Delicious crispy lightly salted cucumbers: how to cook with cold pickle

All harvested fresh cucumbers cannot always be consumed immediately in the summer, and housewives are thinking about processing a rich harvest. Lightly salted cucumbers - an excellent appetizer and addition to main courses. There are many cooking options.

Today we will tell you how to cook lightly salted cucumbers at home easily and quickly in cold brine.

Features of cooking lightly salted cucumbers in cold brine

Housewives appreciate this method for the ease of preparation and excellent taste of the finished product.

Cold brine benefits

Cold salting has many advantages over classic option involving the use of a hot marinade:

• vegetables have a richer taste;
• the fruits remain crispy;
• no need to waste time cooking the brine;
• takes very little time;
• the product retains useful properties;
• cucumbers do not become watery.

In addition to the advantages, cold salting has one significant drawback - such a snack cannot be stored for more than a week. But if the cucumbers are spread out in sterilized jars, filled with brine and tightly corked with lids, they can be kept in the refrigerator all winter.

What taste does it give

This method allows you to preserve the natural taste of cucumbers, leaves them firm and crispy. Cold pickle only gives vegetables the aroma of spices and additives, makes cucumbers salty, but does not deprive them of their natural fresh taste.

Attention! The more salty the cucumbers are, the darker their color.

The importance of clean water

The quality of the liquid affects the taste and shelf life of lightly salted cucumbers. Using water with impurities or from a tap will quickly spoil the snack, vegetables will absorb foreign odors, which will adversely affect the taste. Therefore, it is important to prepare cold brine from clean, filtered water, preferably spring water.

Council. To improve the quality of water, pour it into an enamel pot, put a silver spoon or a clean copper object on the bottom, close the lid and leave for 2-3 hours.

How to make cucumbers crispy

Before salting, vegetables are soaked in cold water for 3-4 hours. This procedure makes them stronger, resulting in crispy, lightly salted cucumbers. Black currant leaves added to the preparation also help to achieve a crunch.

Training

Before proceeding with salting, vegetables are processed and suitable containers are prepared. This allows you to get a quality product and finish cooking quickly.

Capacities

For salting, it is better to use an enamel, glass or ceramic saucepan. It is convenient to lay fruits in it and remove the finished product for food or transfer to jars. You also need to prepare a lid or a large plate to cover the container.

The container needs to be prepared:

1. Wash the pot thoroughly.
2. Scald with boiling water and wipe with a soft towel.
3. Leave to dry completely.

A pressure is placed on the lid or plate to crush the cucumbers in the pan. For this, a large stone or a jar filled with water is usually used.Before this, the stone is cleaned of dust and dirt, washed with dish detergent and poured over with boiling water.

Ingredients

They choose high-quality fruits, since the final result of salting will depend on them.

Preferred:

• to representatives of pickling varieties and hybrids: Zozulya f1, Courage f1, Parisian gherkin, Phoenix;
• small fruits with thin skin and small tubercles (thick-skinned and smooth salad vegetables are not suitable);
• fresh, firm, crispy.

Cucumbers of the same size are processed in one salting procedure. Then they will be salted and ready at the same time. The cucumbers are thoroughly washed and soaked in clean water.

The salt you choose also matters. It is recommended to use coarse stone.

Attention! Iodized, fine and sea salt is not suitable for these purposes, as it makes the cucumbers soft and deprives them of crunch.

How to cold pickle cucumbers

Use one of the cucumber pickling methods that we have selected and treat your loved ones with a delicious snack.

Simple recipe

This recipe can be considered a classic way to cook lightly salted vegetables in cold brine. It takes very little time, and the first sample is taken in a day.

You will need:

• cucumbers - 5 kg;
• dill umbrellas - 6 pcs.;
• garlic - 10 cloves;
• black currant and cherry leaves - 5-10 pcs.;
• allspice - 5 peas;
• horseradish leaves - 3 pcs.

Calculate the amount of water yourself, it depends on the size of the container. Remember that the liquid must completely cover the cucumbers. To prepare brine, salt is dissolved in water at the rate of 70 g per 1 liter.

Otherwise, follow the instructions:

1. Wash cucumbers and soak in cold water for 2 hours.
2. Peel the garlic cloves, scald all the leaves with boiling water.
3. Put half of the additional components in a container.
4. Fill it with vegetables and top with the remaining leaves, umbrellas and spices.
5. Pour the brine over the fruits and close the lid tightly.
6. Leave at room temperature for 1-2 days until tender.

