Salting cucumbers without vinegar: features, methods and recommendations

Each year, at the end of summer, the time for spins comes. Cucumbers, tomatoes, salads, lecho, compotes - all this is prepared for the winter. Many follow proven recipes; others often experiment. For example, you can try salting cucumbers without vinegar. Many say that without it it will turn out tasteless, sourness must be. But in some recipes other spices and seasonings are enough - the appetizer still turns out to be very tasty. To verify this, you can consider recipes for pickling cucumbers without vinegar and the next time you should definitely try to make one of them.

Preparing cucumbers for pickling

Despite the version of the recipe for pickling cucumbers (without vinegar or with vinegar), it is necessary to prepare vegetables correctly. First you need to sort them into two groups: those that are smaller, into one, those that are larger, into the other. We will need this later, when putting them in jars. All cucumbers need to be washed with cool water and soak them for 3-4 hours in another cool water. After this, it is necessary to thoroughly wash each cucumber, preferably with a sponge, but in no case with a detergent! Using excess chemistry will not lead to anything good. It is best to pickle cucumbers on the same day that they are picked.

Preparing cans for use

Now very few people pickle cucumbers in barrels, but there are some. Now let's talk about how to prepare cans for pickling cucumbers (without vinegar or with it, it does not play any role). To begin with, all the banks must be carefully examined for possible cracks or chips - they should not be in any case, otherwise either the cucumbers may turn sour or the banks may crack, any option is unlikely to suit any, therefore it is better to avoid them. Next, the jars should be washed in as warm water as possible with a clean (better if it will be new) sponge. It is safest to use soda as a detergent - it will remove all possible dirt from the walls of cans and can easily be washed off with warm water.

Sterilization of cans for pickling cucumbers

After washing the cans, they need to be sterilized. Of course, there are ways to pickle cucumbers without vinegar and without sterilizing the container, but the advice of an experienced housewife is to spend some of your precious time and do it, there will be more confidence that the banks will not explode and remain intact.

Oddly enough, there are a lot of ways to sterilize. You can do this over steam, in boiling water, in the microwave, in the oven, in the dishwasher, or in potassium permanganate. To choose the appropriate method, you need to consider each of them.

1. Over the steam. To do this, you need to take the pan with the largest diameter - so you can immediately sterilize more cans. A small amount of water should be put to boil and put on the pan on top of the grill or a special circle (which many had in Soviet times), put the already washed jar upside down. After boiling water, the fire under the pan can be reduced and left in this state for 10-15 minutes. How to understand if the banks are clean? If after boiling on the walls inside the jar there are no drops of water left - the jar is clean and ready for use. But in the event that there are drops, you need to rinse the cans and sterilize them again (after cooling). After that, repeat the procedure.
2. In boiling water. This method is suitable if pickling jars are small. The washed jars should be put in a pan and pour cool water on them so that it completely covers each jar. Put the pan on the fire and after boiling water "cook" for 5-7 minutes. It is important that sterilized jars should be placed on clean material, preferably pre-ironed.
3. In an electric oven. A gas oven is not suitable, since the temperature inside it does not rise evenly, and in the process of sterilizing cans it is very important. Cans should be placed in the oven upside down, turned on 120 degrees and left for 15 minutes.

Lazy sterilization options

1. In the microwave. To sterilize cans in a microwave oven, it is necessary to fill each of them with water a little, otherwise they will simply crack. If the can is high, it can be put on its side, but water must be poured. Set the power of 800-900 watts and turn on for 3 minutes. Sterilized banks are ready!
2. In the dishwasher. To do this, put the cans washed with soda inside and put at the maximum temperature - no detergent will come in handy.
3. In potassium permanganate. This method is suitable if it is completely inconvenient to boil water, install complex structures or simply do not have enough time. After washing with soda, each jar must be rinsed in a bright pink solution of potassium permanganate.

