Canned cucumbers are an indispensable attribute of the Russian feast. In the old days, cucumbers were salted in oak tubs. This vegetable came to Russia from the Byzantines. And its name comes from the Greek "ogyros", which means "immature".
The choice of cucumbers for canning
Cucumbers are a healthy and incredibly tasty, very productive vegetable. It contains many mineral compounds, vitamins, but at the same time its energy value remains low. Cucumbers ripen in July, early August. To preserve the harvest, housewives resort to various canning methods. Cucumbers can be salted, pickled, fermented. You cannot freeze them, since after defrosting their consistency becomes very soft.
For canning, firm and fresh fruits without signs of spoilage are suitable. Before starting processing, cucumbers need to be sorted out, sorting out even specimens with small damaged areas. If you neglect this rule, the workpieces will not be stored. Rinse the cucumbers well. Vegetables contaminated with soil can be gently rubbed with a brush. It is recommended to soak them in cold water for 2-4 hours before salting and pickling. During this period, the water must be changed at least once. This procedure will help make the cucumbers thicker and crisper.
Salted cucumbers
Pickled cucumbers are a great snack that can decorate any table. Vinegar is not used for salting, which makes the preparation more useful. To prepare pickled cucumbers you will need:
- 1, 5-2 kg of small cucumbers;
- 3 tbsp salt (preferably coarse, not iodized);
- 2-3 cloves of garlic;
- horseradish leaf;
- small dill umbrella;
- 2-3 peas of black and allspice.
Cooking steps:
- Sort cucumbers, rinse, soak in cold water. Put vegetables in a three-liter jar. It is desirable that a minimum of empty spaces remain in the jar. During processing, cucumbers will decrease in volume.
- Peel the cloves of garlic, cut each in half and place in a jar. Rinse the horseradish leaf and the dill umbrella, roll them up and put them in the jar too. Pour salt, black pepper and allspice on the cucumbers.
- Pour boiled chilled water over the cucumbers to the edges of the jar. Close the neck with a nylon cap. You can shake the jar or turn it over so that the salt dissolves faster throughout the brine. Place the jar in a cool place for 3 days. During this time, fermentation processes will take place. Foam will appear on the surface of the water.
- After 3 days, pour the water from the cucumbers into a saucepan, put on the fire, bring to a boil and pour over the cucumbers with hot brine. After 10 minutes, pour the brine into a saucepan again, bring to a boil and pour over the cucumbers, and then roll them up with sterile lids. It is convenient to use special nylon caps with holes to drain the liquid. If there is not enough brine to fill the jar to the brim, you can add water to it at the boil stage.
- Turn the jars with the lids down, placing them on a flat wooden surface. Wrap the jars with a warm blanket and, after cooling completely, store in a cool place.
Pickles
Pickled cucumbers are delicious, dense and crispy. To prepare them you will need:
- 1, 5-2 kg of small cucumbers;
- 2 cloves of garlic;
- a little salt (2 tablespoons);
- some spices (2-3 peas of black and allspice);
- 3 tbsp sugar;
- 2 dill umbrellas;
- 2 black currant leaves;
- a piece of horseradish root;
- 1 tbsp. l vinegar essence (70%).
Cooking steps:
- Rinse the cucumbers, cut off the side parts of each fruit by 0.5-1 cm. Put the vegetables in a basin and pour cold water for 2-4 hours.
- Sterilize banks. The specified amount of products is enough for 1 three-liter jar. You can use 3 liter jars if the cucumbers are small. Put currant leaves, dill umbrellas, pepper or other spices at the bottom of the glass container. Peel the horseradish root, rinse well and put on the bottom of the can. Peel the garlic and put in a jar, or cut the cloves and arrange in jars.
- Fill the container with cucumbers, tamping them so that there are as few empty spaces as possible.
