We make crispy preparations for the winter: how to salt cucumbers correctly, the best recipes

Experienced summer residents know that not all varieties of cucumbers are suitable for pickling for the winter. In order to enjoy crispy vegetables in the cold season, it is important to choose the right fruits, add certain ingredients and ensure optimal storage conditions for the harvest. We will tell you how to do this in our article.

What cucumbers are suitable for pickling

Conventionally, all varieties are divided into 3 main types:

• salad;
• canning and pickling;
• universal.

The early varieties are salad greens, which are planted in greenhouses or under film. These cucumbers have juicy flesh, thin skin, but satisfactory or good taste. The length of vegetables is up to 20 cm.

Universal varieties are later, grown in a greenhouse or open field. Such fruits grow small, up to 10 cm.

Selecting and preparing vegetables

For pickling, varieties are suitable, the fruits of which are covered with a thin skin, the pulp is elastic, in the marinade it acquires a characteristic crunch and a pronounced taste. Such vegetables are usually small, up to 8 cm. The surface is covered with tubercles and black thorns. If the cucumbers are white, they are not suitable for pickling: they have a rough and thick rind.

For blanks for the winter, special varieties and hybrids are planted:

• Nezhinsky;
• F1 debut;
• Muromsky 36;
• Pauline F1;
• Parker F1.

In what container to salt

For salting not every container is suitable. The main condition is that it should not rust and oxidize, otherwise harmful substances will get into the brine, there will be a risk of poisoning. Therefore, do not use aluminum and galvanized containers.

The safest containers:

1. Plastic containers. Only food grade plastic is suitable for this. Such vegetables are consumed within one month, otherwise harmful microorganisms will begin to develop in the container.
2. Glass banks... The container is suitable for long-term storage of food, but vegetables in it often lose their crunch. The cans are made completely sealed by rolling them up with iron lids.
3. Wooden barrels. The brine infused in a wooden container and cucumbers have a rich woody taste, a strong aroma without the addition of special components. Wood provides long-term storage of vegetables.

How to salt cucumbers correctly

It is important not only to choose the right container, but also to carefully consider the contents. The taste of the finished product and the duration of its storage will depend on this.

Ingredients

It is advisable to use spring or well water. If you do not get it or there is no certainty about the quality, they take water from the tap, carefully filtered and boiled.

Cucumbers recently picked from the garden are soaked in water for 2-3 hours to make them more elastic and strong.

Depending on the recipe, add to the brine:

• dill;
• onion;
• mixture peppers;
• horseradish leaves;
• currant leaves;
• mustard;
• mint and other spices.

It is better to use rock salt: it gives a rich and rich taste of vegetables. Iodized softens vegetables.

The container is thoroughly washed and treated with boiling water to get rid of harmful microorganisms.

Step-by-step instruction

There are 2 main ways to salt cucumbers: hot and cold. They are fundamentally different from each other in the order of actions and further storage.

Hot way:

1. Salt is dissolved in boiling water, spices are added to the brine: dill and horseradish stalks, oak leaves and other components to taste.
2. Cucumbers are tightly laid out in glass containers, preferably in an upright position.
3. All are filled with brine. Banks are placed in a cold place for about a week.
4. If necessary, add the required amount of brine, roll the cans with iron lids.

Salting cooked hot can be stored for several years, if the tightness of the containers has not been broken and the lids have not swelled.

Cold way:

1. Vegetables are placed in jars or other containers right away along with spices.
2. Stir salt in cold water, pour vegetables with a solution.
3. The containers are closed so that air does not enter.

The cucumbers will be salted in 3-4 days, they will be finally ready in about a month. Before that, they are kept in a dark, cool place: a cellar or refrigerator. If left in a warm apartment, there is a risk that the cans will explode.

Council. To put on a plastic lid, it is preheated in boiling water. The material becomes softer, and when it cools, it sits tightly on the neck of the can.

