Secrets of quick preparation of pickled cucumbers

Almost everyone loves the crunch of pickled cucumbers, but few love to cook them. The main reason is that either the recipe requires a lot of time, or the cucumbers need to be left to brew for several days, and a holiday is just around the corner.

We have collected ways to make quick and unusual preparations. Cucumbers in honey marinade and soy sauce, dry salting with mustard and pickling in a bag - you will find these and other quick recipes in our material. Cook, surprise your family and save time.

Features of preparing pickled cucumbers

Some tricks - and the cucumbers will turn out hard and crispy:

1. Prepare 500 ml or 1 liter jars for pickling. They are easier to stuff and quick to eat in winter.
2. Thoroughly sterilize the jars in a boiling kettle, microwave or oven. This way the blanks will not open.
3. Collect marinade spices in advance: leaves of grapes, oak, cherries, currants, dill umbrellas, horseradish roots. It’s better when the ingredients are collected from your garden and you are confident that they are environmentally friendly. Store-bought spices include allspice, black peas, and mustard seeds.
4. All seasonings are placed on the bottom of the jar, followed by cucumbers.
5. If you decide to make a cucumber-tomato assortment, add layers of spices - tomatoes - cucumbers. Tomatoes will add a slight sourness to the marinade.
6. Horseradish and garlic add piquancy to cucumbers. To have the right amount of garlic, put 1 clove per 1 liter of marinade, otherwise the cucumbers will become soft and will not crisp.
7. Red pepper adds heat. Use one small pod per quart jar.Otherwise it will be very spicy!
8. Onions will also add spiciness, but milder than peppers. Use one small onion per quart jar. If you put more, the cucumbers will taste like onions, it will not taste good.

The best pickled cucumbers are those grown in your own garden, freshly picked. And the crunchiest ones are those that grew in open ground. If you don’t have a garden, buy from farmers at the market, but not from the store.

Clue. The best varieties for pickling for the winter are traditional: Nezhinsky, Rodnichok, Zozulya, Zhuravlenok, Khrustishchiy. Advanced housewives choose Nezhenka, Era, Nosovsky, Etap.

For marinade with vinegar, cucumbers no longer than 8 cm and gherkins Domovoy F1, Othello F1, Phillipok F1, Liliput F1, Children's F1 and Angel are suitable.

Modern varieties and hybrids suitable for pickling: Semcross F1, Karnak F1, Zakuson F1, German, Gypsy F1, Ira F1, Mama's favorite F1, Parisian gherkin, Courage F1, Barrel pickling F1.

The following cucumbers are suitable for pickling in barrels and glass: Pasalimo F1, Octopus F1, Ecole F1, Bettina F1, Dolomite F1.

The most faithful assistant in choosing cucumbers is the keen eye of the housewife. When purchasing and sorting, study:

1. Size. Choose cucumbers 8-10 cm long. Gherkins are ideal for pickling with vinegar.
2. Cucumber color - light green. Discard the yellowish ones immediately - they have a thick peel and large hard seeds.
3. The peel should be soft so that the brine penetrates faster through it. Press the cucumber with your fingernail: if the peel is easily pressed down, the fruit is suitable.
4. Pimples. Must be present on all pickled cucumbers. Look at the tips of the spikes - they should be black.
   

   Important! These parameters of the cucumbers allow the marinade to slowly penetrate inside, their elasticity increases, and they will have a wonderful crunch.

Preparing for marinating

The jars are thoroughly washed and sterilized, and the dirt is washed off from the fruit with a cloth. Check the integrity of the cucumbers (they should be without cracks or dents) and place them in cool water for 5-6 hours. If the water becomes warm, change it to cool. For freshly picked fruits, 3 hours of soaking is enough.

Quick pickling recipes

Quick pickled cucumbers to eat now are prepared in 10-20 minutes and eaten even faster.

With herbs, garlic and vinegar

After cooking, you can immediately put them on the table. This recipe produces moderately salty, crispy and spicy cucumbers.

