 0.5 cups sunflower oil;
- 2 tablespoons of salt;
- 0.5 cups granulated sugar;
- 3 medium-sized bell peppers;
- 1-2 pods of hot chili pepper;
- 3 cloves of garlic;
- 1 teaspoon acetic acid.
The best taste of preservation is achieved through the use of olive oil. If desired, other seasonings and herbs can be added to the dish.
- Preparing cucumbers. Medium-sized fruits should be thoroughly washed and cut into rings no more than 0.5 cm thick. The finished slices are set aside.
- Preparing the sauce. To make the sauce, wash the tomatoes thoroughly and cut out the places where the stalks attach. Then they, along with peeled pepper and garlic, are passed through a meat grinder. It is important to choose a fine grater so that the peel is not felt. The prepared spicy mass is placed on the fire. Sunflower oil, sugar and salt are added to the sauce. The marinade is cooked for 10 minutes after boiling. Add acetic acid before removing from heat.
- Combination of ingredients. Add cucumbers to the prepared sauce in the pan. The preservation is thoroughly mixed and cooked for another 5-7 minutes. After this, the dish is laid out in prepared 0.8 - 1 liter jars and rolled up with lids. There is no need to additionally marinate the vegetables.
- Storage. The finished pickling cools under warm blankets. After this, they are transferred to the refrigerator or basement for long-term storage.
Useful tips
Georgian cucumber appetizer is easy to prepare. But if you want to extend its shelf life and improve its taste, then you should follow a number of recommendations for preparing it for the winter.
- Sterilization. The jars are thoroughly washed under running water and sterilized in the oven or over steam. This way the preservation lasts longer.
- Selection of vegetables. Vegetables will marinate more evenly if you choose medium-length cucumbers. It is important that they are firm and fresh.
- Slicing method.Vegetables are cut into Georgian cucumbers using different methods. Culinary experts noted that cutting into thin rings allows for better marinating of the fruits.
- Spices. The best flavor comes from mixing your own herbs and spices rather than using ready-made seasonings. Georgian cucumbers will be lightly salted if you add less salt and eat the product some time after preservation.
Recipes for Georgian cucumbers for the winter may differ in the quantity of the specified ingredients and their composition. Depending on taste preferences, the amount of pepper, salt, sugar is increased or decreased as desired. Thus, the taste of the snack is more or less spicy.
