Features of pickling cucumbers for the winter in a barrel: recipes for cold pickling

Pickling cucumbers in a barrel for the winter - the most environmentally friendly way of preserving at home. Thanks to this method, they will turn out to be elastic, crispy, with the maximum content of nutrients. This article will tell you how to properly pickle cucumbers.

Features of salting in a barrel

The pickling container is made of wood with a capacity of 10 to 100 kg. Oak and linden are the best materials.

Reference. Spruce, pine, and aspen barrels give canned food an off-flavor, making them less usable.

Before salting, the tub or barrel must be disinfected, washed, fumigated and aired. Cucumbers are chosen the same size.

The workpieces are stored in a cellar, glacier, shed or workshop at temperatures from 0 to + 5 ° C.

What varieties of cucumbers are suitable for pickling in a barrel

Suitable varieties: Octopus, Nezhinsky, Pasalimo, Dolzhik, Ecole, Muromsky, Dolomite, Indestructible, Bettina.

The most suitable length for pickling is 8-15 cm. These are unripe specimens with small, underdeveloped seeds.

How to prepare a barrel or tub for salting

Barrel preparation consists of several stages: steaming, soaking, rinsing and fumigation.

Steaming

First, the barrel is treated with water vapor. It speeds up the swelling process, due to which the container is disinfected, and small cracks and rivets are tightened. To do this, fill the tub with boiling water by 1/3 and shake it a little so that the boiling water passes along the inner walls. After that, the barrel is covered with a film, and a thick cloth is placed on top. Keep the barrel in this position until the boiling water inside cools down and stops rapidly evaporating.

Soaking

This stage is necessary to further swell the wood and flush out excess tannins, which give salty products a special taste.

For this procedure, the barrel is filled to the top with cold water. The fluid is changed every 2-3 days. The soaking is finished when the water stops turning brown.

Important! During the first days of soaking, liquid may seep through the walls. With a small leak, water is topped up and the barrel is always full.

Water rinsing and fumigation

After soaking, the tub is rinsed first with hot water and then with cold water. The container is turned upside down so that all excess liquid is glass.

The barrel is fumigated before filling. A small piece of sulfur is placed in a tin can, placed on the bottom of the barrel, and the sulfur is set on fire. The barrel is closed with a lid and then ventilate well.

Cold pickling of cucumbers in a barrel for the winter

The cucumbers are washed under running water and placed in boiling water for 3 minutes. Then they are taken out and washed with cold water so that the fruits retain a bright green color.

Take an oak barrel, for example, for 50 kg of cucumbers, and put the following ingredients on its bottom:

• horseradish root and leaves - 300 g;
• cloves of garlic - 200 g;
• parsley greens - 150 g;
• celery - 150 g;
• bitter pepper - 70 g;
• blackcurrant and cherry leaves - to taste;
• dill umbrellas - 2 kg.

The spices are thoroughly washed and dried. When filling the casks, the seasonings are placed between layers of cucumbers.

After loading cucumbers with spices, brine is poured into the container:

• large cucumbers - 9 kg of salt per 90 liters of water;
• medium cucumbers - 8 kg of salt per 90 liters of water;
• small cucumbers - 7 kg of salt per 90 liters of water.

Note. With the cold method, the brine water does not need to be boiled beforehand.

To start active fermentation, a barrel of cucumbers is stored at room temperature for 2-3 days. During fermentation, cucumbers with brine can rise under the edge of the barrel. To prevent this, the barrel is covered with a cotton towel, a wooden lid is placed on top, and washed cobblestone or a large pot of water is loaded onto it as oppression.

If foam appears on the surface of the brine, the barrel is placed in a cold place, for example, in a basement. If some of the brine spills, add it. The barrel must be full.

The pickles will be ready in a month. Subject to the rules pickles cucumbers will last until spring.

Salt in a plastic barrel

This method is no worse than the previous one, except that a plastic container is used, not a wooden one. It is enough to take a barrel with a volume of 15 liters.

