The best recipes for crispy pickled cucumbers with lemon for the winter

If you suddenly want to add variety to ordinary preparations, try adding lemon. It will not only improve the taste of cucumbers, but also extend their shelf life.

We will tell you why to add lemon to the marinade, how to prepare the ingredients and share proven recipes. Such sour preparations will not leave anyone indifferent.

Why add lemon to the recipe and what does it give?

Lemon performs a triple function in winter preparations:

1. Long-term storage. The citric acid contained in the fruit serves as a natural preservative, so such preparations are stored longer. The risk of brine clouding is minimal.
2. Adding flavor. Lemon preparations have a pleasant sourness, which is revealed in the marinade. The ideal combination is lemon with grain mustard.
3. Appearance. Not so important, but still the preparations with lemon slices look very appetizing.

Selection and preparation of main ingredients

Let's start with cucumbers. They should be pickling varieties, no more than 3 cm long. The color of the fruit is from delicate green to rich. There should be no rot or dryness. Do not cut off areas affected by insects; such cucumbers are generally not suitable for pickling. Too thick fruits are also not suitable. Most likely they will have large seeds, which is undesirable.

Preparing vegetables for canning as follows:

1. Pour ice water into a bowl and place freshly picked cucumbers in it. The soaking process lasts from 2 to 8 hours. Change the water or add ice cubes periodically.
2. Rinse the soaked fruits well under running cool water, using a brush if possible. Do not use a knife to peel the skin.
3. Cut off the ends on both sides.

As for the lemon, the main thing is that its zest is intact and evenly colored. It is enough to wash it well, dry it with a towel and remove the seeds when cutting.

The best recipes for the winter

We have collected a variety of recipes for pickled cucumbers with lemon for the winter that will help please all family members. Try, combine and surprise your loved ones.

Crispy cucumbers with lemon “Prague style”

The crunch comes from adding horseradish, so don't omit the horseradish root or leaf from the recipe.

Required:

• 0.5 kg of cucumbers;
• 1 horseradish root;
• horseradish leaf;
• 50 g salt;
• 90 g sugar;
• 0.5 lemon;
• 1 tsp. citric acid;
• 1 bunch of greens (dill or parsley);
• 1-2 bay leaves.

Cooking method:

1. Soak the cucumbers for at least 5 hours, then rinse under cold running water to remove all dirt.
2. Wash the lemon and cut it in half. Leave one half for tea, and cut the other half into circles. Remove the seeds.
3. Rinse the horseradish leaf in cool water.
4. Grate the horseradish root or finely chop it.
5. Sterilize containers. Pour boiling water over the lids.
6. Place bay leaves, horseradish leaf, and grated horseradish root on the bottom.
7. Fill the jars with cucumbers, placing lemon slices between the vegetables.
8. Place chopped herbs and a few lemon slices on top.
9. Boil the water.
10. Add salt and sugar to boiling water. Stir.
11. After boiling, cook for 2 minutes.
12. Add citric acid, stir and fill the jars with boiling marinade.
13. Cover with lids.
14. Sterilize for 10 minutes.
15. Close the lids with a seaming wrench.
16. Turn the jars upside down and wrap them in a thick towel.
17. After 48 hours, lower it into the cellar.

Note! Try this trick: do not fill the jars with boiling marinade, cool for 1-2 minutes. This will make the cucumbers even more elastic and crunchy.

Simple recipe

The recipe is classic, all ingredients are available.

Ingredients:

• 600 g cucumbers;
• 2 cloves of garlic;
• 1 bunch of dill;
• 1 dill umbrella;
• 2 tbsp. l. salt;
• 4 tbsp. l. Sahara;
• 1 tsp. citric acid;
• 1 small lemon.

Cooking method:

1. Soak the cucumbers in cold water overnight.
2. In the morning, rinse the cucumbers in cool water, removing dirt with a soft brush. Cut off the ends.
3. Rinse the lemon well. Cut into small slices, remove grains.
4. Sterilize the jars.
5. Place a clove of garlic, a few slices of lemon and chopped dill on the bottom.
6. Next, fill halfway with cucumbers.
7. Add 1 more clove of garlic and a few more lemon slices.
8. Fill the container entirely with vegetables.
9. Boil water with salt and sugar. After boiling, make sure that the bulk products are completely dissolved.
10. Remove from heat and fill jars gradually.
11. Cover with lids and sterilize for 12 minutes.
12. Cork, turn over, wrap for a day. Then transfer to a long-term storage location.

