Shelves in the pantry with lots of cans with stewed fruit, preserves, pickles and marinades are a welcome sight for any housewife. How delicious red tomatoes look on the background of green pimply cucumbers, orange bell pepper, bright zucchini, coupled with caviar of different varieties, adjika, etc.! True, in order for all this splendor to appear, the hostess has to work hard. And to know the many subtleties of certain recipes. Let's talk today about the methods of pickling cucumbers.
Little tricks
We all love sour, crispy cucumbers. Salting them, however, is not quite a simple matter. Let's start with the product itself. Vegetables with a dark green peel and a lot of pimples are suitable for harvesting in general. If they are spicy, it means that the cucumbers were recently removed from the bush and did not have time to plant. But if you bought already sodden, put them in cold water for several hours. Small cucumbers are put whole in jars. Large salting is made either in barrels or in plastic tubs. Or cut them into circles with a thickness of 2-2.5 cm and also place them in bottles or other glass containers.
Now spices. Garlic, dill, hot pepper must be added to the brine and marinade . Garlic gives vegetables a special pleasant aftertaste. Pepper - pungency. And thanks to the dill, any fruit - even tomatoes, even cucumbers - becomes unusually fragrant and mouth-watering. Salting allows you to use both fresh seasoning and dried. The strength, crunchiness is not lost by the vegetables lying in the brine, thanks to the oak and cherry leaves. Slices of red beets will add a light, pleasant sweetish flavor to pickled cucumbers , if they are also placed in cans or barrels. The leaves and roots of horseradish will add their flavor and aroma to the product. Cucumbers, the salting of which includes, among other ingredients, currant leaves and tarragon, acquire a peculiar spice and astringency. And finally, the last remark: for brines and marinades, take only ordinary table salt, without iodine additives. Otherwise, your workpieces will be unpleasantly brown in color, their taste will become frankly iodine. And now the recipes!
Barrel Cucumbers
First, we will tell you how to pickle cucumbers in a barrel or tub (tub). The container itself must be soaked, thoroughly washed, doused with boiling water so that there are no extraneous odors and harmful microbes. Sort cucumbers, wash. The tips can not be cut. Cover the bottom of the container with clean leaves of oak, cherry, etc. Put garlic, chopped into slices, sprigs and dill umbrellas, slices of hot pepper. Then lay out a layer of cucumbers. Putting them tightly, horizontally. Between the rows again make layers of spices and seasonings. Lastly lay a layer of dill. Pour brine, which is prepared from the calculation: a bucket of water / 600-700 g of salt / 2-3 heads of garlic / 4-5 hot peppers. The rest is to your taste. The brine should cover vegetables 3 cm. Put oppression on top, cover with a clean towel, and let the cucumbers sour. They will be ready in about a month and a half. Store in a cool place.
Cucumbers in banks
Salting of cucumbers in jars is done in approximately the same way, only their lower tails are cut off. Dill, seasoning leaves, garlic, allspice, hot pepper are also placed at the bottom of the cans. Then the cucumbers themselves: to the bottom are those that are larger, closer to the neck - which is smaller. Distribute vertically, tightly, if necessary - shake the cans. Above are dill umbrellas. Depending on the volume of the jar, from 1 to 3 tablespoons of salt are put in each and pour boiling water. Banks are covered with lids and left to sour for 5-6 days. When the cucumbers are sufficiently salted, the brine is poured into a pan and boiled. Cucumbers and spices are washed in running water, again stored in banks, poured with boiling brine, where you can add a spoonful of vinegar to the jar. Then roll up.
The proposed recipes are pleasant in that they are simple, easy to execute, and the cucumbers are surprisingly tasty.