Delicious crispy lightly salted cucumbers: how to cook with cold brine

It is not always possible to consume all the fresh cucumbers collected immediately in the summer, and housewives think about processing the rich harvest. Lightly salted cucumbers - An excellent appetizer and addition to main courses. There are many cooking options.

Today we’ll tell you how to prepare lightly salted cucumbers at home easily and quickly in cold brine.

Features of preparing lightly salted cucumbers in cold brine

Housewives appreciate this method for its ease of preparation and excellent taste of the finished product.

Benefits of Cold Brine

Cold salting has many advantages over classic option involving the use of hot marinade:

• vegetables have a richer taste;
• the fruits remain crispy;
• no need to waste time cooking brine;
• takes very little time;
• the product retains its beneficial properties;
• cucumbers do not become watery.

In addition to the advantages, cold salting has One significant drawback is that such a snack cannot be stored for longer than a week. But if the cucumbers are placed in sterilized jars, filled with brine and sealed tightly with lids, they can be kept in the refrigerator all winter.

What taste does it give

This method allows you to preserve the natural taste of cucumbers, leaving them elastic and crispy. Cold brine only imparts the aroma of spices and additives to vegetables, makes cucumbers salty, but does not deprive them of their natural fresh taste.

Attention! The more the cucumbers are salted, the darker their color.

The importance of clean water

The quality of the liquid affects the taste and shelf life of lightly salted cucumbers. Using water with impurities or from a tap will quickly spoil the snack; vegetables will absorb foreign odors, which will adversely affect the taste. Therefore, it is important to prepare cold brine from clean, filtered water, preferably spring water.

Advice. To improve the quality of water, pour it into an enamel pan, place a silver spoon or a clean copper object on the bottom, close the lid and leave for 2-3 hours.

How to make cucumbers crispy

Before salting, vegetables are soaked in cold water for 3-4 hours. This procedure makes them stronger, resulting in crispy lightly salted cucumbers. Blackcurrant leaves added to the preparation also help to achieve crunch.

Preparation

Before you start pickling, vegetables are processed and suitable containers are prepared. This allows you to get a quality product and finish cooking quickly.

Capacities

For pickling, it is better to use an enamel, glass or ceramic pan. It is convenient to place fruits in it and remove the finished product for eating or moving into jars. You will also need to prepare a lid or large plate to cover the container.

The container needs to be prepared:

1. Wash the pan thoroughly.
2. Scald with boiling water and wipe with a soft towel.
3. Leave to dry completely.

A pressure is placed on the lid or plate to press down the cucumbers in the pan. To do this, they usually use a large stone or a jar filled with water. Before this, the stone is cleaned of dust and dirt, washed with dish soap and doused with boiling water.

Ingredients

Choose high-quality fruits, since the final result of pickling will depend on them.

Prefer:

• representatives of pickling varieties and hybrids: Zozulya f1, Courage f1, Parisian gherkin, Phoenix;
• small fruits with thin skin and small tubercles (thick-skinned and smooth salad vegetables are not suitable);
• fresh, firm-fleshed, crispy.

Cucumbers of the same size are processed in one pickling procedure. Then they will be salted and ready at the same time. Cucumbers are thoroughly washed and soaked in clean water.

The salt you choose also matters. It is recommended to use stone, coarsely ground.

Attention! Iodized, fine and sea salt are not suitable for these purposes, as they make the cucumbers soft and take away their crunch.

How to cold pickle cucumbers

Use one of the methods for pickling cucumbers that we have selected and please your loved ones with a delicious snack.

Simple recipe

This recipe can be considered a classic version of cooking lightly salted vegetables in cold brine. It takes very little time, and the first sample is taken within a day.

You will need:

• cucumbers - 5 kg;
• dill umbrellas - 6 pcs.;
• garlic - 10 cloves;
• black currant and cherry leaves - 5-10 pcs.;
• allspice - 5 peas;
• horseradish leaves - 3 pcs.

Calculate the amount of water yourself, it depends on the size of the container. Remember that the liquid should completely cover the cucumbers. To prepare the brine, salt is dissolved in water at the rate of 70 g per 1 liter.

For the rest, follow the instructions:

1. Wash the cucumbers and soak in cold water for 2 hours.
2. Peel the garlic cloves and scald all the leaves with boiling water.
3. Place half of the additional ingredients in a container.
4. Fill it with vegetables and top with the remaining leaves, umbrellas and spices.
5. Pour the brine over the fruits and close the lid tightly.
6. Leave at room temperature for 1-2 days until ready.

