How to pickle large cucumbers: the most delicious recipes for preparations from experienced housewives

Housewives prefer to pickle medium-sized gherkins or cucumbers, but you can also make a tasty winter preparation from large fruits.

We will tell you in the article how to pickle large cucumbers, prepare the brine and choose the right ingredients.

Features of pickling large cucumbers

The main feature of preparing preparations from such vegetables is cutting them into small pieces, which can be conveniently placed in glass containers.

The canning method depends on personal preference: cold or hot. The first involves pouring cold marinade over the vegetables, and the second - with boiling brine, just removed from the heat.

Blanks in circles/pieces

In order for the fruits to fit in the jar, they are thoroughly washed and cut into circles or pieces.

Cutting into pieces is suitable for very large vegetables that are placed in large containers. The circles are used for salting foods in small containers.

It is not advisable to combine cutting into slices and circles in one jar.

Choosing cucumbers

When choosing cucumbers for pickling, pay attention to the freshness of the vegetable and the degree of its ripeness - the fruits should not be overripe.

Important! For preservation, it is optimal to choose fruits with small seeds, without a bitter taste and voids inside.

Basic selection rules:

• the peel should be dense, with voluminous pimples;
• the fruit itself is elastic and dense, without wrinkles, withered or lethargic;
• the vegetable should have a rich and uniform color along its entire length; fruits with yellowish spots, too dark or light, are undesirable.

When choosing a main product, smell is also taken into account. A suitable specimen will exude a characteristic cucumber aroma, while watery and chemically treated fruits will be devoid of such a smell.

Important! For pickling, it is recommended to use vegetables grown without the use of chemicals and not treated with pesticides.

Recipes for preparing large cucumbers for the winter

There are dozens of variations in the preparation of preparations with large fruits. As additions use currant, cherry or raspberry leaves, horseradish, mustard, a variety of herbs and spices, as well as vodka.

Reference. Alcohol tincture or vodka will speed up the marinating process up to 5 days - the preparation with vodka will be ready in less than 1 week.

Classic recipe with currant leaves, cherries and horseradish

Classical recipe with berry leaves and horseradish, it has a rich taste with a slight spiciness, which will appeal to lovers of savory dishes.

Required ingredients:

• cucumbers – 1 kg;
• a couple of cloves of garlic;
• water – 3 l;
• currant, cherry and horseradish leaves - 2 pcs each;
• salt – 3-4 tbsp. l.

Cooking method:

1. Wash the vegetables and cut into small slices.
2. Peel the garlic and chop thinly.
3. Dissolve salt in water.
4. Place 1 horseradish leaf on the bottom of the jar, then the garlic.
5. Place sliced ​​cucumbers on top.
6. Add all the remaining greens to the jar - currant, cherry and horseradish leaves.
7. Fill everything with salt water.
8. Close with a lid and put in a cool place.

The brine can be hot or cold.

Pickled cucumbers with horseradish, garlic and pepper

The product according to this recipe is particularly spicy and hot due to the presence of garlic and pepper.

Grocery list:

• cucumbers – 3 kg;
• water – 2.5-3 l;
• horseradish leaves – 4-5 pcs.;
• garlic – 5-7 cloves;
• black peppercorns – 30-40 g;
• red pepper – 1 pod;
• bay leaf – 3-4 pcs.;
• salt – 3 tbsp. l.;
• sugar – 3 tbsp. l.;
• vinegar 9% – 5-6 tbsp. l.;
• dill and parsley - 2 sprigs each.

Preparation:

1. Place alternately dill, horseradish leaves and bay leaves, peeled garlic, pepper and 1-2 pieces of finely chopped red pepper on the bottom of the glass container.
2. Place vegetables, cut into slices or slices, into a jar.
3. Pour boiling water into the container and close the lid.
4. After 5-10 minutes, pour the water into a saucepan and put on fire.
5. When the water boils, pour it into a jar and after 7 minutes pour it back into the saucepan.
6. Boil the liquid again, add salt, sugar and acetic acid.
7. Pour the brine into the bottle and close it. Wrap in a towel, cool and store.

Together with horseradish leaves in this recipe, you can use 100 g of horseradish root, after peeling and cutting it.

Cucumber slices with herbs

The preparation with herbs has a spicy herbal taste that goes well with hot dishes of meat, fish or vegetables.

Ingredients:

• cucumbers – 2 kg;
• water – 2.5-3 l;
• garlic – 5 cloves;
• parsley - 2 sprigs;
• raspberry, cherry, currant leaves, as well as oak bark - 2 pcs each;
• black peppercorns – 5 pcs.;
• cloves - to taste;
• salt – 2 tbsp. l.;
• sugar – 4-5 tbsp. l.;
• acetic acid – 1.5 tbsp. l.

Preparation:

1. Place half of all the greens in a glass container, then, tamping, place the cucumbers.
2. Place the rest of the herbs and spices on top.
3. Pour boiling water into the jar and leave for 15-20 minutes.
4. Then pour the water into a saucepan and put on fire.
5. When the liquid boils, add sugar and salt. Stir.
6. Pour the boiling marinade over the vegetables and leave for 10 minutes.
7. Drain the brine again and bring to a boil over heat.
8. Pour acetic acid into the jar, then hot marinade.
9. Roll up and put in a cool, dark place.

