Is it possible to pickle zozulya cucumbers for the winter and how to make it tasty and simple

Pickled cucumbers of Zozulya variety used as a spicy dressing in soup, as a side dish for many hot meat or fish dishes, or when making sandwiches. To make the pickling tasty and aromatic, the choice of fruits is important, as well as the way of preserving cucumbers of this variety.

Is it possible to pickle cucumbers of the Zozulya variety

Zozulya cucumbers belong to the early maturing, they are unpretentious in care, grow well both in greenhouses and in the open field.

Despite the fact that this vegetable is most often used for preparing salads, it is also suitable for salting.

Features of their conservation

For pickles vegetables that meet the following requirements are best:

• fresh and young fruits - it is not recommended to use overripe for salting;
• thin skin with characteristic pimples, elastic, without signs of puffiness and lethargy;
• the pulp should be quite dense and juicy;
• the fruits should not be bitter;
• the optimal length for salting is no more than 15 cm, the fruits are even, without "deformities".

Vegetables are pre-soaked in water for at least 10 hours - this will help keep them crispy and juicy. Preferably soak in spring or filtered water. Ordinary tap water contains chlorine, which will negatively affect the taste.

Important. If, when cutting a vegetable, voids in the pulp become visible, such a product is not recommended.

The best recipes for pickling cucumbers Zozulya

There are many canning options suitable for Zozuli, which allows you to diversify both everyday and festive menus. Depending on the additions and the spices used, the salting can turn out to be spicy and piquant, delicate, with a slight sourness or rich with a pleasant vegetable taste.

Reference. You can marinate this vegetable with or without vinegar.

"Assorted" with tomatoes and bell pepper

The combination of cucumbers with tomatoes and sweet bell peppers will give the dish a bright vegetable taste that will appeal to lovers of mild marinade.

Ingredients:

• water - 1.5 l;
• cucumbers - 0.5 kg;
• bell pepper - 250 g;
• small tomatoes - 800-900 g;
• vinegar - 100 ml;
• sugar - 2.5 tbsp. l .;
• salt - 1 tsp;
• garlic - 1 head;
• dill - 3-4 umbrellas;
• cherry leaves, currants or oaks - a couple of pieces.

Cooking method:

1. Sterilize containers in advance, wash and dry all vegetables and herbs.
2. Put leaves and dill at the bottom of the jar. Put tomatoes, chopped peppers, garlic and cucumbers on top.
3. Pour vegetables with boiling water, after 10-15 minutes pour the water into a saucepan and put on fire. After boiling, pour the liquid back into the container with vegetables.
4. After 10-15 minutes, pour the water into the pan again, add sugar, salt, pour in vinegar and wait for it to boil.
5. Put the whole dill in the jar.
6. Pour boiling liquid into the jar to the brim and immediately roll up the lid.
7. Turn the container upside down. After cooling, transfer to a cool storage area.

You don't need to cover the container with a towel in this recipe.

To taste add cloves, hot peppers, onions or horseradish.

Zozulya pickled cucumbers without vinegar

Marinating without vinegar is suitable for people with a healthy diet, as well as for children. This preparation has a pleasant taste with moderate pungency.

Ingredients:

• cucumbers - 1 kg;
• water - 1.5 l;
• garlic - 5 cloves;
• cherry, currant, horseradish leaves - 1 pc .;
• dill - 1 pc.;
• salt - 2 tbsp. l.

Preparation:

1. Put the leaves, dill and garlic in a prepared glass container.
2. Put the cucumbers in a jar, trying to tamp them tightly.
3. Dissolve salt in water and add vegetables. Close the jar with a nylon lid and leave for 1-2 days.
4. Cucumbers should change their green color to yellowish, after which the liquid from the jar should be drained into another container.
5. Pour vegetables with clean boiling water, leave to cool completely.
6. After 2-3 hours, pour out the water and pour the brine from the first drain into the jar, having previously brought it to a boil.
7. Roll up the lid.

You can use cilantro, parsley, or basil with your choice of dill in this recipe.

In tomato juice

Cooking cucumbers in tomato juice will allow you to do without the addition of vinegar, since tomato juice will give the preparation a pleasant sourness.

Required products:

• young cucumbers - 1 kg;
• water - 1 l;
• thick tomato juice - 1 l;
• garlic - 5-7 cloves;
• sweet bell peppers - 2 medium;
• hot peppercorns - a pinch or to taste;
• sugar - 6 tbsp. l .;
• salt - 6 tbsp. l .;
• oak or cherry leaves - 2 leaves each.

Cooking method:

1. Wash and dry all vegetables. Peel the garlic and pepper.
2. In a sterilized jar, carefully put the leaves first, then Zozulya.
3. Fill the container with boiling water, pouring boiling water to the brim. Leave to cool.
4. Grind the bell peppers together with the garlic using a blender.
5. Pour tomato juice into a deep container, add chopped pepper and garlic, add sugar and salt. Mix thoroughly and put on fire until boiling.
6. Drain the cooled water from the jar, add hot peppercorns to the container and pour in the boiling tomato-pepper mixture so that the liquid completely covers the vegetables.
7. Roll up the jars with a lid and wait until they cool completely, after which the salting can be moved to the basement or any other cool place.

For a spicy flavor, you can add a small chilli pod, which is placed in a jar along with cucumbers.

Green pea recipe

To make canned food more original, add green peas to the main product, which will transform the usual snack.

