Pickling cucumbers: recipes and methods. Varieties of cucumbers for pickling

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Recipes for s alting cucumbers are very similar to each other. The differences are only in the number of main components and spices. Strongly s alted, lightly s alted, medium s alted - they all turn out to be very tasty. The main thing is to know which varieties of cucumbers to use for pickling.

Understanding varieties

All cucumbers can be conditionally divided into three categories. Each of them has its own characteristics. So there are:

• Salad cucumbers. They are used exclusively fresh. They differ in small white spikes on a plump and smooth skin. Brine does not penetrate well into such vegetables. The color of cucumbers of this variety can be from white to dark green. When canned, they are tasteless and soft.
• Small in size, pickled. The peel of vegetables of such varieties is quite dense. They can be eaten both fresh and pickled. However, these varieties of cucumbers are ideal for pickling. They come out crispy, firm and delicious.
• Universal varieties. They are practicallyall hybrids of the latest generation. Such cucumbers can be eaten fresh, as well as used for pickling.

Which ones to choose

The best varieties are:

• Era.
• Altai.
• Nezhinka.
• Voronezh.
• Nosovsky.
• Gorgeous F.
• Stage.
• Fannel.
• Vyaznikovsky.
• Coastal, etc.

The only drawback of these varieties is the rapid yellowing of the fruit. However, the problem can be avoided if harvested in time.

If you forgot which variety was grown, you can determine the fruits suitable for pickling by their appearance. Cucumbers with a dark green skin are ideal for preservation. Overripe and yellow should be immediately put aside. The peel and seeds of such vegetables will be hard even after s alting.

Thorns in fruits can be white or black. It depends on the variety. For preservation, it is worth using cucumbers with black spikes, as they pass the brine well.

Vegetables with a thin skin will not crunch after s alting. If it is difficult to pierce it with a fingernail, then such cucumbers are ideal for preparing blanks for the winter.

What you should know

Recipes for s alting cucumbers are very diverse. However, to get a delicious snack, you should follow certain rules:

• It is recommended to pickle cucumbers on the same day when the crop was harvested.
• Before s alting, vegetables should be sorted based on their size. Largeit is recommended to marinate separately from small ones.
• Do not use for s alting soft, damaged and discolored fruits.
• Do not use chlorinated water during cooking.
• To get rid of possible bitterness, it is recommended to soak cucumbers for about 8 hours. At the same time, the water should be changed every 60 minutes.
• If you will pickle vegetables in jars, carefully prepare the containers: wash them and sterilize.
• There are many recipes for pickling cucumbers. However, when choosing spices, it is better to give preference to currant, cherry and oak leaves. They will give the fruits the taste of barrel cucumbers.
• You can also put green grapes or vineyard leaves in the container. This will avoid the formation of voids inside the vegetables.
• It is recommended to store pickles at zero temperature.

Which spices to choose

S alting cucumbers for the winter in barrels or jars requires the addition of certain spices. At the moment, there are a lot of such components. How many spices are required for a three-liter jar? So, for reference:

• black pepper - 10 peas;
• hot pepper - no more than 0.5 pods;
• laurel leaf - 2 pcs.;
• dill - 2 umbrellas;
• blackcurrant - 2 leaves;
• garlic - up to 6 cloves;
• cherry - up to 3 leaves;
• horseradish root - no more than 6 cm;
• grapes - 1 sheet;
• oak - up to 3 leaves.

In addition to the above spices, for slow or quick pickling of cucumbers, you can usesavory, mint, basil and tarragon. The choice of components depends on your preference.

S alting methods

Before describing the recipes for pickling cucumbers, it is worth mentioning the basic methods. There are only two of them: hot and cold. Each of these methods has its own characteristics. In this case, completely different containers can be used: buckets, barrels, cans, wide-mouth bottles, etc.

As you can see, there are not so many ways to pickle cucumbers. However, spices allow you to give vegetables a certain taste and aroma. Let's look at a few recipes so you can choose the right one.

Hot method: option 1

S alting cucumbers in jars allows you to stock up on a delicious snack for the winter. For cooking, it is worth deciding on spices. Lay cherry, oak or currant leaves on the bottom of the containers, and then lay the vegetables tightly. It is best to place the banks vertically. The top layer of cucumbers can be laid horizontally. Gaps can also be filled with selected spices.

