A delicious recipe for the winter from overgrown cucumbers: ways to pickle them

When picking cucumbers at the dacha, you may not notice those hidden behind the leaves. They will be discovered when they have outgrown and turned yellow. It also happens that the entire harvest is postponed due to illness or business travel.

As a result, there are a lot of overgrown cucumbers in the kitchen. It’s a pity to throw away the fruits of your labors, but where to put them? Experienced housewives make delicious preparations from them. We have collected recipes for crispy pickled overgrown cucumbers for the winter.

Features of pickling overgrown cucumbers

For pickling, it is better to use young, unripe green fruits. But if you happen to pick overgrown cucumbers, just follow some rules when pickling overgrown cucumbers, and everything will turn out delicious:

1. Before cooking, the fruits are soaked for 2-3 hours in cold water. This way they will not only be easy to wash, but will also absorb moisture and will not be lethargic. The water is regularly changed to fresh.
2. Even overgrown vegetables should not be taken spoiled. They may be large in size and already yellowish in color, but at the same time they retain the integrity of the cover.
3. Vegetables prepared for pickling are peeled and cut lengthwise or into slices. If the seeds inside are large and hard, remove them by scraping them off with a spoon.
4. For flavor, add an umbrella of dill, allspice and black hot pepper.
5. Use regular salt, rock salt, not iodized or extra. The cheaper and larger the salt, the better for preservation.
6. For piquancy, put garlic in jars.But it should be remembered that excess garlic will make the fruits too soft.
7. For spiciness add pods of hot red pepper.

To cucumbers turned out crispy, it is better to take varieties for pickling for the winter. There are cucumbers intended only for salads, for example, pimply, prickly ones. They are definitely not suitable for blanks. Choose universal varieties or those specially bred for pickling.

Properly selected greens are also responsible for the crunch. Horseradish root, currant, cherry, and oak leaves are added to recipes. It is believed that it is oak that gives cucumbers their hardness and everyone’s favorite crunch.

Features of container preparation:

1. Canning jars are small, 0.5-1 liters. The optimal option is 0.75 l.
2. Containers are thoroughly washed with soda or steamed nettle. It is better not to use household chemicals.
3. Banks are sterilized. Place upside down over a steam bath for 10-15 minutes. Then remove and dry naturally. Or the washed container is placed in a cold oven and heated for 0.5 hours.

Recipes

Pickling overgrown cucumbers is no more difficult than ordinary ones. Only it takes more time to prepare such vegetables, because the fruits are peeled and cut.

Classic cucumbers

Everyone has their own recipe for making delicious, crispy cucumbers. For beginners, it’s better to start cooking according to traditional, classic recipes.

Ingredients:

• cucumbers – volume for a 0.5 liter jar;
• carrots – 1 pc. (small);
• garlic – 2 cloves;
• dill – 2-3 sprigs;
• salt – 1 tsp;
• sugar – 2 tsp;
• vinegar 9% – 1 tbsp. l.;
• vegetable oil – 1.5 tbsp. l.

Preparation procedure:

1. Boil and cool water.
2. For this recipe, you don’t have to peel the fruits, just wash them and cut them into slices along with the carrots.
3. Cut the garlic into 2-3 cloves.
4. Place dill, garlic on the bottom of a sterilized bowl, then carrots mixed with cucumbers, not all the way to the top.
5. Add salt, sugar, vinegar and sunflower oil.
6. Pour in cold water to cover the vegetables.
7. Sterilize. To do this, place a cloth on the bottom of the prepared pan, place the jars tightly to each other, close with screw-on lids and pour cold water to the same height as in the jars.
8. After the water boils, cook for 15 minutes. Take it out, immediately roll it up, turn it over and wrap it in a warm blanket.
9. Leave until completely cool (about 12 hours). Then put it in a cool, dark place.

In Korean

Korean salad lovers will enjoy this appetizer version of spicy vegetables.

Ingredients:

• cucumbers – 2.5 kg;
• carrots – 1.5 kg;
• garlic – 2 pcs.;
• coriander beans – 2 tsp;
• ground red pepper – 1.5 tsp;
• paprika – 2 tsp;
• salt – 170 g;
• sugar – 270 g;
• vegetable oil – 260 ml;
• vinegar 9% – 0.5 cup.