Required products:

• Zozulya cucumbers - 500-600 g;
• water - 0.5 l;
• green peas - 150 g;
• salt - 0.5 tbsp. l .;
• sugar - 2 tbsp. l .;
• vinegar - 20-25 ml;
• garlic - 5 cloves;
• dill, parsley, basil - 1 bunch each.

How to cook:

1. Wash the vegetables, rinse the peas several times.
2. Put clean peas on fire and cook for about 15 minutes.
3. Place dill, parsley, basil and garlic in a glass container.
4. Arrange the cucumbers tightly, folding them vertically.
5. Pour in peas.
6. Pour boiling water into a container. After 10 minutes, pour the liquid into a saucepan and boil, then pour it back into the jar.
7. After 10 minutes, the liquid must be drained again. Add acetic acid and all seasonings to the drained water. Boil.
8. Pour the brine into a container, roll up.

Pre-boil the peas for preparation, and soak the cucumbers themselves in water.

Preparation for pickle

For quick preparation of pickle, you can use pre-prepared vegetable pickling, which will help out a busy housewife.

Required products:

• cucumbers - 1 kg;
• water - about 1.5 liters;
• salt - 2-3 tbsp. l .;
• sugar - 1 tbsp.;
• vinegar - 90 g;
• carrots - 1 kg;
• tomato paste - 0.5 kg;
• onions - 800-900 g.

How to cook:

1. Cut the carrots into small strips or grate.
2. Chop the onion with a knife.
3. Cut the cucumbers into cubes.
4. Put all the ingredients, except the vinegar, in a saucepan and put on fire.
5. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 40-45 minutes.
6. Pour in vinegar and boil for another 15 minutes.
7. Pour the mixture into a jar and roll up.

To make the future pickle soup even more satisfying and nutritious, add a little pearl barley (about 0.5 kg) to a pot of boiling vegetables along with vinegar.

Preparation for sandwiches

The original "spread" for sandwiches diversifies the usual breakfast, making it tastier, healthier and more spicy.

Ingredients:

• Zozulya - about 900 g;
• onions - 2 pcs.;
• salt - 2.5-3 tbsp. l. ;
• sugar - 2.5 cups;
• apple cider vinegar - 500-600 ml;
• black peppercorns - 7 pcs.;
• turmeric - 0.5 tsp.

Preparation:

1. Cut the cucumbers and onions into slices and transfer to a deep container. Add salt and stir.
2. Cover with a plate or saucer with some weight on top, transfer to a cool place and leave for 3-4 hours.
3. The juice released from the vegetables must be drained, and the vegetables themselves must be washed.
4. Pour vinegar into a small saucepan, add sugar, turmeric and pepper. Add some cloves or bay leaves if you like. Boil over low heat until sugar dissolves.
5. Transfer vegetables to boiling vinegar liquid. Let it boil and cook the vegetables over medium heat for about 2 minutes.
6. Put the vegetables in a jar, pour over the marinade and roll up.

Vegetables with salt can be left in the refrigerator overnight, and the finished cans, after seaming, can be put on the lid and covered with a towel. The product will be ready for use in two weeks.

Pickled cucumbers Zozulya with mountain ash

Rowan berries will make the dish incredibly spicy, aromatic and bright. Such cucumbers will decorate the festive table, going well with a hot side dish.

Required products:

• Zozulya - 650 g;
• water - 1.5 l;
• ripe red mountain ash - 300 g;
• vinegar - 100 g;
• salt - 1 tbsp. l .;
• sugar - 3 tbsp. l.

Cooking method:

1. Put cucumbers with pre-cut tails in a jar.
2. Rinse rowan berries thoroughly under running water, then pour boiling water over them.
3. Pour the berries into the jar.
4. Dissolve sugar, salt and acetic acid in water. Pour the resulting liquid into a container with vegetables and berries.
5. After 10-15 minutes, pour the liquid into a saucepan, put on fire and boil.
6. Pour boiling liquid over vegetables. After 10 minutes, drain the water again and boil.
7. Pour boiling brine into a jar of vegetables and roll up the lid.
8. Cool and transfer to storage.

The dish is low in calories (35 kcal per 100 g), so it is suitable for people following the figure.

Terms and conditions of storage

It is recommended to store pickled cucumbers of this type for no longer than a year, since if stored for too long, the product may lose its taste and crunch, becoming too soft.

Storage conditions:

• Store pickling in a cool, dark place, such as a cellar or refrigerator.
• the container for canned food must be sterilized, and the lids must be iron;
• avoid storing the product at extremely low temperatures.

Storage temperature should not exceed + 10 ° С.

Useful Tips

The use of spices not only improves the taste, but also has a positive effect on the storage of the blanks:

• a small amount of mustard seeds will protect against swelling and tearing of the caps;
• thinly chopped horseradish, rolled up under the lid, will keep the product from mold;
• a couple of pieces of oak bark will make the vegetables crisper;
• for quick salting, cucumbers can be chopped several times with a fork on both sides, after cutting off the tails.

It is advisable to put freshly prepared marinade upside down so that the lid is better attracted to the jar.

Reference. For salting, it is recommended to use the most common coarse salt, and not sea or iodized salt. Fine salt can make the food too soft and not crunchy.

Conclusion

You can diversify your everyday or festive table with the help of a spicy and aromatic snack made from young Zozulya cucumbers. Canned product you can safely add it to both first and second courses, and also use it as an original natural spread on bread.

For canned food to last longer, store it away from light and heat.