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

Sweet and sour cucumbers come to the rescue when ordinary pickled and spicy vegetables begin to get a little boring. The advantage of cucumbers with a sweet and sour taste is that they cannot be oversalted, they do not cause thirst and are much less likely to spoil. And the ingredients are the same.

In this article we will tell you how to give winter preparations a sweet and sour taste and describe step by step the seven best recipes. The recipe is varied, and the components are the simplest. Try it and surprise your family!

How to cover sweet and sour cucumbers for the winter

There are traditionally two methods of marinating. The first involves sterilizing the finished product, and in the second case, the triple-fill method is used.

Banks are sterilized in both cases. Place herbs, spices, and then vegetables on the bottom of dry, sterilized jars. A dill umbrella, onion rings and spices are usually placed on top.

In recipes with sterilization with boiling water, vegetables are poured 1-2 times. After which the jars are covered with lids and sterilized for 10-20 minutes. The exact time depends on the volume of each jar: 10 minutes is enough for 1 liter, and 20 minutes can be sterilized for a three-liter jar.

If you do not want to sterilize the finished product, then you will need to pour boiling water over the vegetables three times. The first two times the filling consists only of boiling water. The third time, all the ingredients for the marinade, except vinegar, are immediately added to the water. It is poured in after boiling.

Peculiarities

Sweet and sour cucumbers are not “friendly” with all ingredients. So, for example, horseradish root will be superfluous, the same applies to oak leaves and horseradish leaves. It is better to stick to currant or cherry leaves. Sweet and sour cucumbers are not suitable for proximity to celery and basil.

What in the recipe gives the sweet and sour taste?

The answer here is simple: a combination of vinegar and sugar. The amount of salt is usually minimal. But the proportions of sugar and vinegar are responsible for the sweet and sour taste. Therefore, be careful. If you suddenly think that there is too much sugar in the recipe, do not hesitate and follow the recipe exactly.

Citric acid is often used instead of vinegar. It should be a little more than for a recipe for just pickled cucumbers.

The best recipes for sweet and sour cucumbers for the winter

Now open the cookbook quickly and cook 2-3 free pages. Now we will share the seven best recipes. The cucumbers are sweet and sour, without a vinegar taste, aromatic and very tasty.

Classic sweet and sour cucumbers

This classic recipe recommends not replacing currant leaves with leaves of other shrubs and trees.

Ingredients:

• 1 kg of cucumbers;
• 2 tbsp. l. salt;
• 6 tbsp. l. Sahara;
• 50 ml vinegar (9%);
• 1 bunch of dill;
• 1 currant leaf;
• peppercorns;
• 4 cloves of garlic.

How to cook:

1. Soak the cucumbers in cold water for 3 hours.
2. Wash the fruits, remove dirt and cut off the “tails”.
3. Sterilize the jars in the oven or over a saucepan.
4. Pour boiling water over the lids.
5. Chop the dill.
6. Place a currant leaf at the bottom of sterilized jars, and garlic and chopped herbs on it.
7. Fill the jars with cucumbers.
8. Boil the water.
9. Add salt, sugar, pepper to boiling water. Stir.
10. After 2 minutes, pour in the vinegar and stir again.
11. Cool for 1-2 minutes.
12. Pour the marinade over the vegetables.
13. Cover the jars with lids.
14. Sterilize for 15 minutes.
15. Seal and turn upside down. Cover.
16. After 48 hours, transfer to a cool place.

Important. This is a classic recipe, do not complicate it with additional ingredients.

Recipe with vinegar

Vinegar extends the shelf life of canned cucumbers. Thanks to the large amount of sugar, cucumbers with vinegar have a pleasant sweet and sour taste.

Required:

• 1 kg of cucumbers;
• 2 tbsp. l. salt;
• 6 tbsp. l. Sahara;
• 2 currant leaves;
• 2.5 tbsp. l. vinegar (9%);
• peppercorns to taste;
• 2 bay leaves for marinade.

Cooking method:

1. Soak the cucumbers for 4 hours, periodically replacing the water.
2. Wash well and remove dirt from vegetables.
3. Cut off the tails.
4. Rinse currant leaves in cold water.
5. Sterilize the jars.
6. Place currant leaves at the bottom of the jars.
7. Fill the jars with cucumbers.
8. Boil water, pour boiling water into jars. Cover the jars themselves with lids and leave to cool for 15 minutes.
9. Pour the water back into the saucepan or saucepan and boil again. Refill the jars with boiling water. Cover with a lid and cool for 10 minutes.
10. And pour the water into the pan again. Add salt, sugar, bay leaves and peppercorns. Mix everything, turn on high heat and bring to a boil.
11. Pour vinegar into boiling water, stir and immediately remove from heat.
12. Fill the jars with marinade.
13. Seal, turn upside down, wrap in thick and warm material.
14. After 24 hours, transfer to the cellar.

