The nuances of preserving long cucumbers: is it possible to preserve Zozulya cucumbers for the winter and how to do it tasty and simple

Long cucumbers Zozulya - lettuce hybrid. Its fruits have a refreshing sweetish taste and are ready for harvest within 35 days after sowing the seeds.

Zozulya is a high-yielding hybrid. For this reason, garden owners often do not have time to eat the entire harvest. Due to their large size and low shelf life, many gardeners do not know what to do with the remaining cucumbers. Meanwhile, harvesting such fruits is quite possible, you just need to know the technology and some of the nuances of the process.

Is it possible to preserve Zozulya cucumbers for the winter and what recipes are best - read on.

Features of preparing Zozulya cucumbers

Zozulya is a salad hybrid. Is different long fruits with a small amount of "pimples". The pulp of cucumbers is dense, juicy with a rich sweet taste.

If there is insufficient moisture, the fruits begin to taste bitter. Such cucumbers are not suitable for preparations. Their taste will not change for the better even after long marinating.

It is believed that salad varieties are not suitable for pickling. Most of them turn out soft and not crispy, quickly lose their shape and are poorly soaked in brine.

This is not the case with Zozulya. The fruits of this hybrid meet all the requirements for pickling - dense pulp, thin skin, and the presence of tubercles. If prepared properly, they will stay crisp all winter long.

The only drawback of marinades with Zozulya is that such preparations are stored for no more than a year.In old preparations, cucumbers become soft and tasteless.

Important! Prepare as much Zozuli as you can eat during the winter.

Because Zozuli fruits They are quite large, they are marinated not whole, but in pieces. Sometimes cucumbers are harvested ahead of schedule, before they have reached their maximum size. In this case, they will fit entirely into the jar.

Selection and preparation of cucumbers

Many housewives, having once encountered an unsuccessful attempt at harvesting Zozuli, no longer try to preserve the hybrid again.

The secret of crispy cucumbers lies not in a successful recipe, but in their proper preparation:

1. Fruits just picked from the garden are thoroughly washed in cold water, removing thorns and remaining dirt with a rag.
2. After this, they are washed again in clean water, removing any remaining inflorescences.
3. Zozulya is soaked in cold water for a longer time than cucumbers intended for preservation. On average, this process takes 4-8 hours. It is soaking that allows the fruits to remain crisp throughout the entire storage period.

The choice of cucumbers also matters - the appearance and taste will depend on this.

For recipes, in which cucumbers are pickled in pieces, long fruits are suitable. But they should not be overripe, otherwise the preparation will turn out tasteless.

To preserve whole cucumbers, they are picked 5-7 days ahead of schedule. In this case, the housewife will receive small-sized fruits.

It is recommended to try several fruits from the harvested crop to make sure there is no bitterness. Bitter cucumbers not suitable for preparation.

The selected cucumbers should be firm and elastic. For canning, do not take spoiled and soft fruits, as well as those collected more than 4 hours ago.

The best recipes for preserving Zozulya cucumbers for the winter

There are many recipes for preparing cucumbers for the winter. Some of them involve cutting the fruit into pieces, while others involve canning them whole. Let's look at the most unusual and successful options.

Sandwich preparation

Zozulya cucumbers are used to make a delicious snack that is used to make sandwiches and hamburgers. This winter preparation will appeal to lovers of spicy and hot dishes.

The recipe involves cutting cucumbers into circles. Even suitable for him large fruits.

Ingredients:

• hot red pepper powder – 1-2 tsp;
• cucumbers – 1.5 kg;
• turmeric – 2 tsp;
• allspice and black peas – 10 pcs.;
• mustard seeds – 1 tsp;
• table or apple vinegar – 400 ml;
• sugar – 1 glass;
• onions – 1 kg;
• water – 1 l;
• salt – 4 tbsp. l.

The amount of hot red pepper can be adjusted to suit your taste. If you wish, you can do without it.

How to cook:

1. Prepared cucumbers are cut into slices 0.5-1 cm thick. They are covered with salt and left for 15 minutes. After this time, the released juice is drained.
2. The fruits are washed with cool water and gently wiped with a paper towel to remove excess liquid.
3. The onion is cut into half rings no more than 0.5 cm thick.
4. Chopped vegetables are mixed. They are laid out in jars, filling the dishes up to their shoulders.
5. Spices, salt and sugar are poured into water, brought to a boil and boiled for 10 minutes. Then add vinegar to the mixture and boil for another 2 minutes. The brine is poured into sterilized jars.
6. The jars are rolled up, left upside down under a blanket until completely cooled, then put in the refrigerator.