In a bag with garlic and dill

This recipe is versatile and very light. Prepare the components:

• cucumbers - 1 kg;
• salt - 1.5 tbsp. l .;
• granulated sugar - 0.5 tbsp. l .;
• garlic - 3 large cloves;
• dill - 1 small bunch.

Use a strong plastic bag and fruits up to 10 cm long.

Follow the instructions:

1. Wash the vegetables and cut off the ends on both sides.
2. Peel the garlic and cut into thin slices.
3. Chop the dill finely or use it whole.
4. Place all components in a bag, cover with sugar and salt, shake several times so that the spices are evenly distributed.
5. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.

With cold mineral water

Cucumbers are tasty and crispy if you mix the brine with mineral water.

Prepare a large saucepan, and for 3 kg of small cucumbers, take:

• mineral water - 3 liters;
• garlic - 1 large head;
• dill - 1 large bunch with umbrellas;
• coarse salt - 5 tbsp. l.

Cooking method:

1. Dissolve salt in a glass of mineral water and combine with the rest of the water.
2. Rinse the bunch of greens thoroughly, shake off excess moisture and divide into two parts. Cover the bottom of the container first.
3. Fill a saucepan with clean cucumbers, horizontally.
4. Peel the garlic cloves, chop finely and add to the cucumbers.
5. Cover vegetables with leftover dill and fill with mineral water brine.
6. Press down with a clean plate, and place the weight on top.
7. Leave the snack to cook at room temperature for 12-14 hours.
8. Store ready-made cucumbers in the refrigerator.

With soy sauce and herbs

Spicy cucumbers in the Asian way have an unusual salty-sweet taste and pleasant spiciness. This appetizer will be a great addition to the festive table.

Ingredients:

• cucumbers - 2 kg;
• vegetable oil - 4 tbsp. l .;
• soy sauce - 6 tablespoons l .;
• salt - 2 tbsp. l .;
• garlic - 5 cloves;
• dill and parsley - one bunch each;
• sesame seeds - 2 tbsp l .;
• ground pepper - 2 pinches.

Thai-style salted cucumbers are prepared without water, the finished snack resembles a salad. You can try it within 2 hours after preparation or spread it out in sterilized jars for the winter.

Cooking algorithm:

1. Cut off the tips of cucumbers, cut each lengthwise into 4 elongated slices.
2. Place the vegetables in a saucepan, mix with salt and leave for 20 minutes. Be sure to drain the released juice.
3. Finely chop the herbs and garlic, add to the cucumbers along with soy sauce, sesame seeds, vegetable oil and pepper.
4. Stir well, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.

Other recipes

There are others recipes cold pickling of cucumbers.

Fans of spicy dishes will appreciate hot cucumbers with hot peppers:

1. Divide the bunches of parsley and dill umbrellas into 2 parts. Put the bottom of the pan first, send half a hot pepper pod and two cloves of garlic there.
2. Fill the container with 1 kg of small cucumbers, cover them with the remaining herbs, horseradish and cherry leaves and the second half of the pepper.
3. Dissolve 350 g of salt in 3 liters of drinking water and pour into a saucepan.
4. Cover with a wide plate and press down.
5. After a week, you can taste the cucumbers for readiness.

You can cut the pod into rings or slices, and then distribute them between the rows of cucumbers. The degree of pungency depends on the amount of hot pepper.

Spicy vegetables with grainy mustard are prepared like this:

1. Cut 1 kg of cucumbers into rings 0.5-1 cm thick.
2. Place half a lemon in boiling water for 30 seconds and squeeze the juice out of it.
3. Combine juice with 2 tsp. granulated sugar, 1 tbsp. l. mustard and 1 tsp. salt.
4. Place the cucumbers in a saucepan and cover with the resulting brine.
5. Close the lid and shake to distribute the liquid evenly over the vegetables.
6. Refrigerate for a day.

The appetizer will cook faster if it is left to pickle at room temperature. In this case, 6 hours is enough.

Cooking tips

The advice of experienced housewives will help you get a healthy and tasty snack:

1. Cut off the tips from commercial fruits, as nitrates accumulate in them.
2. Cucumbers, placed vertically in the container, take up more space, but they are salted faster.
3. Currant leaves improve the flavor but accelerate the formation of mold.

Storage advice

You need to store lightly salted cucumbers in the refrigerator for no longer than 1-2 weeks.

To extend the shelf life, divide the finished snack into sterilized jars and roll up.

Conclusion

Crispy lightly salted cucumbers with cold brine are prepared without preservatives and vinegar, therefore they retain their natural taste and remain elastic. Thanks to the large number of different recipes, you can always prepare an appetizer to your liking - spicy, spicy or tender.