Other ways to preserve cucumbers:

Recipes for cucumbers and apples for the winter

The best recipes for pickled cucumbers with basil

How to prepare pickled cucumbers with aspirin

With added citric acid

The recipe uses citric acid as a preservative - this is an advantage for those who do not like vinegar. A spoon of honey will add piquancy to the dish.

Required:

• 800 g cucumbers;
• 3 cloves of garlic;
• 1 onion;
• 1 tsp. honey;
• 1 tbsp. l. salt;
• 4 tbsp. l. Sahara;
• 1.5 tsp. citric acid;
• cherry or currant leaves;
• peppercorns

Cooking method:

1. Leave the collected cucumbers to soak overnight.
2. In the morning, wash the vegetables and cut off both ends.
3. Peel the onion and cut into rings.
4. Finely chop the garlic or pass through a press.
5. Place clean cherry or currant leaves at the bottom of a sterilized container.
6. Add chopped garlic and a few onion rings to them.
7. Next, fill the jar with vegetables, placing onion rings between them.
8. Boil water, add salt, sugar and peppercorns into boiling water.
9. Cook the boiling marinade for 3 minutes.
10. Pour honey into a jar and add citric acid.
11. Remove the marinade from the heat and gradually fill the jars with it.
12. Cover with a lid.
13. Sterilize for 15 minutes.
14. Close with a seaming key, turn over and cover with a warm blanket.
15. After 48 hours, send the workpiece to a cool and dark place.

Note! Our goal is to get exactly sweet and sour cucumbers, so we strongly recommend adding citric acid to the jar and not to the boiling marinade.

In oil

Such preparations turn out to be more juicy in taste.

Ingredients:

• 800 g cucumbers;
• 4 cloves of garlic;
• 3 tbsp. l. vegetable oil;
• peppercorns;
• dill umbrella;
• 2 tbsp. salt;
• 5 tbsp. l. heaped sugar;
• 2 tbsp. l. vinegar (9%).

How to cook:

1. Soak the cucumbers for 3-5 hours.
2. Wash the vegetables, peel them, remove the tails.
3. Sterilize the jar in the oven or over a pan, as you prefer.
4. Keep the lid in boiling water for 3 minutes or simply pour boiling water over it.
5. Place two cloves of garlic at the bottom of the container and begin filling them with cucumbers.
6. When the jar is half full, add two more cloves of garlic.
7. Place a dill umbrella on top (at neck level).
8. Boil water and fill the jar with boiling water.
9. Cool for 15 minutes.
10. Drain the water back into the pan after 15 minutes and boil again.
11. Fill the jar with boiling water again, leaving it covered for 10 minutes.
12. Drain the water a third time, add salt, sugar and pepper. Boil it.
13. Pour oil into the jar.
14. Pour vinegar into the boiling marinade and immediately remove from heat.
15. Fill the jar with marinade.
16. Cork and wrap, turning upside down.

Advice. Buttery, sweet and sour cucumbers go well with dry meat.

Recipe with mustard

The recipe uses powdered and grain mustard. At your discretion, you can leave only one type.

Will need:

• 1 kg of cucumbers;
• 1 tsp. mustard beans;
• 1 tsp. mustard powder;
• 1 tbsp. l. salt;
• 6 tbsp. l. Sahara;
• 1 large onion;
• 2 tbsp. l. vinegar (9%);
• currant leaves.

Cooking method:

1. Prepare the vegetables: soak the cucumbers for 5-6 hours, rinse them, cut off the “tails”.
2. Cut the onion into rings.
3. Wash currant leaves in cold water.
4. Sterilize the jars.
5. Place currant leaves and half of the onion rings at the bottom of each container.
6. Add mustard powder.
7. Fill the jars with cucumbers.
8. Place the remaining onion rings on top and add grain mustard.
9. Boil the water.
10. Add salt and sugar to boiling water. Mix well.
11. After 2 minutes, pour in the vinegar and fill the containers with the resulting marinade.
12. Cover the jars with lids.
13. Sterilize for 15 minutes.
14. Roll up, turn over and wrap for three days.

Read also:

Fragrant and crispy cucumbers with mustard: the best recipes

Pickled cucumbers with chili ketchup: recipes and tips

Sweet and sour platter with tomatoes

Small but ripe tomatoes or cherry tomatoes are suitable for this preparation. There is no need to cut the tomatoes.