In this form, the workpiece is stored for about a month. To extend the shelf life of the snack, cucumbers with brine in jars are sterilized.To do this, place them in a pan of cold water “up to the shoulders” and boil for 20 minutes over low heat. In this case, it is not necessary to sterilize empty jars, but the lids need to be treated with boiling water.

Advice! If desired, add a bunch of finely chopped parsley to the specified amount of ingredients.

Recipe without vinegar

Adherents of proper nutrition consider canned food with vinegar to be harmful. In this case, a recipe that does not include this product will do. Despite the lack of characteristic sourness, the appetizer will have a rich spicy taste.

This recipe requires whole fruits. Therefore, they are collected at the small size stage.

Ingredients:

• cucumbers – 2 kg;
• garlic – 2 heads;
• mustard powder – 1 tbsp. l.;
• cherry and currant leaves - 4 pcs.;
• dill umbrellas – 4 pcs.;
• salt – 4 tbsp. l.;
• water – 1.5 l.

If desired, add other spices (allspice, cloves, etc.).

Cooking method:

1. Leaves and horseradish are placed at the bottom of thoroughly washed and sterilized jars. Peeled garlic cloves are also sent there. All ingredients are evenly distributed among the jars.
2. The jars are filled with prepared cucumbers. This is done as tightly as possible.
3. Dissolve salt in warm water and wait until it cools completely. The resulting brine is poured into jars.
4. The cucumbers are covered with nylon lids and left for 2-4 days. During this time, the liquid should become cloudy, and the cucumbers should acquire a yellowish tint.
5. The brine is poured into a separate container. It is not poured out.
6. Pour clean boiling water into the jars.
7. After the water has cooled, it is drained. At this time, the brine in which the cucumbers were fermented is boiled.
8. The brine is poured into jars, after which they are immediately closed with sterilized lids.
9. The jars are turned upside down and left overnight under a blanket.

Advice! Some housewives, before rolling up such cucumbers, add 1 aspirin tablet to the jar.

Recipe for pickle

Large Zozulya cucumbers are used to prepare a delicious dressing for pickle soup. In this recipe they are cut into pieces. This preservation simplifies the cooking process. Just add a little mixture to the pan with potatoes and meat, and the soup is ready.

Ingredients:

• pearl barley – 250 g;
• cucumbers – 1.5 kg;
• vinegar – 45 ml;
• carrots – 0.5 kg;
• tomato paste – 300 g;
• sugar – 120 g;
• onion – 0.5 kg;
• salt – 3 tbsp. l.

For this recipe, no additional spices or ingredients are added.

Recipe:

1. Cut the onion into cubes. Grate the carrots on a coarse grater.
2. Cucumbers are cut into strips, cubes or grated.
3. All ingredients are placed in a saucepan. Sugar, salt, vegetable oil and tomato paste are also added there. The mixture is simmered over low heat for 30 minutes.
4. Vinegar and cooked pearl barley are added to the vegetables. Boil the ingredients for another 20 minutes.
5. The dressing is poured into half-liter sterilized jars. Roll up the lids, turn upside down and leave until completely cool.

If you make the same mixture without pearl barley, you will get a dressing for solyanka.

Zozulya cucumbers with rowan

One of the most unusual recipes is cucumbers with rowan berries. This mixture turns out piquant and beautiful thanks to the orange berries.

Ingredients:

• rowan berries – 0.6 kg;
• cucumbers – 1.5 kg;
• water – 2 l;
• salt – 3 tbsp. l.;
• sugar – 150 g;
• vinegar (preferably apple) – 200 ml.

Rowan will not only make the taste of the snack more piquant, but will also act as a preservative.

Preparing the snack:

1. The tails of the prepared cucumbers are cut off.Rowan is washed under cold running water and soaked for half an hour.
2. Cucumbers and rowan berries are evenly distributed into sterilized jars. Fill the container as tightly as possible.
3. Salt and sugar are added to the water. The mixture is boiled until the ingredients are completely dissolved. Then vinegar is added to the brine and boiled for another 2 minutes.
4. Cucumbers and rowan berries are poured with brine. Allow the ingredients to sit for 5 minutes. Then the brine is poured into the pan and boiled again. This is done 3 times.
5. After the third filling, the jars are rolled up, turned upside down and left in a warm place until they cool completely.

Chokeberry is also suitable for this recipe. In this case, the taste of the snack will be softer.

With the addition of peas

Cucumbers with green peas are a mild flavored snack. It will appeal to those who prefer interesting combinations, but do not like spicy and hot dishes.

