Why pickles get soft in the jar and how to prevent it

Pickled cucumbers with fried potatoes are a favorite dish of many adults and children. Salting at home is a simple process if you know a few secrets. A common problem with conservation is fruit softening.

In this article, we will explain why pickles become soft in the jar and how to avoid it. We will teach you what spices are best to put, how much salt to take in order to get strong and crunchy fruits.

Why pickles get soft

It happens that you open a jar, take out a cucumber, and it literally falls apart in your hands. The question immediately arises: why do vegetables become soft when salted? It is impossible to answer this question unequivocally: there can be many reasons.

Sterilization errors

 

Cucumbers are rolled up in cold and hot ways. They are salted, fermented, pickled. When preserving in glass jars, it is important to adhere to some rules.

The first rule is thoroughly washed vegetables and properly processed containers.

The second is the thermal processing mode.

The slightest violation of the sterilization technology can lead to the following problems:

• swollen lids;
• clouding of brine;
• violation of the structure of the fruit;
• change in the taste of salting.

Errors that inexperienced housewives make during conservation:

1. Dirty containers or vegetables, non-sterile lids.
2. Violation of the temperature regime.
3. Dishes not suitable for sterilization.
4. Wrapping cans after pasteurization.

Leakage violation

The next reason why pickles become soft in the jar is leakage. Air enters the resulting hole and the preservation deteriorates.

This is due to a number of factors:

• poor quality preservation lids;
• faulty rolling key;
• loose seaming;
• mechanical damage during storage.

Attention! After twisting, turn the can upside down to check for leaks. If air and liquid do not come out, then the roll is strong.

Exposure to pectolytic enzymes

Sometimes we notice a viscous mold on top of the brine. It occurs due to the ingress of molds into conservation. Under the influence of enzymes, protopectin (an insoluble substance in the cell walls of plants) is converted into pectin (a water-soluble substance) and pectic acid. As a result, the fruit becomes empty and soft inside.

If you notice a problem, do not rush to throw away the canning.

Take the following activities:

1. Remove mold.
2. Drain the brine.
3. Add salt to taste.
4. Boil for 3 minutes.
5. Pour the brine into the jars and roll up with new sterile lids.

To improve the taste of the product, add spices containing tannins that fight fungi. These include oak bark and leaves, garlic, horseradish root.

Advice! To prevent the appearance of mold, dry mustard powder is sprinkled over the brine. You can also use grated horseradish. It will add firmness to the cucumbers.

Incorrect preparation of brine

Brine preparation is one of the main points in conservation. Violation of technology leads to a change in taste and souring of the fruit.

Cooking errors:

1. Little salt. To avoid this, put 1-1.5 tbsp. spoons per liter jar.
2. Lack of vinegar.Add 70 g of vinegar to a three-liter jar.
3. Use citric acid instead of vinegar.
4. The use of iodized salt or "Extra".
5. Fermentation during salting, that is, prolonged fermentation. The usual fermentation period is 3 days.

When salting, hot and cold methods of pouring brine are used.

There are several nuances when preserving with cold water:

1. Brine water is taken clean, purified or well.
2. Coarse salt is used. "Extra" and iodized negatively affect the taste and hardness of the fruit.
3. A moderate amount of salt is added: 1-1.5 tbsp. spoons per liter of water.
4. The hardness of the water should be medium. The soft liquid softens the cucumbers, while the hard liquid gives them an iron flavor.
5. Choose the right spices. Leaves of black currant, horseradish, oak, cloves of garlic and dill inflorescences are suitable. Lovers of exotic add celery, basil, mint or marjoram.

Important! Large amounts of garlic reduce the crunchiness of the fruit.

If you wish, you can cook lightly salted cucumbers. The principle of salting is the same as with conventional preservation, only the salting process takes place in 1-2 days. Such fruits are not stored for more than a week, they are eaten immediately. It happens that some of them become limp. The main reason for this is the lack of salt.

Mistakes when stacking cucumbers

When salting, they also pay attention to the laying of the fruits:

1. Insufficient density of arrangement violates the ratio of brine and fruits and leads to the softness of the latter.
2. In large containers, due to the increased pressure, the lower layers become soft. Therefore, it is better to use cans up to 3 liters.
3. The brine should cover the vegetables 3-4 cm above the surface.
4. The fruits for conservation are chosen of the same size.

Substandard cucumbers

Good preservation can only be obtained from healthy and strong fruits. Unfortunately, sometimes vegetables appear in the beds, which quickly become soft.

There are several reasons for this:

1. Improper nutrition of vegetables: excess nitrogen fertilizers.
2. Insufficient watering: dry soil negatively affects plants.
3. Unfavorable weather conditions: heat, cold, lack of light.

It is impossible to use low-quality fruits for salting.

Consider these factors when choosing vegetables:

1. The fruit should be small. Gherkins are great.
2. The skin should be free of yellow spots, with pimples.
3. Fruits are suitable without damage with small seeds.
4. Large or yellow cucumbers are not suitable for preservation.

Attention! Harvested vegetables are used within 24 hours.

Another reason for the softness of pickles is the wrong variety. For preservation, choose varieties with a thin skin and a high sugar content (for example, varieties Nezhinsky, Rodnichok).