- Pour water (1, 2-1, 4 l) into a saucepan, add salt and sugar, bring to a boil and pour cucumber jars with hot brine, cover with lids. After 10 minutes, pour the brine into a saucepan. Repeat the procedure 2 more times.
- When the brine is poured into the jars for the last time, add vinegar essence to each jar and roll up with sterile lids. Add 1 tbsp of essence to a three-liter jar. 1 tsp is enough for a liter jar. You can tighten the blanks with screw caps, having previously sterilized them. In this case, the essence can be replaced with 9% table vinegar. Instead of 1 tbsp. l essences need to be poured 8 tablespoons of table vinegar. It is best to add it directly to the pot before turning off the stove.
The proportions of salt and sugar in the marinade can be adjusted. Sugar gives the billet a softer taste. In order not to be mistaken, it is better to taste the brine before pouring. The amount of vinegar can also be adjusted. If you don't want the cucumbers to turn out sour, you can reduce the amount of essence to a dessert or even a teaspoon per 3 liter jar. But you need to be careful with the storage of such a workpiece, since a decrease in the concentration of vinegar increases the risk of spoilage.
Cucumbers in tomato sauce
The addition of tomato juice makes homemade preparations even more delicious. To prepare such an interesting snack you will need:
- 3 kg of dense and small cucumbers;
- 100 g of salt (preferably coarse, not iodized);
- 2 liters of tomato juice;
- a little spice;
- 2 laurel leaves;
- 2-3 cloves of garlic;
- sweet pepper;
- hot pepper (half a pod can be);
- 2 tbsp. l sugar.
Cooking steps:
- Rinse the cucumbers, cut off the side parts of each fruit. Soak vegetables for 5 hours in cold water. If the cucumbers are large, you can cut them lengthwise or across into 2-4 pieces.
- Peel the sweet pepper, remove the seeds, cut into long slices. Cut the bitter pepper into 2-4 pieces lengthwise. Peel the garlic cloves.
- Put prepared cucumbers, bay leaves, garlic, peppers in jars. You can also add spices. Black and allspice peas are perfect. You can also use clove buds, but carefully so that the aroma of the workpiece does not turn out to be very pronounced.
- Pour tomato juice into a saucepan, add salt and sugar and bring to a boil. Pour tomato sauce over the jars.
- Place a towel on the bottom of a large saucepan, put jars on it, cover with lids and pour water. Water should hide the glass container 2/3 of the height. Sterilize the workpiece for 15 minutes, then tighten the lids.
Mustard cucumbers
The mustard recipe is considered one of the most successful. It is very simple, but the preparation is tasty and original. To prepare it you will need:
- 1-2 kg of cucumbers;
- a little spice;
- 1, 5 Art. l mustard seeds;
- 2 onions;
- 2 tbsp. l salt;
- a little vinegar 9%;
- a little sugar (3 tbsp);
- greens (dill, currant leaves).
Cooking steps:
- Rinse the cucumbers, cut off the sides, soak the vegetables for 3 hours. Peel the onions and cut into thick circles.
- Put the washed greens on the bottom in sterile jars. Currant leaves and dill umbrellas will do. They give the workpiece a unique aroma. You can also put cherry leaves.
- Place cucumbers and onion circles neatly in jars, add 2-3 peas of black and allspice to each, and sprinkle mustard seeds. Some housewives add dry mustard powder to the preparation. Cucumbers in this case are tasty, but the brine becomes cloudy.
- To cook the marinade, you need to bring about 1, 2 liters of water to a boil, pour salt and sugar into a saucepan. Pour the marinade into jars, cover with lids, and after 10 minutes drain and boil again, then pour the jars again. Add a little vinegar to each jar. Half a tablespoon of the essence is enough for a three-liter workpiece.
- Roll up the jars with lids, turn them over, wrap them up and, after cooling, put them in a cool place.
Pickled, pickled cucumbers are best stored in a cool room, especially if the workpieces have not been sterilized. They can be served as an independent snack or added to various salads.