Ingredients:

• cucumbers – 1.5 kg;
• green peas – 300 g;
• dill and parsley - 1 bunch each;
• garlic – 2 large heads;
• vinegar – 50 ml;
• sugar – 5 g;
• salt – 2 tbsp. l.;
• water – 1 l.

For this recipe, it is better to take small Zozulya. The amount of ingredients is calculated for two liter jars.

Cooking method:

1. Wash the peas 2-3 times, draining the liquid each time. It is then simmered over low heat for 10 minutes.
2. The greens are washed and finely chopped. The garlic is peeled and cut into halves. The ingredients are evenly distributed among the jars.
3. Cucumbers and peas are placed in jars as tightly as possible.
4. The water is brought to a boil and poured into jars. After 10 minutes, the liquid is drained and boiled again. Then it is poured into jars and after 10 minutes poured back into the pan.
5. Salt, sugar and vinegar are added to the boiling liquid. The ingredients are boiled until the spices are completely dissolved.
6. The brine is poured into jars.The workpiece is rolled up, turned upside down and left to cool completely.

Assorted tomatoes and peppers

Assorted vegetables are a favorite recipe for many housewives. During storage, the flavors of vegetables mix, complementing each other. This snack turns out beautiful and unusual.

Ingredients:

• cucumbers – 1.2 kg;
• garlic – 2 large heads;
• onions – 2 pcs.;
• bell pepper – 0.5 kg;
• tomatoes – 1.5 kg;
• parsley – 2 bunches;
• leaves of currant, oak, cherry, horseradish - 6 pcs.;
• dill - 8 umbrellas;
• salt – 4 tbsp. l.;
• sugar – 8 tbsp. l.;
• ground red hot pepper – 1 tbsp. l.;
• cloves – 6 pcs.;
• water – 3 l.

For this recipe, choose small tomatoes and cucumbers.

Cooking method:

1. The greens are washed and evenly distributed among the jars. Umbrellas of dill, leaves of fruit trees - whole. Dill is finely chopped.
2. Peppers are cut into strips. The onion is cut into thick half rings. Garlic is peeled and used whole.
3. Lay onions, peppers, tomatoes, garlic and cucumbers in layers. Cucumbers are cut only if they are too large.
4. Vegetables are poured with boiling water and allowed to brew for 5 minutes. Then the water is poured into a saucepan, spices, sugar, salt, vinegar are added and boiled until the sugar and salt are completely dissolved.
5. The marinade is poured into jars, after which they are immediately sealed. The preparations are left in the room until they cool completely, without wrapping them.

In tomato juice

Cucumbers, cooked according to this recipe, have a spicy sweet-sour taste with a hint of spice. This recipe will not leave lovers of unusual dishes indifferent.

Ingredients:

• cucumbers – 2 kg;
• tomato juice – 2 l;
• hot red ground pepper – 2 tsp;
• garlic – 2 large heads;
• allspice – 2 tsp;
• red bell pepper or paprika – 0.5 kg;
• sugar – 300 g;
• salt – 150 g.

The amount of sugar, salt and hot pepper can be changed to suit your taste.

Cooking method:

1. The garlic is peeled and separated into cloves. Peppers are cleared of seeds. Grind garlic and pepper in a meat grinder or blender.
2. The cucumbers are placed tightly in sterilized jars along with hot red and allspice peppers (the peppers are evenly distributed among the jars). Vegetables are poured with boiling water and left to cool.
3. Tomato juice is brought to a boil, chopped garlic and pepper, sugar and salt are added to it. The ingredients are boiled for 10 minutes.
4. The water is drained from the cans and a boiling tomato mixture is poured in instead.
5. Jars of cucumbers in tomato sauce are placed in a pan of water and sterilized for 40 minutes. After this, they are rolled up, turned upside down and left under the blanket until they cool completely.

While cooking the tomato sauce, taste it. If necessary, add additional sugar or salt.

Terms and conditions of storage

All twists are stored in a cool, dark place - a pantry and cellar are good options. Some recipes require storage in the refrigerator.

Jars of Zozulya are not stored for more than a year. After this time, the cucumbers become soft and tasteless.

Conclusion

Zozulya is a salad variety that is suitable for preservation. It makes delicious and unusual snacks. Large fruits are used for recipes in which they are cut into pieces, while small ones are suitable for canning whole.

To make winter preparations with Zozulya tasty and crispy, cucumbers need to be properly prepared. It is thanks to prolonged soaking that they do not soften during long-term storage.