Compound:

• cucumber – 1 kg;
• garlic – 5 cloves;
• ground coriander – 1 tsp;
• sugar and salt - 1 tbsp. l.;
• vinegar 9% – 4 tbsp. l.;
• sunflower oil – 4 tbsp. l.

Cut the fruits lengthwise into quarters, then each in half to form triangular bars. Grate the garlic on a fine grater and add to the cucumbers along with salt, sugar, vinegar, coriander and sunflower oil. Serve to the table.

Clue. If you leave the dish prepared in this way in the refrigerator for 6-8 hours, the cucumbers will marinate more and become tastier, but softer.

Quick pickled cucumbers in a bag

This recipe requires fruits 10 cm long with a thin skin. If you make it in the evening, it will be ready by morning, and if it’s in the morning, you can have cucumbers for dinner.

Compound:

• cucumbers – 1 kg;
• salt – 1 tbsp. l.;
• sugar – 1 tsp;
• garlic – 3 large cloves;
• dill - 1 bunch.

Wash the cucumbers and trim the ends. Chop the dill or add it whole. Cut the garlic into slices. Put cucumbers, salt, sugar, garlic into the bag. Close the bag, shake to distribute the sugar and salt, and refrigerate for 6 hours. The cucumbers will add moisture, “breathe” into the bag and marinate.

Reference. For piquancy, add one of the following ingredients to taste: allspice, coriander peas, tarragon, cilantro, cherry leaves, currants, horseradish, spicy pepper finely chopped.

How to quickly pickle cucumbers with mustard - dry salting

Delicious with boiled young potatoes sprinkled with herbs and butter.

Compound:

• cucumbers – 1 kg;
• salt – 1 tbsp. l.;
• garlic – 2-3 cloves;
• parsley or dill, green shoots;
• ground black pepper or a mixture of peppers;
• dry mustard or ground coriander – 2-3 tsp.

Cut off the ends of the washed cucumbers, cut into 1.5-2 cm circles. Mix salt, chopped garlic, herbs in a bag, add the remaining spices. Place the cucumbers there, tie, and shake to distribute the mixture. Remove in 40-60 minutes.

For storage in jars for the winter

Recipes for quick preparation of pickled cucumbers for the winter. Ready in 30 minutes.

In honey marinade

The unusual taste of these cucumbers will delight even the pickiest gourmets.

Composition per 1 liter jar:

• cucumbers - how many will fit in the jar;
• spices: dill umbrella, cherry leaves, horseradish and grapes (or currants) - to taste;
• allspice – 5 pcs.;
• white mustard, coriander, cloves – 0.5 tsp;
• garlic - 2 cloves;
• water – 0.55 l;
• sugar – 100 g;
• salt – 1 tbsp. l.;
• vinegar 9% – 100 ml;
• honey - 1 tbsp. l.

Wash the fruits and cut off the ends. Cut the garlic into cubes. Wash the jar and lid, pour boiling water over it, and dry. Place green leaves, peppercorns, garlic, mustard seeds, coriander and cloves on the bottom. Place the cucumbers tightly.

Pour water into a saucepan, add sugar, salt, honey and put on fire. When the water boils, add vinegar to the marinade. When boiling, turn off. Pour the marinade to the top into a filled jar, cover with a lid, and leave for 20 minutes.

Sterilize like this: put a towel on the bottom of the pan, pour boiling water, put the jar (the water should reach the middle) and put it on fire. After boiling, leave for 10 minutes. Then remove the jar from the water, remove the lid, and wipe the jar. Roll up the lid or seal it, turn the jar over, and cover with a blanket. Take out when cool.

With soy sauce

The cucumbers are spicy, sweet and sour, not very crunchy, but they go with any side dish.

Compound:

• cucumbers – 1 kg;
• sunflower oil – 100 ml;
• soy sauce – 70 ml;
• garlic – 1 head;
• ground chili pepper – 1 tsp;
• vinegar – 100 ml;
• grated ginger – 1 tsp;
• salt – 15 gr.