Other ways to prepare cucumbers:

The best recipes for preparing sweet and sour cucumbers for the winter

How to pickle large cucumbers in slices for the winter

Crispy pickled cucumbers with hot peppers for the winter

With mustard

Mustard adds a piquant taste to the preparations. You can add cereal or powder, or both.

Will need:

• 500 g cucumbers;
• 1 lemon;
• 1 tsp. mustard powder;
• 1 tsp. grain mustard;
• 1 tbsp. l. heaped salt;
• 3 tbsp. l. Sahara;
• 1 tsp. citric acid;
• 1 onion.

How to cook:

1. 

   Pre-soak the cucumbers for 5 hours.It is advisable to change the water or add ice cubes after 2.5 hours. Do not leave the bowl of cucumbers in the sun; the place should be dark and cool.

2. Rinse the vegetables and cut off the ends on both sides.
3. Wash the jars with detergent or soda. Rinse several times.
4. Sterilize. Boil the lids for 2-3 minutes.
5. Wash the lemon and cut into slices.
6. Peel the onion and cut into half rings.
7. Place half of the onion rings and a few lemon slices on the bottom.
8. Fill the jars with vegetables.
9. Top with remaining onion and lemon.
10. Add both powder and grain mustard.
11. Put the water on fire.
12. Bring to a boil, add salt and sugar, stir.
13. After 5 minutes, add citric acid and turn off the stove.
14. Pour the marinade into jars.
15. Sterilize for 10 minutes.
16. Screw on the lids, turn the containers upside down, and wrap them in thick material.
17. After two days, unwrap the jars, turn them upside down and put them in the cellar or pantry.

Important! Try to follow the exact proportions of sugar and salt in this recipe. Onions combined with lemon and mustard require a sweet marinade, so there should be 3 times more sugar than salt.

With basil

Basil adds a rich flavor to vegetables. It is not recommended to combine this herb with other strong-smelling seasonings.

Required Ingredients:

• 500 g cucumbers;
• 1 tsp. vinegar essence 70%;
• 1 bunch of basil;
• 1 lemon;
• 3 cloves of garlic;
• 2 tbsp. l. salt;
• 2 tbsp. l. heaped sugar;
• black peppercorns to taste.

Cooking method:

1. Soak the cucumbers in cold water (2-3 hours is enough). If the room is warm, change the water periodically.
2. Wash the vegetables and cut off the ends.
3. Rinse the lemon and cut into large slices.
4. Chop the basil larger.
5. Wash the jars, dry them, and sterilize them.
6. Place garlic and some basil at the very bottom.
7. Fill halfway with cucumbers.
8. Add half the lemon wedges and the remaining basil.
9. Add cucumbers again.
10. Place lemon on top.
11. Boil the water.
12. Pour boiling water into the jars, cover with lids, and leave for 15 minutes.
13. Drain the water back into the pan, add peppercorns, salt and sugar, and boil.
14. Stir boiling water well.
15. 3 minutes after boiling, add vinegar essence to the marinade.
16. Remove from heat and pour marinade into jars.
17. Seal the jars immediately. Turn over and seal.
18. Store in this form for 40-48 hours, avoiding exposure to sunlight.

Advice. The combination of lemon and basil makes these preparations ideal for meat dishes. Add them in portions to your dinner plates.

With lemon and horseradish

Cucumbers prepared according to this recipe will be slightly spicy. If you like such dishes, add hot pepper - these products go perfectly together.

Ingredients:

• 0.5 kg of cucumbers;
• 1 horseradish root;
• 3 leaves of horseradish;
• 2 cloves of garlic;
• 0.5 lemon;
• 1 tbsp. l. salt;
• 1 tbsp. l. vegetable oil;
• 3 tbsp. l. Sahara;
• 1 tbsp. l. vinegar 9%.

How to cook:

1. Soak the cucumbers for 3 to 8 hours in cold water.
2. Wash the lemon and cut into two parts. Use only one half. Cut it into slices and remove the grains.
3. Chop the horseradish root with a knife.
4. Wash the horseradish leaves and dry on a towel.
5. Wash the jars with soda solution, rinse several times and send for sterilization.
6. Place garlic, horseradish leaves and all the lemon slices on the dry bottom.
7. Fill with cucumbers.
8. Add chopped horseradish root on top.
9. Pour in vegetable oil.
10. Dissolve salt and sugar in water and boil.
11. 5 minutes after boiling, pour in vinegar.
12. Fill the jars with marinade first to the middle, after 20 seconds pour in the remaining marinade.
13. Cover the jars with lids.
14. Sterilize for 15 minutes.
15. Cork.
16. Store upside down for the first two days.