The best recipes

There are several versatile ways to cook cucumbers that are suitable as a stand-alone snack, pickle component or salad.

Classic cucumbers with garlic

For cooking for 1 kg of vegetables, take:

• dill - 1 bunch;
• garlic - 2 cloves;
• salt - 1 tbsp l;
• water - 1 l.

Cucumbers are salted hot. These vegetables have no off-flavor, so they are added to various dishes.

With mustard powder

The marinade is prepared hot in the following proportions:

• water - 1 l;
• mustard powder - 2 tbsp. l .;
• salt - 1 tbsp l .;
• dill - 1 bunch.

The mustard will give the vegetables a spicy pungency and special taste, but if you add a lot of it, the product will become bitter.

With vodka

These cucumbers are prepared in a cold way. At the same time, they retain their crunch and rich taste. Usually three-liter glass jars are used, which are thoroughly washed and sterilized over steam or in an oven.

Ingredients:

• cucumbers;
• horseradish leaves, currants;
• dill umbrellas;
• garlic;
• peppercorns (white, black and allspice);
• salt - 3 tbsp. l .;
• water - 1.5 l;
• vodka - 50 ml (for a three-liter jar).

Crispy cucumbers "Like barrel"

Delicious, aromatic and crispy vegetables, like those of a grandmother in the village, are made at home, in a jar. They will taste almost the same as in an oak barrel. They are prepared in a cold way. Cucumbers are pre-soaked for 3-4 hours.

Ingredients:

• 5 cloves of garlic;
• 2-3 horseradish leaves;
• a sprig of dill;
• 5 leaves of cherries, grapes and currants;
• 2 tbsp. l. salt.

With "Aspirin"

When salting, "Aspirin" is used as an artificial preservative: it prevents the development of bacteria in the jar, and gives the fruit firmness. This recipe is suitable for hot and cold methods.

By the way. Cucumbers with "Aspirin" keep well not only in the refrigerator and basement, but also at room temperature.

Ingredients:

• 1.5 kg of cucumbers;
• 1-2 tablets "Aspirin";
• 1 liter of water;
• 1 bay leaf;
• 4-5 peas of black pepper;
• 10 g citric acid;
• 25 g sugar;
• 50 g of salt;
• 3 cloves of garlic;
• parsley;
• dill;
• leaves of currants and cherries.

How to store

The shelf life of salted vegetables directly depends on the storage conditions and packaging.

Cucumbers in jars are suitable for use up to six months when cooked in a cold way, up to several years when hot salted. After opening the container, the tightness is broken, acidification of the product is accelerated. After a while, the vegetables become soft.

Cucumbers are kept in barrels for up to 2-3 months. This is due to the fact that the container is leaking, fermentation in such conditions occurs quickly - vegetables are covered with unpleasant mucus, their taste deteriorates, and a pungent smell appears. To slow down this process, the pickles are left in a cold place (the temperature is not higher than 0 ... + 1 ° C).

Frozen cucumbers are kept without brine, in a plastic sealed bag, where air does not enter. The maximum shelf life is 5-6 months. But when frozen, vegetables lose their firmness and crunch.

What mistakes to avoid

To make cucumbers tasty, crispy and stored for a long time, they follow several rules:

• do not use yellowed and withered fruits;
• do not add too much spice;
• before cooking, everything is thoroughly washed, the container is treated with boiling water or steam;
• for better storage, the tails of cucumbers are cut off.

In pickles, mold and plaque are removed in a timely manner, which often occur when vegetables are stored in wooden barrels and with a cold cooking method.

Conclusion

So that pickled cucumbers are stored for a long time and do not lose their taste, vegetables are chosen without defects, the containers are thoroughly washed, sterilized, water is taken filtered and boiled. Fermentation in the product is accelerated at high temperatures, so the workpieces are kept in a cool, dark place, with a temperature of -1 ... + 4 ° C, and an air humidity of 85–95%.