Incorrect storage

Often, improper storage conditions for preservation lead to softening of cucumbers. At high temperatures in pickles, lactic acid is destroyed, which acts as a preservative. The fruits lose their taste and turn sour.

Important! The optimum storage temperature is up to +3 ° C. The best place is the cellar.

Failure to comply with the shelf life also negatively affects the taste. Any preparation should be consumed within 1-3 years.

How to pickle cucumbers correctly

Each housewife has her own recipes. To get strong and crunchy canned fruits, follow these basic rules:

1. They start with the preparation of containers. The cans are washed with a baking soda solution and steamed or fried in the oven.
2. Freshly harvested strong fruits of the same size are taken for salting.
3. Only pickled varieties are used.
4. Before the procedure, the fruits are thoroughly washed and soaked in cold water for 4-6 hours.
5. To prevent the vegetables from losing their color during conservation, they are poured with boiling water before being placed in cold water.

There are two ways to prepare for the winter: salting and pickling. Consider how to pickle cucumbers without sterilization.

It is interesting:

How to prepare delicious pickled cucumbers with grape vinegar.

How to cook pickled cucumbers in a bag quickly and tasty.

Filling with hot mortar

The algorithm is simple:

1. Spices are placed in a clean dish: horseradish leaf, 3 currant leaves, 3 garlic cloves, dill inflorescence, 2 oak leaves, 2 cherry leaves.
2. Cucumbers are washed and placed tightly in jars.
3. Dilute salt in cold water and pour in vegetables so that the water is 3-4 cm higher. Take 1 tbsp per liter jar. a spoonful of salt with a slide.
4. Leave to ferment for 3 days.
5. Then the brine is drained and boiled for 2-3 minutes, constantly removing the foam.
6. Cucumbers and spices are washed in running water and again tightly packed into jars.
7. Pour in hot brine and immediately roll up with iron lids.

Such blanks are well stored on shelves at home.

Important! If the summer is hot, then the cucumbers are sterilized before rolling. Three-liter cans stand for 5 minutes, liter cans - 2-3 minutes.

Cold workpiece

This requires:

1. Prepare containers, wash vegetables. Banks are not sterilized.
2. A set of spices can be used from the first recipe, if desired, add basil, bay leaf, parsley.
3. Put spices, cucumbers, pour salt (50 g per liter jar). Fill with cold water, close with plastic lids and immediately remove to a cool place.

Such blanks are stored only in the cellar or refrigerator.

Pickling

These vegetables are prepared with vinegar and sterilized. The proportions of the brine in a three-liter jar: 70 g of 9% vinegar, 2 tbsp. tablespoons of sugar, 1 tbsp. a spoonful of salt.

Cooking method:

1. We put the spices pre-cut into large parts in clean jars. Add cucumbers on top with a dense layer. Cover with lids, let stand for 2 hours, so that the vegetables absorb the aroma of herbs.
2. Cooking the brine. We measure out the required amount of water, bring it to a boil. Dissolve the sugar and salt.
3. Pour the brine into jars. We pasteurize liter cans for 5 minutes, three-liter - 10.
4. Add vinegar to each jar and roll up immediately.
5. Turn the blanks upside down and let cool.

Tips

Little secrets will improve the quality and taste of preservation:

1. Add 3-5 mustard seeds or 1 tbsp. a spoonful of vodka. This will prevent the workpiece from ripping off the covers.
2. Putting a piece of horseradish root in the top of the jar can help prevent mold.
3. A small piece of oak bark will make the fruit crisp.
4. To make the cucumbers saline faster, cut their tails off.
5. To increase crunchiness, an aspirin tablet is added to the conservation.
6. A teaspoon of mustard will make the vegetables crispy.

Advice! Do not put fruits of different sizes in one jar. Large cucumbers are salted for a long time, small ones - quickly.

Recommendations from experienced housewives

To understand why salted fruits are soft, and to avoid the problem, the advice of experienced chefs will help:

Nina: «Pickled cucumbers become soft due to moldy fungi getting into preservation. I had this problem until I started using mustard powder. I add it before spinning, 1 teaspoon per three-liter jar. "

Peter: “The reason for the softness of pickles is the wrong variety. I choose those that are salted. I also add an aspirin tablet to the brine. "

Marya: “I've been closing cucumbers for a long time. I realized one thing: the vegetables after pasteurization should cool quickly. I don't wrap them up. I use only young fruits for salting. "

Read also:

What are red cucumbers (Tladianta Doubtful), what are they good for.

Causes and treatment methods for black plaque on cucumber leaves in a greenhouse.

How to pinch cucumbers correctly - when and why it is needed.

Conclusion

There are many reasons for the softness of canned cucumbers - from mistakes in sterilizing dishes and stacking fruits to improper preparation of brine and exposure to pectolytic enzymes. Salting cucumbers so that they turn out to be tasty and crispy is not difficult.

Sterile dishes, clean vegetables, correctly selected spices are the key to success.Herbs with tannins in the composition (oak leaves, horseradish root) will give the vegetables strength. Mustard powder will get rid of mold. Different methods of salting have their own cooking secrets that will make the preparations of high quality.