Ingredients:

• 500 g cucumbers;
• 400 g tomatoes;
• 1.5 tbsp. l. salt;
• 6 tbsp. l. heaped sugar;
• 2.5 tbsp. l. vinegar (9%);
• a bunch of dill;
• a bunch of parsley;
• 4 cloves of garlic;
• peppercorns;
• Bay leaf.

Cooking method:

1. Soak the cucumbers for 4 hours. Add ice water from time to time.
2. Rinse under running cold water and cut off the tails.
3. Wash the tomatoes in cold water, remove the stem.
4. Make a hole in each tomato to a depth of about 1 cm. Use a toothpick, not a knife.
5. Rinse the jars with soda solution and sterilize.
6. Chop the greens and mix. Add chopped garlic to the greens.
7. Place the greens and garlic at the bottom of dry jars.
8. Next, lay out a layer of cucumbers, followed by a layer of tomatoes. Repeat both layers again. Try not to crush the tomatoes with the cucumbers.
9. Put the water to boil.
10. As soon as the water boils, add salt, sugar, peppercorns and add a bay leaf. Mix everything thoroughly. After boiling, cook for 3 minutes.
11. Pour in the vinegar, stir and pour the marinade over the vegetable mixture.
12. Cover the containers with lids.
13. Sterilize for 12 minutes.
14. Seal, invert and wrap.
15. Release into the cellar after 48 hours.

Advice. You can add onion and vegetable oil to the recipe. Chopped onions are placed at the bottom and the very top of the jars, and the oil is poured in before pouring the marinade.

Recipe without sterilization

To avoid sterilization, you will have to be patient and pour boiling water over the vegetables three times.The first two times the filling consists only of boiling water, and the final time - with ready-made marinade.

Ingredients:

• 700 g cucumbers;
• 3 cloves of garlic;
• dill umbrella;
• peppercorns to taste;
• a bunch of dill;
• 2 clove buds;
• 2 tbsp. l. salt;
• 5 tbsp. l. Sahara;
• 3 tbsp. l. vinegar (9%).

Cooking method:

1. Soak the cucumbers for 8 hours. It’s better to leave it overnight and start preparing it in the morning.
2. Rinse the jar with soda solution and rinse with cold water several times. Make sure they are free of chips and cracks.
3. Wash the cucumbers, use a brush if necessary. Cut off the tails.
4. Place cloves and garlic at the bottom of the jar.
5. Chop the greens.
6. Fill the jar with cucumbers.
7. Place chopped herbs and dill umbrella on top.
8. Boil the water.
9. Pour boiling water into the jar.
10. Cover with a lid and cool for 20 minutes.
11. After 20 minutes, drain the water back into the pan. You can use a special lid with small holes.
12. Boil the water again. Pour boiling water into the jar and notice how much the volume of liquid has decreased. Cucumbers should be completely submerged in water. Cool for 10 minutes.
13. Drain the water back again. If it is obvious that this time there will not be enough water, then add boiled water to the pan.
14. Immediately add salt, sugar, pepper.
15. Cook the boiling marinade for a minute, then pour in the vinegar and stir.
16. Remove from heat and immediately fill the jar halfway. After 10-15 seconds, fill the jar completely.
17. Cork it. Turn over and make sure everything is sealed tightly. Wrap it up.
18. After 72 hours, lower it into the cellar.

Tips from experienced housewives

Useful recommendations are never superfluous even for those who are no longer new to blanks:

1. If you want to get very crispy cucumbers, then the boiling marinade must be cooled slightly.This usually takes 2-3 minutes, after which the hot sauce is poured into jars.
2. Sweet and sour cucumbers go perfectly with onions. Use any variety of onions. You don’t even have to cut it into rings, but simply cut the onion into large pieces and place it between the cucumbers.
3. If you are using powdered mustard, pour it either into the bottom of the jar or into the boiling marinade. But mustard beans are better absorbed if you put them on the very top.

Let's sum it up

Sweet and sour cucumbers for the winter are not at all difficult. Sugar and vinegar or citric acid are responsible for the sweet and sour taste, so it is strictly not recommended to change their ratio indicated in the recipe. Such vegetables go well with onions, garlic, tomatoes, mustard, dill, and parsley. It is better to avoid celery and horseradish. You can prepare cucumbers with or without sterilization. In the second case, triple filling will be required.

For the first 24-72 hours, store the cucumbers upside down under warm material. After the time specified in the recipe, transfer the preparations to a cool and dark place.