How to prepare crispy cucumbers with vodka for the winter: recipes and tips

Canned cucumbers are widely used in cooking as an ingredient in various dishes or as a standalone product. Known everywhere pickled, lightly salted and pickled cucumbers. They differ not only in taste, but also in the way they are processed.

What's the secret to making delicious and crispy cucumbers? It's simple: you need to add vodka to the conservation. Cucumbers with vodka for the winter always turn out crispy, strong, they are stored longer without the appearance of mold. Consider what vodka in brine gives, how it affects the taste, which canning recipes are the best.

Features of canning cucumbers with vodka

There are many varieties and hybrids of cucumbers, differing in shape, size, color, growing method and other biological features. At the first stage, it is important to choose the right variety for conservation. Cucumbers with strong fruits are ideal for salting - Vyaznikovsky, Nezhinsky, Khrustyushchiy, Muromsky, German, Parisian gherkin, Zozulya and other varieties with similar qualities.

Council.It is better to grow a vegetable yourself without the use of nitrates - so you will be 100% sure of the quality of the product.

Cucumbers should be medium to small, dark green in color, with spiny pimples, firm with a tough skin, and free from spoilage. In traditional recipes, dill umbrellas are added to the jars, garlic, lavrushka, allspice or black peas, horseradish root, currant leaves, cherries.

For pickled cucumbers, if desired, use celery, carrots, onions, parsley, cumin. The amount and variety of spices depends on individual preferences of each, and does not affect the amount of alcohol in the recipe.

What does vodka give in a recipe

A strong alcoholic drink does not distort the taste of the cucumber, but it increases the terms and quality of preservation storage. Vodka is used as a disinfectant. Being a good preservative, it prevents the development of mold and fermentation processes, so that the lids do not swell, and the workpiece can be stored at home at room temperature.

Interesting. Previously, vinegar was used instead of alcohol. It also prevents fungi and mold from developing, but it has an obvious drawback - it softens cucumbers, the fruits lose their characteristic crunch.

The best recipes

There are dozens of recipes for preserving cucumbers for the winter, which differ in both the technical processing of the product and the additional ingredients. Below we offer the simplest and most popular recipes on how to cook delicious, crispy and elastic cucumbers with vodka.

With vodka, garlic and spices

Ingredients for a 3 liter jar:

• 2 kg of cucumbers;
• 10 cloves of garlic;
• 3 tbsp vodka;
• ½ hot capsicum;
• 5 pieces. currant leaves;
• 4-5 cherry leaves;
• horseradish root;
• dill umbrellas;
• 1 head of onion.

For brine:

• 1300 ml of water;
• 3 tbsp table salt;
• 4 things. bay leaf;
• 5 pieces. peppercorns and allspice;
• a bunch of parsley.

Recipe:

1. Cut the onion into rings.
2. Sort the greens from garbage, wash, chop arbitrarily.
3. Put onion, garlic, hot pepper, some greens in a sterile jar.
4. Pour cucumbers in advance with cold water for a couple of hours.Cut off the ends on both sides and place horizontally in jars. Sprinkle each layer with greens. Fill the container to the top, there will be greens on top.
5. Dissolve the salt in cold water, add spices, parsley, bay leaf. Pour cucumbers with brine, close the lid. Leave warm for 48 hours.
6. After two days, drain the water, boil, cool. Add vodka and brine to a jar of cucumbers. Close tightly with a nylon cap.

Cucumbers with vodka, garlic and spices are best stored in a basement or refrigerator. Such cucumbers are not worse than barrel ones.

The Villainess Recipe

The recipe contains a lot of garlic, which, together with vodka, makes the cucumbers not only crispy, but also gives a piquant taste.

Ingredients for 2 kg of cucumbers:

• 1 stack of sugar and salt without a slide;
• 10 g citric acid;
• 50 ml of vodka;
• 2-3 large heads of garlic;
• 5 tbsp. water;
• herbs and spices to taste: allspice and hot pepper, horseradish root, bay leaf, tarragon.