Pour boiling water over prepared cucumbers. Cover the containers with sterilized lids and wrap them. You can use a towel for this. Wait about 3 minutes and then drain the water. To do this, use a plastic lid with holes or gauze folded in several layers.

Repeat the manipulation. This time, drain the water after 5 minutes, and then pour in the brine. It should be prepared in advance. To do this, it is necessary to dissolve s alt in water, observing the proportions: per 1 literwater requires from 30 to 35 g of s alt. Roll up the jars, turn them upside down and refrigerate by placing them in a cool room.

Second option

Fill the containers as described in the previous recipe. Pour boiling brine over cucumbers. In this form, leave the vegetables for a day in a room where the air temperature is + 25 … + 30 ˚С. After that, place the blanks for 8 days in a cooler place. Here the air temperature should be no more than 10 ˚С. A cellar or basement is ideal.

When the cucumbers become crispy and tasty, pour the brine into the pan, wash and sterilize the jars. Put cucumbers in them, adding new spices. Pour in boiling brine, roll up, turn upside down and refrigerate by placing the containers in a cold place.

This is interesting! Cucumber brine can be used as a cure for a hangover, as well as for the preparation of pickle and s altwort. After all, it contains many minerals.

Cold pickling of cucumbers

To prepare a snack, place prepared spices and vegetables in jars. Fill the containers to the brim with cold brine. To prepare it, it is necessary to dissolve table s alt in water, observing the proportions: 50 to 60 g of s alt is required for 1 liter of water. In this case, it is worth adhering to some rules. Dissolve the s alt in a small amount of hot water, then add ice water.

If desired, you can sprinkle cucumbers with mustardpowder. Cover the containers with gauze and leave at a temperature of +25 … +30 ˚С for several days. After that, you can move the cucumbers to a cooler place. The temperature should be 1-5˚ lower. Store containers of vegetables in these conditions for 10-12 days.

This is important! If you place the product in a warmer place, then voids form inside the vegetables. Fermentation will proceed more slowly in a cool room. At the same time, the gases released during pickling will not break the cucumbers.

Be sure to check the readiness of the product from time to time. When the fermentation process is completed, bring the volume of the brine to the original, hermetically close the containers, but do not roll them up. It is recommended to store the workpiece at a temperature of +4 ˚С and below.

Cucumbers in a barrel

S alted cucumbers are always popular. After all, they perfectly complement some dishes. Traditionally, cucumbers are s alted in barrels made of oak. However, plastic containers can also be used. To give the product a characteristic aroma and taste, it is enough to add oak leaves when preparing the brine. It is also recommended to pre-rub the barrel with garlic, and then put the prepared cucumbers into it in layers.

Now it's time to prepare the brine. In this case, it is necessary to strictly observe all proportions. For 10 liters of water (not chlorinated), 900 g of table s alt will be required.

After cooking, pour the brine into the barrel. Do this through the tongue hole. When s alting vegetables in an open way, it is recommended to cover the workpiececloth, put the lid on top and press it down with oppression. For about 20 hours, the container should stand in a room where the air temperature is at least 20 ° C. After that, move the barrel of cucumbers to a cooler place. Here the air temperature should not exceed +1˚С. After a month, the snack will be ready.

This is interesting! To prevent barrel cucumbers from molding, you can use sugar beets or mustard powder. If it nevertheless appeared, then it is imperative to remove plaque from the surface of the cucumber pickle.

Vodka recipe

So, how to cook s alted cucumbers at home? Consider a popular and original recipe. For cooking you will need:

• 2 kg cucumbers;
• a few dill umbrellas;
• 5 black currant leaves;
• 5 cherry leaves;
• 1 garlic clove;
• 20g horseradish (leaf or root);
• 8 black peppercorns;
• 75g s alt;
• 50g vodka;
• 1.5L water (non-chlorinated).

Wash the vegetables well and pour over with boiling water. Soak prepared cucumbers in ice water for several hours. Put them tightly in a three-liter jar. In this case, shift the cucumbers with prepared spices. Dissolve 50 g of s alt in 1 liter of water. Pour the prepared brine over the vegetables in the jar. Add 50 g of vodka to this. Close the jar tightly with a polyethylene lid.

Transfer the workpiece to the basement or refrigerate. Such an appetizer is stored for a long time. At the same time, cucumberskeep their natural color.