All the ingredients for pickling are taken by eye, depending on taste preferences:

• young cucumbers with thin skin - how much will fit in a barrel;
• horseradish root and leaves;
• oak and grape leaves;
• young cherry twigs;
• bay leaves;
• allspice and black peppercorns;
• red hot pepper - one pod is enough, but increase the portion if desired;
• dill umbrellas - at least 1 kg;
• cloves of garlic - to your taste;
• salt - 60 g per liter of water.

Cooking process:

1. After preparation, cucumbers and spices are placed in a plastic container in layers, alternating with each other. The last layer should be spices - it will be more difficult for the brine to bleed through and pour over the edges of the barrel.
2. Prepare a brine from cold water and salt in the proportions indicated in the recipe. Pour cucumbers with brine so that it completely covers them.
3. The container is closed with a plastic lid and placed in a room where the temperature does not rise above 4 ° C for 3 days.
4. Open the lid to release any accumulated gases.
5. Add evaporated brine, if necessary.
6. Close the barrel again and leave in a cool room until tender. After 3-4 weeks, you can taste the cucumbers.

Recipes for delicious cold cask cucumbers

Barreled cucumbers are harvested without vinegar and poured with a cold solution of water and salt.

During fermentation, vegetables generate lactic acid. It is useful in that it supplements the intestinal microflora with the necessary bacteria.

Rustic

Recipe common in villages and towns. You will need a 15 liter oak tub. To prevent mold, its bottom and walls are coated with a mixture of garlic and salt in a 1: 1 ratio.

Ingredient List:

• cherry and blackcurrant leaves - to taste;
• horseradish root and leaves - 200 g;
• salt - 1 kg;
• hot red pepper - optional;
• celery - 200 g;
• tarragon - to taste;
• garlic - 200 g;
• cucumbers - 10 kg;
• water - 10 l;
• dill umbrellas - 250 g.

Cooking algorithm:

1. Prepare the tub.
2. The salt is dissolved in cold water.
3. The washed cucumbers are immersed in ice water for 4 hours. Fruits of the same length are selected.
4. Part of the dill leaves and umbrellas are laid out at the bottom of the tub.
5. Then the cucumbers are stacked vertically to the middle of the tub.
6. Celery, tarragon, garlic, red pepper are added on top of the vegetables.
7. The remaining cucumbers are brought to the edge of the tub, covered with the remaining half of the leaves.
8. The workpiece is poured with brine prepared in advance, covered with a wooden lid, a load weighing 5-7 kg is placed on top of it.
9. The first 2-3 days the tub is kept indoors. During fermentation, some of the brine will flow out.
10. Add the missing liquid and remove the workpiece to a storage location - a cellar or basement.
11. After 4 weeks, the pickles are ready.

Simple

Uncomplicated standard recipe. It differs from the rest in that parsley is used among the spices.

Ingredients:

• horseradish leaves - 300 g;
• celery - 120 g;
• cucumbers - 50 kg;
• dill umbrellas - 2 kg;
• parsley - 100 g;
• bitter pepper - 50 g;
• cherry and red currant leaves - 150 g each;
• water - half the volume of the barrel;
• salt - 1 kg per 10 liters of cool water;
• garlic - 150 g

Procedure:

1. The bottom of the barrel is lined with some of the spices, cucumbers are spread on them in one layer.
2. Then add some more seasonings, then a layer of cucumbers. So the container is filled to the top.
3. Prepare the brine: dilute the appropriate amount of salt in cold water.
4. Pour the workpiece with brine.
5. The barrel is covered with a wooden lid, oppression is placed on top.
6. The workpiece is kept in room conditions for 3 days.
7. After that, move the barrel of cucumbers to a cold place. If necessary, add the missing volume of brine.
8. Vegetables will be ready in 4-5 weeks.

With coriander

A 15 liter plastic barrel is required.

Components:

• cucumbers - how much will fit in a barrel;
• horseradish root - 300 g;
• bay leaves - 100 g;
• grape leaves - 150 g;
• black currant and cherry leaves - 100 g each;
• allspice - 50 g;
• bitter pepper - to taste;
• dill umbrellas - 250 g;
• coriander - 150 g;
• garlic - 200 g;
• salt - 60 g per 1 liter of water;
• water - 8-10 liters.