Cooking method:

1. Put herbs, spices, garlic cloves in a jar.
2. Pick up cucumbers in several tiers.
3. Boil water, pour cucumbers. Cover with a lid and wait until the jar cools down a little, then drain the water. You won't need it anymore.
4. Prepare brine from pure water (1250 ml), salt and granulated sugar, boil, then add citric acid.
5. Pour vodka into a jar of cucumbers, pour boiling brine, roll up with metal lids, having previously sterilized them.

Lightly salted cucumbers with vodka for long-term storage

Products for one liter can:

• cucumbers (how many will be included, about 700 g);
• 2 liters of purified water;
• a pile of salt;
• a shot of vodka;
• spices and herbs as desired.

How to prepare lightly salted cucumbers:

1. Pour cucumbers with cold water for a couple of hours.
2. Rinse cans with soda and sterilize together with nylon caps.
3. At the bottom of a dry jar, spread the chopped leaves of cherry, currant, horseradish, allspice and peppercorns, tarragon, dill umbrellas, garlic, hot pepper to taste.
4. Put cucumbers in several rows, with some herbs on top.
5. Prepare a brine from water and salt. As soon as the water boils, add the vinegar and vodka.
6. Pour a jar of cucumbers with boiling brine. Cover with a napkin folded in several layers, leave warm for 12 hours.
7. Immerse the nylon caps in boiling water for 10-20 seconds to sterilize and soften. Close the jar with a hot lid, put it away for storage.

The cucumbers will be ready to eat in 7-10 days. They are also well preserved in winter: the brine does not become cloudy, mold does not form on the surface, the fruits do not soften.

Cucumbers with onions, vodka and vinegar

This salad is also called "Finger". To prepare it you will need:

• 4 kg of cucumbers;
• 150 ml of refined oil;
• 4 heads of onions;
• 1 tbsp. Sahara;
• 100 g of salt;
• 2 heads of garlic;
• 200 ml vinegar;
• 50 ml of vodka;
• ground black pepper to taste.

Recipe:

1. Rinse cucumbers, soak in cold water for 2 hours, or longer. Then cut lengthwise into bars.
2. Cut the onion into half rings.
3. Prepare a marinade from vegetable oil, salt and sugar, add black pepper and spices to taste.
4. Put cucumbers, onions, garlic in a sterile dish, pour marinade, vinegar and vodka on top. Mix everything.
5. Set aside in a warm place, stirring occasionally.
6. When the vegetables let the juice go, put the salad in sterilized jars, pour the marinade to the top.
7. At the bottom of a large pot, place a stand for sterilizing cans or lay out a thick cloth folded in several layers. Put jars into boiling water using a grip, cover with a lid. The sterilization time depends on the volume of cans: for liter cans it takes 8-10 minutes, two-liter cans - 15 minutes, three-liter cans - 20 minutes.
8. Carefully remove the jars with a grip, close with metal sterile lids. Turn it upside down, wrap it up, and leave it until it cools completely.

Recipe with tomatoes and vodka

For the recipe, it is recommended to choose medium-sized tomatoes with a dense skin. Optionally, you can add bell pepper.

Ingredients for a three-liter can:

• 1 liter of water;
• tomato and cucumbers (how many will go into the jar);
• 1 PC. bell pepper;
• 2 shots of vodka;
• a pile of sugar and salt without a slide;
• 4-5 cloves of garlic;
• 4 things. carnations;
• cherry and horseradish leaves;
• dill umbrellas;
• 3 pcs. bay leaf;
• on the tip of a knife of ground coriander and cinnamon.

Recipe:

1. Sterilize clean cans.
2. Chop the herbs and put them together with the spices on the bottom of the jar.
3. Put cucumbers in the first rows, then tomatoes, then again cucumbers. Place the bell pepper quarters on the sides.
4. Boil water, fill jars with brine, leave under the lid. After 10-15 minutes, drain the water into a saucepan.
5. Add salt, sugar to the brine, bring to a boil.
6. Separately, pour vodka into a jar, pour boiling marinade.
7. Roll up the jars with sterilized lids. Turn upside down, wrap with a blanket. Leave for two days until the conservation has cooled completely.

