How to pickle Chinese long cucumbers for the winter and is it possible to do it?

Although long Chinese cucumbers are considered an exotic product, pickling them is not much different from preparing ordinary cucumbers for the winter. Following simple recommendations and taking into account the features of this miracle product, it is easy to prepare excellent pickles from it, which differ favorably from the usual ones with their pleasant aroma.

From the article you will learn how to pickle long Chinese cucumbers for the winter.

Description and characteristics of Chinese cucumbers

Chinese cucumbers - a special variety of culture bred in China relatively recently. They differ from ordinary ones in biological characteristics, size and taste.

Almost all Chinese cucumbers have more than long fruits than ordinary ones, and never are bitter. The length of the fruit reaches 80-90 cm. The bushes of the plant are similar to a vine - long, with large leaves, thick stems and abundant ovaries.

Each layer produces 3-4 fruits with a diameter of about 7.5 cm and a length of 50 to 80 cm, with dark green skin and a pimpled or smooth surface. The seeds of the fruit remain small and soft as it grows.

The plant bears fruit until frost. The crop grows on any soil - it is unpretentious and does not require special conditions.

The fruit tastes sweetish, with crispy, dense pulp, and smells like watermelon or melon. Even when overgrown, they do not lose density or turn yellow, and their seeds do not become coarse.

Attention. Cucumbers with light spikes are used for salads, and those with dark ones are used for preservation.

Features of pickling long Chinese cucumbers

At first glance, it seems that this plant is unsuitable for canning, but this is not so: the vegetables are excellent for pickling and pickling.

Is it possible to pickle Chinese long cucumbers for the winter?

The peculiarity of pickling Chinese cucumbers is that, due to their large length, it is impossible to place them entirely in a jar. To freely place vegetables in the container, they are cut into small pieces.

Otherwise, although these vegetables are considered exotic, their pickling is practically no different from the preparation of ordinary types.

Reference. When pickling in 3-liter jars, they are cut into long pieces and placed vertically in the container.

How to select and prepare ingredients

The quality of pickles depends on the correct selection and preparation of the product. For pickling, fresh, smooth and dense fruits without spots are selected, washed each separately with a soft brush and soaked for 5-10 hours in water, replacing it with fresh water every two hours.

This will make the cucumbers more elastic, crunchy and free them from nitrates. The tails are removed, and the vegetables themselves are cut into small slices 5 cm thick. The jars are sterilized and the metal lids are boiled.

To pickle Chinese cucumbers, in addition to the main product and water, depending on the recipe you will need:

• 9% vinegar;
• sugar;
• salt;
• dill;
• horseradish;
• garlic;
• hot peppers;
• mustard powder;
• black or allspice peas;
• dry bay leaf;
• coriander;
• turmeric;
• currant and cherry leaves.

Horseradish, currant and cherry leaves, as well as dill umbrellas and peeled garlic cloves, are thoroughly washed and dried.

How to salt Chinese cucumbers: pickling recipes

Chinese cucumbers are salted and pickled in different ways.These recipes will keep the vegetable crispy, diversify the menu in winter, and saturate the body with vitamins and microelements.

"Pickles"

This is the name for an assortment of small-sized vegetables under marinade. The preparation has an excellent taste and looks appetizing.

For preparation you will need:

• Chinese cucumbers - 1 kg;
• turmeric - 0.5 tsp;
• onions - 2 pcs.;
• allspice - 10 peas;
• mustard powder - 0.5 tsp;
• vinegar - 250 ml;
• salt - 2 tbsp. l.;
• sugar 3 4 tbsp. l.

Prepare “Pikuli” as follows:

1. The fruits are cut into slices no more than 1 cm thick.
2. The same half-rings are used to cut onions.
3. Vegetables mixed with sugar and salt
4. Cover with a plate and place under pressure.
5. After 1-2 hours, the vegetables and the resulting juice are poured into the pan.
6. Add turmeric, pepper, mustard and table vinegar, which is used to pre-rinse the container to remove the remaining sugar and salt.
7. The marinade with vegetables is brought to a boil and kept for 2-3 minutes.
8. Pour into sterile jars.

All rolled up jars are turned over and allowed to cool, wrapped in a warm cloth.

With red currants

With this method of canning, cucumbers not only acquire a unique taste, but also look original. In this recipe, the usually used vinegar or citric acid is replaced with fresh or frozen red currants.