This recipe often uses apples, which are placed in a jar along with the rest of the ingredients. Apples give the pickling a pleasant sweetish taste.

Spicy cucumber salad for the winter

A spicy vegetable salad will be an excellent addition to the holiday table. This preparation can be used as an independent dish or as a side dish.

List of ingredients:

• large cucumbers - 5 pieces.;
• sugar – 0.5 cups;
• salt – 2 tbsp. l.;
• table vinegar 9% – 5-6 tbsp. l.;
• vegetable oil – 5-6 tbsp. l.;
• mustard powder – 2 tbsp. l.;
• parsley - 2 sprigs;
• hot ground pepper - to taste.

Cooking method:

1. Cut the cucumbers into slices and place in a deep bowl.
2. Add salt, sugar, mustard, pepper, sunflower oil and vinegar to the chopped vegetables.
3. Crush the garlic in a garlic press and add to the vegetables.
4. Mix everything thoroughly and leave for a while. Stir the dish periodically.
5. Place the salad in a container, pour out the juice that should be released from the vegetable mixture.
6. Sterilize the salad container by immersing it in boiling water for a quarter of an hour. Carefully ensure that the jar does not burst and water does not splash inside the container with the workpiece.
7. Roll up with a soft nylon lid and cool. Then move to a storage location.

At sterilization The water should boil over low heat.

Grated pickles for solyanka and rassolnik

Pickled grated vegetables are used for quick preparation of solyanka or pickle.

Required Products:

• large cucumbers – 3-4 pcs.;
• currant, grape, raspberry or cherry leaves - 5 pcs.;
• table salt – 1 tbsp. l.;
• basil – 1 sprig;
• garlic – 5-7 cloves;
• spices to taste – oregano, tarragon, sage.

Cooking method:

1. Peel the garlic. Cut half a large cucumber into slices, and chop the rest in a blender, finely chop or grate.
2. Pour salt into the resulting cucumber mass, cover with a lid and wait for a while. The mass needs to brew thoroughly, and the juice should stand out from it.
3. Place half of all available herbs and spices in a glass container.
4. Then put the vegetables cut into pieces, and add the grated mass on top along with the juice.
5. Repeat the layer of leaves and spices, placing them all in the container.
6. Cover the dish with a soft nylon lid.

In this recipe, several large green grapes or one small carrot are also added to the greens, which will give the preparation a refined and unusual taste.

Large pickled cucumbers in their own juice

The preparation prepared according to this recipe turns out to be moderately spicy with a pleasant light sourness.

Required Products:

• cucumbers – 1-2 kg;
• water – 2 l;
• salt – 3 tbsp. l.;
• garlic – 5 pcs.;
• dill, oak or grape leaves.

How to cook:

1. Soak vegetables in cold water for a couple of hours.
2. Grate half the cucumbers to extract juice. Salt the grated mass.
3. Cut the remaining half into circles or slices.
4. Peel the garlic, but do not chop it.
5. First place the greens at the bottom of the bottle, then the garlic, then half the grated cucumber mass along with the released juice.
6. Next place the vegetables, cut into circles or pieces.
7. Place the rest of the grated vegetables on top and close with a lid.

The preparation will be ready for use in 2-3 weeks.

Recipe with vodka

Salting with vodka will allow you to store the product even at room temperature, and you can use such a preparation after 4-7 days.

Ingredients:

• cucumbers – 2 kg;
• water – 2 l;
• vodka – 2 tbsp. l.;
• salt – 3 tbsp. l.;
• garlic - a couple of cloves;
• leaves of currant, raspberry, cherry, bay leaf and horseradish leaf - 1 pc.;
• dill - 1-2 umbrellas;
• black peppercorns – 5 peas.

Preparation:

1. Pour water over the cucumbers and leave for a couple of hours.
2. Peel the garlic and cut into thin slices.
3. Wash and dry the greens.
4. Cut the cucumbers into slices.
5. Place herbs, garlic and vegetables at the bottom of the container.
6. Add a few peppercorns.
7. Prepare the brine. Boil water in a saucepan and cool. Dissolve salt in it. Wait until the marinade cools completely.
8. Pour vodka into the bottle, then brine.
9. Roll up and store in a dark place.

Advice from experienced housewives

To make the preparation tastier and healthier, use the tricks of experienced housewives:

1. Using pure mineral non-carbonated water will give the product a particularly pleasant taste. If you can’t find mineral water, use regular tap water, making sure to filter it.
2. It is advisable to place the largest pieces at the bottom of the container, and place smaller pieces closer to the lid.
3. When cooking, it is recommended to use regular coarse salt. Not sea and not iodized.
4. To avoid premature spoilage of the marinade, cover all vegetables with brine, pouring the liquid to the very top.
5. A couple of oak bark leaves will keep vegetables fresh.In addition, oak bark leaves will make the preparation crispier.
6. To speed up the pickling process, slices of cucumbers can be pierced in several places with a fork before placing them in a container.

Store pickling in a cool, dark place.

Reference. The lower the vegetables are in the glass jar, the more they are saturated with salt and seasonings.

Conclusion

Preparing a tasty and aromatic spicy pickle for the winter from large fruits has several differences from traditional canning of vegetables. A large product must be crushed and placed in a jar, trying to compact the ingredients. The salting method is used hot or cold.

Depending on the spices and additions, the taste of the product will be delicate, slightly sour or spicy.