Cooking instructions:

1. Prepare a plastic barrel.
2. The washed fruits are soaked for 3 hours in cold water.
3. Starting with greens, lay out cucumbers and spices in layers. The barrel is shaken gently through each layer.
4. Salt is poured into cold water and slightly stirred until completely dissolved.
5. As the barrel is filled, the prepared brine is poured into it.
6. The workpiece is tightly closed with a plastic lid, and oppression weighing 3-4 kg is placed on top.
7. The barrel is placed immediately in a cool place.
8. After 2-3 days, add brine if it has leaked through the lid.
9. The cucumbers will be salted in 3-4 weeks.

Old recipe

The time-tested method of pickling cucumbers will not leave indifferent any gourmet.

Ingredients:

• cucumbers - 10 kg;
• cold water - 10 liters;
• salt - 950 g;
• umbrellas and stalks of dill - 3 kg;
• garlic - 750 g;
• blackcurrant leaves - 1 kg;
• horseradish leaves - 1 kg;
• cherry leaves - 0.5 kg;
• red hot pepper - 10 pcs.

Cooking process:

1. Leave the cucumbers in cold water for 6 hours.
2. Spices are gently scalded with hot water
3. Part of the greens is placed on the bottom, then a layer of cucumbers. They should be positioned vertically, noses down.
4. The barrel is filled by alternating layers of cucumbers and spices.
5. Prepare the brine and pour it into the container.
6. The workpiece is covered with a lid, oppression is placed on it.
7. The barrel is kept at room temperature for 2-3 days, then in a cold room.
8. After a month, the cucumbers are ready to eat.

With mustard

The recipe will appeal to those who like salty vegetables with a pronounced spice. This method is not cold.

Ingredients:

• water - 10 l;
• cucumbers - 10 kg;
• garlic - 100 g;
• dill stems and umbrellas - 350 g;
• cherry and black currant leaves - 100 g each;
• horseradish leaves - 6 pcs.;
• horseradish root - 3 pcs.;
• rock salt - 400 g;
• dry mustard - 5 tbsp. l.

Algorithm of actions:

1. Pure cucumbers are immersed in ice water for 7 hours.
2. All spices are washed, cleaned, dried and finely chopped.
3. Layer by layer the vegetables and spices alternately, starting with the seasonings.
4. Bring the water to a boil, add salt and mustard powder, placed in a cloth bag. Boil the brine for 5-7 minutes over low heat, stirring constantly.
5. The barrel filled with vegetables is poured with hot brine so that it completely covers the cucumbers.
6. The workpiece is covered with gauze folded in 4-5 layers, covered with a wooden lid and oppression is applied.
7. Keep cucumbers in the room for 2-3 days. After the start of fermentation, place the barrel in a cold place.

Storage features and important tips for salting

When salting, adhere to the following rules:

1. Salt the cucumbers immediately after picking.
2. Chlorinated water is contraindicated for making brine. It is better to use spring or well-purified.
3. The salt should be rocky, coarsely ground, without additional additives and iodine.
4. Cucumbers soaked in cold water for 6-8 hours before salting lose their bitterness. The water is changed every hour.
5. The ideal container for salting is an oak barrel. But if not, a plastic container, a metal bucket or a large saucepan is suitable.
6. Fruits with white pimples are not suitable for canning, they choose only black ones.
7. If you pick cucumbers of the same size, they will be saturated with brine evenly during cooking.
8. For better storage, a piece of oak bark or several mustard peas are added to the workpiece.
9. To prevent the workpiece from spoiling, the tub or barrel is cleaned, washed, fumigated, all ingredients are washed and dried.

Conclusion

Salting cucumbers in a barrel is one of the old ways of preparing vegetables for long-term storage. Even a novice gardener can handle this task. It is enough to choose the right variety, prepare the container and ingredients, follow the instructions for preparation and store the blanks in a dark, cool place.