In a bag with garlic and dill

This recipe is universal and very light. Prepare the components:

• cucumbers - 1 kg;
• salt - 1.5 tbsp. l.;
• granulated sugar - 0.5 tbsp. l.;
• garlic - 3 large cloves;
• dill - 1 small bunch.

Use a strong plastic bag and fruits up to 10 cm long.

Follow the instructions:

1. Wash the vegetables and cut off the ends on both sides.
2. Peel the garlic and cut into thin slices.
3. Finely chop the dill or use it whole.
4. Place all ingredients in a bag, add sugar and salt, shake several times so that the spices are evenly distributed.
5. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.

With cold mineral water

Cucumbers turn out tasty and crispy if you mix the brine with mineral water.

Prepare a large pan, and for 3 kg of small cucumbers take:

• mineral water - 3 l;
• garlic - 1 large head;
• dill - 1 large bunch with umbrellas;
• coarse salt - 5 tbsp. l.

Cooking method:

1. Dissolve salt in a glass of mineral water and combine with the rest of the water.
2. Rinse the bunch of greens thoroughly, shake off excess moisture and divide into two parts. Cover the bottom of the container first.
3. Fill the pan with clean cucumbers, placing them horizontally.
4. Peel the garlic cloves, chop finely and add to the cucumbers.
5. Cover the vegetables with the remaining dill and fill with brine from mineral water.
6. Press down with a clean plate and place a weight on top.
7. Leave the appetizer to cook at room temperature for 12-14 hours.
8. Store prepared cucumbers in the refrigerator.

With soy sauce and herbs

Spicy cucumbers in an Asian style have an unusual salty-sweet taste and pleasant spiciness. This appetizer will be a great addition to the holiday table.

Ingredients:

• cucumbers - 2 kg;
• vegetable oil - 4 tbsp. l.;
• soy sauce - 6 tbsp. l.;
• salt - 2 tbsp. l.;
• garlic - 5 cloves;
• dill and parsley - one bunch each;
• sesame seeds - 2 tbsp. l.;
• ground pepper - 2 pinches.

Thai-style lightly salted cucumbers are prepared without water; the finished appetizer resembles a salad. You can try it within 2 hours after preparation or put it in sterilized jars for the winter.

Cooking algorithm:

1. Cut off the ends of the cucumbers, cut each lengthwise into 4 elongated slices.
2. Place the vegetables in a saucepan, mix with salt and leave for 20 minutes. Be sure to drain the released juice.
3. Finely chop the greens and garlic, add to the cucumbers along with soy sauce, sesame seeds, vegetable oil and pepper.
4. Mix thoroughly, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.

Other recipes

There are others recipes cold pickling of cucumbers.

Fans of spicy dishes will appreciate fiery cucumbers with hot peppers:

1. Divide the bunches of parsley and dill umbrellas into 2 parts. Place the bottom of the pan first, add half a pod of hot pepper and two cloves of garlic.
2. Fill the container with 1 kg of small cucumbers, cover them with the remaining herbs, horseradish and cherry leaves and the other half of the pepper.
3. Dissolve 350 g of salt in 3 liters of drinking water and pour into a saucepan.
4. Cover with a wide plate and press down with pressure.
5. In a week you can taste the cucumbers to see if they are ready.

You can cut the pod into rings or slices, and then distribute them between the rows of cucumbers. The degree of spiciness depends on the amount of hot pepper.

Spicy vegetables with grainy mustard are prepared as follows:

1. Cut 1 kg of cucumbers into rings 0.5-1 cm thick.
2. Place half a lemon in boiling water for 30 seconds and squeeze out the juice.
3. Combine the juice with 2 tsp. granulated sugar, 1 tbsp. l. mustard and 1 tsp. salt.
4. Place the cucumbers in a saucepan and fill with the resulting brine.
5. Close the lid and shake to distribute the liquid evenly throughout the vegetables.
6. Place in the refrigerator for a day.

The appetizer will be ready faster if it is left to salt at room temperature. In this case, 6 hours will be enough.

Cooking tips

Advice from experienced housewives will help you get a healthy and tasty snack:

1. Cut off the ends of purchased fruits, as nitrates accumulate in them.
2. Cucumbers placed vertically in a container take up more space, but salt out faster.
3. Currant leaves improve the taste, but accelerate the formation of mold.

Storage recommendations

Lightly salted cucumbers should be stored in the refrigerator for no longer than 1-2 weeks.

To extend shelf life, distribute the finished snack into sterilized jars and seal.

Conclusion

Crispy lightly salted cucumbers with cold brine are prepared without preservatives or vinegar, so they retain their natural taste and remain elastic. Thanks to a large number of different recipes, you can always prepare a snack to suit your taste - hot, spicy or mild.