Preparation of spices and seasonings

It doesn’t matter in what way the cucumbers will be cooked, but all the spices and seasonings must be properly prepared. In almost any recipe for pickling cucumbers without vinegar, currant, cherry and horseradish leaves are placed in jars. All of them need to be thoroughly washed and dried. It is better to do this with a clean, preferably ironed cloth. Pouring boiling water over greens is not necessary, as this will wash off a certain amount of taste, which should go into the cucumbers.

Options for pickling cucumbers for the winter without vinegar

Experienced housewives can advise many ways to cook cucumbers without acetic acid. For example, for those who like a certain sourness in taste, there is a method of salting with citric acid or aspirin. Fans of spicy foods can make cucumbers with horseradish, garlic or hot chili peppers, and fans of new spicy tastes can use cloves, bay leaves, allspice, mint, marjoram, oregano, basil, tarragon and so on. Also, the palette of tastes of pickles is growing due to the main difference in the methods of pickling cucumbers: hot or cold. For clarity, we will analyze several different recipes for pickling cucumbers for the winter without vinegar.

Cold salting method

For this option you will need:

• small cucumbers;
• cold water;
• salt;
• greens and spices (currant leaf, horseradish, dill, garlic, black peppercorns).

After washing and sterilizing the cans, we go directly to the pickling of cucumbers. To do this, lay the greens and spices in layers on the bottom of the can. For spicy taste, you can add bay leaf, for hot - a few slices of hot pepper. Then we lay out the cucumbers, standing better and as densely as possible. The top layer, which is closer to the neck, can already be laid and lying down, only use the cucumbers as small as possible so that they lie denser.

We prepare the brine: in a separate container we mix cool water with salt in the ratio of 100 g of salt per 1 liter of water. It is better to use rock salt, so cucumbers will be more crispy. Pour the cucumbers with the resulting liquid almost to the neck - 1-2 centimeters can be left - and close with a nylon cover.

So cucumbers should stand for 4-5 days until the brine is transparent (all sediment will remain at the bottom). As soon as the brine becomes clear, it can be drained and filled with new clean water. Such a procedure can be carried out until all the cloudy sediment is released, but this is not necessary. After we prepare the lids (for 5-10 minutes they should boil in a saucepan with water) and roll the cucumbers ready for salting.

It is important to pour water at the very edges of the can so that there is no air inside. So they can stand at room temperature, and in a cold place at least all winter.

A hot way to pickle cucumbers without vinegar

This option of cooking cucumbers will appeal to those who like softer, with an interesting aroma, but not very sharp cucumbers. For salting 1 kg of cucumbers you will need:

• half a teaspoon of citric acid or one effervescent aspirin tablet;
• 2-3 cloves of garlic;
• carrot;
• dill umbrella;
• a quarter of green pepper;
• horseradish leaf;
• 1.5 tbsp. l salts;
• 1 tbsp. l Sahara;
• 3-4 peas of black pepper.
  

Prepare jars and cucumbers. Peel the carrots and garlic, chop. At the bottom of the can fit: carrots, garlic, herbs, peppers. From above go cucumbers (which are larger - down, smaller - up). Pour boiling water into the cans and wait until everything has cooled down (about 30 minutes). Then carefully pour the water into the pan, add sugar and salt (by the amount of water), boil. Pour cans with the resulting brine and immediately roll up. Wrap the blanket until it cools completely. Store better in a dark cool place.

Option for pickling cucumbers for storage in the apartment

Many of us do not have the ability to store our blanks in a cellar or basement. In order for the cucumbers to stand for a long time and not deteriorate, it is very important to cook them correctly. For this method, per 1 kg of cucumbers will require:

• 1 liter of water;
• 60 g of salt;
• spices and seasonings to taste.

Arrange cucumbers and greens in banks, pour hot brine, leave for 3 days. Drain the brine into the pan, pour the cucumbers twice with clean boiling water. After pour boiling brine and roll.

When choosing any method of salting, it is important to follow the simple rules of canning, and then any workpiece will be very tasty!