Add to each jar (based on 0.5 kg of cucumbers):

• 1 tbsp. red currant;
• 2-3 dill umbrellas;
• 3 cloves of garlic;
• 4 leaves of horseradish and laurel;
• 7-8 black peppercorns.

Prepare as follows:

1. The jars with the ingredients are filled with boiling water and covered with lids.
2. Wait 12 minutes.
3. Water from the cans is poured into a common pan, adding 1 tbsp. l. salt for every liter.
4. The brine is boiled until the salt crystals are completely dissolved and poured back into the jars.
5. Seal, invert and leave covered until cool.

Since Chinese cucumbers with red currants contain an insufficient amount of acid, canned food is stored at a temperature not exceeding +12°C.

With mustard

Thanks to the addition mustard The cucumbers become crispy and acquire a special piquant taste.

For preservation you need:

• water - 1 l;
• cucumbers - 1.5 kg;
• table vinegar - 1 tbsp;
• sugar - 300 g;
• salt - 3 tbsp. l.;
• mustard powder - 3 tbsp. l.;
• allspice - 5 peas;
• laurel - 3 leaves.

Cooking method:

1. The fruits, cut into small pieces, are placed in jars and covered with mustard.
2. From the remaining ingredients, except vinegar, cook the marinade for 5 minutes.
3. Before pouring the marinade over the cucumbers, add vinegar.
4. The jars are sterilized for 12 minutes before twisting. in a large container of water set on fire.
5. They are sealed and cooled upside down.

Classic recipe

For a 3 liter jar take:

• 2 kg of Chinese cucumbers;
• 3 leaves of horseradish and 3 pieces of its root;
• 100 g salt;
• 5 black peppercorns;
• 5 pcs. currant and cherry leaves;
• 3 dill umbrellas;
• 5 cloves of garlic;
• 1.5 liters of water;
• 2 bay leaves;
• 1.5 tbsp. l. table vinegar, salt and sugar.

Cooking process:

1. Place washed and dried herbs and seasonings at the bottom of a sterilized jar.
2. Vegetables are placed on top, compacting.
3. Boiling water is poured into the jar, covered with a lid and left for 12 minutes.
4. Water is poured into a saucepan and boiled for 6 minutes with sugar and salt.
5. The resulting brine along with vinegar is poured into jars and hermetically sealed.

Turned upside down and wrapped jars are kept until completely cooled.

Pickles

A product with the addition of citric acid or vinegar is called pickled.

For 2 kg you will need:

• 2 tbsp. l. salt;
• 6 tbsp. l. Sahara;
• 1 tbsp. l. vinegar;
• 2 bay leaves;
• 1 tbsp. l. vegetable oil;
• 10 peas of allspice;
• 2 liters of water.

Prepare as follows:

1. The surface of the washed cucumbers is cleaned of rough areas, the ends are removed and the vegetables are cut into pieces of arbitrary shape.
2. Place in sterilized glass jars, a quarter of the way to the edges.
3. Salt and sugar are poured into boiling water, then the marinade is cooled slightly.
4. Spices, vegetable oil, vinegar are placed in jars and marinade is poured over it all.
5. Jars covered with sterilized lids are sterilized for 15 minutes and sealed.
6. Cool the jars covered upside down.

Lightly salted cucumbers

For the simplest recipe for quickly preparing lightly salted Chinese cucumbers in a bag, you will need (per one fruit):

• a clove of garlic;
• a pinch of black and allspice pepper, cloves and salt;
• sprig of dill (not umbrellas).

Salting process:

1. The vegetables are washed with a brush, the ends are removed and each is cut into several pieces.
2. Place in a thick plastic bag.
3. Add salt, spices and pre-cut garlic into flat slices.
4. The contents of the package are thoroughly mixed.
5. The bag is tightly tied and placed in the refrigerator for an hour.

Storage rules

Jars of Chinese cucumbers are stored in the basement or garage. If this is not possible, the preparations are kept in the apartment at a temperature no higher than +15°C, provided that they are prepared in strict accordance with the recommendations and tightly closed with metal lids. If the tightness is not maintained, the storage temperature is allowed no higher than +10°C.

Conclusion

When pickled, long Chinese cucumbers are almost no different from regular ones.If they are properly processed, prepared according to any of the described recipes and provided with optimal storage conditions, in winter they will decorate your table and delight the whole family with their pleasant and delicate taste.