Read also:

Recipes for pickling cucumbers in tomato sauce for the winter

How to cold pickle cucumbers in a bucket for the winter

With vinegar

This is a classic recipe, except for the lemon, that has been known for generations. That's why he's good.

Required:

• 600 g cucumbers;
• 1 lemon;
• 60 ml vinegar 9%;
• 3 cloves of garlic;
• 2 currant leaves;
• peppercorns to taste;
• 1.5 tbsp. l. salt;
• 3 tbsp. l. Sahara.

Cooking method:

1. Soak the cucumbers for 4 hours.
2. Rinse the vegetables thoroughly under running water and remove the stems.
3. Wash the currant leaves to remove dust.
4. Wash the lemon thoroughly, cut into round slices, and then in half.
5. Sterilize clean jars in the oven or over a saucepan and dry.
6. Be sure to boil the lids.
7. Finely chop the garlic.
8. Place currant leaves on the bottom and garlic on them.
9. Fill halfway with cucumbers.
10. Place some of the lemon wedges on the cucumbers.
11. Continue adding cucumbers.
12. Place the remaining lemon on top.
13. Boil the water.
14. Pour boiling water into the jars, cover with lids and leave for 20 minutes.
15. Drain the water back, boil again, repeat the procedure. Cool for 10 minutes already.
16. Drain the water again, add sugar, salt and peppercorns.
17. Bring to a boil.
18. Pour in vinegar, stir, pour marinade into jars.
19. Seal, turn over and wrap. A large towel, blanket or old blanket will do.
20. Leave it like this for 24 hours.

With vodka

Alcohol will extend the shelf life of the preparations. Try to keep the proportions exactly. As a rule, the amount of vodka is equal to the amount of vinegar.

Ingredients:

• 500 g cucumbers;
• 0.5 lemon;
• 50 ml vodka;
• 50 ml vinegar;
• 1 onion;
• 4 cloves of garlic;
• 5 currant leaves;
• 1 bunch of dill or parsley;
• 1 dill umbrella;
• peppercorns.

Cooking method:

1. Soak the cucumbers for 5 hours in cold water.
2. Cut half a lemon into triangular slices. Don't forget to wash the fruit.
3. Peel the onion and cut into rings.
4. Wash the currant leaves in cool water and dry slightly so that the water does not drain.
5. Wash the cucumbers and cut off the stems.
6. Wash the jars with soda solution, sterilize and dry.
7. Coarsely chop the dill or parsley.
8. Place currant leaves and some lemon slices on the bottom.
9. Fill with cucumbers, placing onion rings and lemon slices between them.
10. Place chopped herbs, garlic and dill umbrella on the vegetables.
11. Add salt, sugar and peppercorns to boiling water. Boil for 4 minutes.
12. Pour vodka into the jars.
13. Then pour in the vinegar.
14. Immediately pour in the marinade.
15. Seal the jars and turn them over. Make sure containers are sealed tightly.
16. Wrap it up. After two days, transfer it to the cellar or pantry.

Important! Despite the low alcohol content, such cucumbers should not be consumed by children, pregnant women, or people with alcohol addiction before driving.

Terms and conditions of storage

For the first 24-48 hours (depending on the recipe), cucumbers are stored upside down and wrapped.. Old jackets, rugs, blankets or large thick towels are suitable for this purpose. It is necessary to wrap it up so that the cooling process occurs gradually and evenly. This results in additional sterilization, which extends the shelf life. Avoid exposure to sunlight.

Afterwards, the cucumbers are transferred to a dark and cool place.. Ideal if there is a cellar. In such conditions, cucumbers will stand for a long time. But it is still recommended to use the preparations for food before the next harvest. After a year, cucumbers begin to lose their taste.

An open jar of cucumbers is stored in the refrigerator with a tightly closed lid for a week.

Let's sum it up

The process of pickling cucumbers with lemon for the winter is simple. We advise you not to replace citric acid with vinegar in recipes that call for citric acid. Soak the cucumbers, peel them well, sterilize the jars and add them along with clean lemon slices. Combine with onions, mustard, garlic, herbs, vodka. Don't forget about storage conditions. Canned food can be stored for a long time in the absence of light and low temperature.

Bon appetit!