Wash the cucumbers, cut off the ends on both sides, cut lengthwise into quarters. Add salt and set aside for 20 minutes. During this time, juice will form; drain it. Place the slices in sterilized 0.5 liter jars.

For the marinade, crush the garlic in a press and mix with the rest of the ingredients.

Sterilize like this: put a towel on the bottom of the pan, pour boiling water, place the jars (the water should reach the middle) and put on fire. After boiling, sterilize half-liter jars for 20 minutes, liter jars for 30 minutes. Then take out the jars, remove the lids, wipe the jars and roll them up.

With sweet pepper and onion

The recipe is recommended as a snack; the vegetables turn out crispy and tasty.

Compound:

• cucumbers – 1 kg;
• bell pepper – 2 pcs. medium size;
• garlic – 2 cloves;
• dill – 2-3 branches;
• allspice peas - 2 peas;
• bay leaf – 2 pcs.;
• cloves – 2-3 pcs.;
• 9% vinegar, salt and sugar - 2 tbsp each. l.

Wash the cucumbers and cut off the edges. Wash the pepper, remove the seeds, cut into slices. Peel the garlic and cut into slices.Place bay leaf, cloves, allspice, garlic slices, then pepper into a clean jar, doused with boiling water. Pack the cucumbers tightly. Add dill on top. Fill the jar with boiling water, cover with a lid and leave for 10-15 minutes.

Drain the liquid into a saucepan, add salt and sugar, and bring to a boil. Pour vinegar and fill the jar with marinade. Seal with a lid, turn over, and leave at room temperature until completely cooled.

Spiced cucumbers with horseradish and currants

Horseradish, which contains tannins, produces sweet and crunchy cucumbers.

Compound:

• cucumbers – 1 kg;
• garlic;
• carrot;
• horseradish leaves, black currant, bay leaf;
• dill;
• red hot pepper – 1 pod.

For 1 liter of marinade:

• vinegar - 200 ml;
• salt - 1 tbsp. l.;
• sugar - 200 g.

Wash everything very thoroughly. Chop onions and carrots as desired. Either chop the garlic coarsely or add it whole. Chop horseradish leaves coarsely. Rinse the jars and pour boiling water over them. Place all the above ingredients on the bottom of the jars, be sure to add hot pepper. Pack the cucumbers as tightly as possible.

Pour boiling water over the cooked vegetables, without touching the walls of the jar, and close the lids. Wrap the jars and leave for 15 minutes. Pour water into the pan, close the jars with lids and wrap tightly. Boil water and pour into jars, leave covered again for 15 minutes. Drain the water again and cover the jars.

Measure the amount of resulting liquid and add the ingredients for the marinade. Bring to a boil, pour into jars, roll up the lids. Turn the jars upside down, wrap them up and leave until completely cool.

How to properly store pickled cucumbers

Dishes made according to instant recipes cannot be stored. They made it and ate it right away.For a maximum of two days. If you store more, the cucumbers will become soft and lose their crunch.

The blanks, rolled into jars, are stored in a cool place at a temperature not exceeding +4°C. This could be a refrigerator, basement or cellar. It is not recommended to place jars under the bed for the winter.

Precautionary measures

Cucumbers are considered a dietary product due to their high water content (up to 95%) and low calorie content (15 kcal). Therefore, there is an opinion that if you eat a lot of pickled cucumbers, there will be no big trouble for the body. But it is not so.

Important! People with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract cannot eat a lot of pickled cucumbers due to the presence of seasonings, spices and vinegar in the marinade.

If the marinade in an open jar is cloudy, there is mold floating in it, and there is a strong rotten smell, you cannot eat such cucumbers. The rules for sterilization, preparation of vegetables and spices, or storage conditions were violated.

Conclusion

Properly selected and prepared vegetables will bring joy and will always be on the table. Cook and save time. Let our time-tested recipes become faithful assistants in preparing for the arrival of guests or a family dinner.