Cold salting

Cold pickling of cucumbers for the winter is the simplest and most proven option for cooking delicious and crunchy cucumbers.

Ingredients for a 3 liter jar:

• cucumbers (how many will be included);
• 1.5 l of water;
• 3 tbsp salt;
• 50 g of vodka;
• 2-3 cloves of garlic;
• 2-3 pcs. dill umbrella;
• horseradish leaves or root;
• 5-6 pcs. cherry leaves;
• 5 allspice peas.

Soak cucumbers in cold water for 2-4 hours in advance. Put spices and some herbs on the bottom of the jar, then cucumbers, then herbs again, and so on until the jar is full. The last layer should be dill umbrellas.

Stir salt in cold water, pour cucumbers. At the very end, add vodka to the jar. Dip the plastic lid in boiling water, and close the jar. Store in a basement or cool place.

Crispy cucumbers with vodka and red currants

Red currants help to preserve the taste and quality of cucumbers, due to the presence of acids in the composition, makes them crisper, protects against fermentation and mold, gives a specific taste.

Ingredients:

• cucumbers;
• 1.5 l of water;
• 50 g sugar;
• 300 g of currants;
• 1 head of garlic;
• 3 tbsp salt;
• 30 g of vodka;
• ½ tbsp. vinegar;
• herbs and herbs to taste.

Recipe:

1. Rinse the currants, separate from the stalks.
2. Put some of the greens into sterile jars, put the cucumbers vertically, then the berries, in this order fill the jar to the top.
3. Boil water and pour over the jars. After 15 minutes, drain the water into a saucepan, add salt and sugar. Bring the brine to a boil, then add vodka and vinegar. Pour cucumbers again for 20 minutes. Boil the brine for the last time, pour into jars, seal with sterile metal lids.

How to properly close cucumbers with vodka for the winter

In order for the cucumbers to turn out delicious and stand all winter, it is important to adhere to the proportions and observe the technique of preservation preparation. It is allowed to slightly adjust the amount of salt and sugar. You can't add a lot of vodka, otherwise you can ruin the recipe, the cucumbers will turn out to be bitter. Choose herbs and spices based on personal preference.

A prerequisite for successful conservation is sterilization of cans and lids. You can choose any method convenient for you. The easiest and fastest is using the oven, since many cans can be accommodated at the same time.

Useful Tips

Experienced chefs share the secrets of how to cook delicious and crispy cucumbers in jars and increase their shelf life:

• soak the pre-purchased fruits in cold water for 2-4 hours before canning;
• the crop harvested from the garden immediately before harvesting, rinse well enough under running water, do not soak;
• cut off the tips on both sides of the cucumber, so they will be salted faster;
• dry mustard, horseradish root, vodka will save the homework from damage, explosion of the can;
• oak bark will make the cucumbers crisper;
• it is better to use purified drinking water;
• choose cucumbers of the same variety and the same size;
• the first row of cucumbers is laid out vertically, the second - at an angle, the last fruits can be laid horizontally;
• the optimal number of black currant leaves per 3-liter jar is not more than 5-6 pcs. Otherwise, the leaf can give fermentation and soapiness to the brine;
• Put a lid made of dense polyethylene in boiling water for 30 seconds so that it softens, and then it will be possible to tightly close the container without effort.

Conclusion

Cucumbers with vodka for the winter is an easy way to prepare a tasty preparation, to avoid spoilage of cans, mold and softening of fruits. There are a large number of recipes for making salted, lightly salted and pickled cucumbers with the addition of an alcoholic drink. Provided you choose the right kind of vegetable and follow the cooking technology, cucumbers always turn out to be tasty, crispy and firm.