Preparation procedure:

1. Wash the cucumbers, peel them and cut into strips lengthwise.
2. Grate carrots for Korean salad.
3. Crush the garlic through a press or chop it very finely.
4. Mix everything and place in sterilized jars.
5. Prepare the marinade: add coriander, pepper, paprika, salt, sugar, butter to 1 liter of water. Boil.
6. Pour in vinegar and pour into containers. Cover with lids.
7. Place in a saucepan, cover the bottom with a cloth. Pour water up to the hangers of the jars, boil and sterilize the cucumbers for 15 minutes.
8. Roll up the lids, turn them over, and after cooling completely under a warm blanket, put them in the basement or cellar.

"Mother-in-law's tongue"

The preservation received this name because of the method of cutting and the spiciness of the prepared dish. The ingredients are for 4.5 liters of finished product.

Ingredients:

• cucumbers – 3 kg;
• tomatoes – 1.5 kg;
• bell pepper – 0.5 kg;
• hot chilli pepper – 50 g;
• garlic – 100 g;
• vinegar 6% – 125 ml;
• sugar – 125 g;
• salt – 40 g;
• vegetable oil – 0.25 l.

Preparation procedure:

1. Wash the cucumbers, peel them and cut them lengthwise into long strips (plates) with a vegetable peeler.
2. Wash the tomatoes and peppers, cut out the stems of the tomatoes, and remove the seeds from the peppers. Pass through a meat grinder.
3. Just wash the hot peppers, do not remove the seeds, to make the dish more spicy.
4. Press the garlic through a press or grate it on a fine grater.
5. Place cucumbers, minced peppers, tomatoes and garlic in a thick-bottomed pan. Add salt, sugar, butter.
6. Boil over low heat and cook, stirring constantly, for 20 minutes.
7. Pour in vinegar and boil for another 5 minutes.
8. Remove from heat and place in sterilized jars, roll up the lids and turn over.
9. Cover with a warm blanket overnight. Then put it in the pantry or on the balcony.

"Fingers"

You can quickly pickle overgrown cucumbers using this recipe. It is suitable not only when the vegetables are overripe, but also if they are too long or crooked - slicing will fix everything.

Ingredients:

• cucumbers – 2 kg;
• onion – 1.5 kg;
• carrots – 300 g;
• salt – 2 tbsp. l.;
• sugar – ½ cup;
• vinegar 9% – ½ cup;
• sunflower oil – 1 cup.

Preparation procedure:

1. Wash the cucumbers, peel them, remove the seeds. Cut crosswise into long barrels of 5-6 cm, and then lengthwise into strips of 1-1.5 cm.
2. Peel the onion and chop it into half rings, grate the carrots on a Korean salad grater.
3. Place everything in a saucepan, add salt, sugar, and oil.
4. Boil over low heat and cook for 15-20 minutes. Add vinegar, simmer for another 5 minutes.
5. Place in sterilized jars and seal. Turn the jars over, let them cool in this position and put them in the refrigerator or basement.

With bell pepper

Adding vegetables to an appetizer adds variety to the winter table. When you have a good harvest of bell peppers, it is useful to know how to pickle cucumbers with this vegetable. The output is 3 liters of the finished product.

Ingredients:

• cucumbers – 1.5 kg;
• tomatoes – 1 kg;
• sweet bell pepper – 2 kg;
• hot pepper, pod – 50 g;
• garlic – 50 g;
• salt 20 g;
• vinegar 9% – 60 ml;
• sunflower oil – ½ cup.

Preparation procedure:

1. Wash the cucumbers, removing the peel and seeds. Chop into circles.
2. Remove stems and seeds from washed peppers. Pass through a meat grinder.
3. Pour boiling water over the tomatoes, peel them and cut into cubes.
4. Finely chop the garlic.
5. Place tomatoes in the bottom of the pan and pour oil over them.
6. Place cucumbers in the next layer, add salt and cover with minced peppers.
7. Bring the contents of the pan to a boil over low heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
8. Add garlic and vinegar, boil for another 5 minutes.
9. Fill sterilized jars with preserves, roll them up, turn them over, and wrap them in a warm blanket.
10. Store the cooled snack in the cellar or pantry.

Bell peppers can be of different colors: red, yellow and green. The end result will be a bright festive dish that will delight not only with taste, but also with color.

Attention! Do not cut the tomatoes into small squares, otherwise they will turn into a paste when cooked. The tomato pieces that come across add flavor to the dish.

In mustard sauce

This spice gives cucumbers a slight bitterness, which neutralizes the natural bitterness of cucumbers, if any. The cucumbers are sharp and crispy.

Ingredients:

• cucumbers – 1.5 kg;
• salt – 2 tbsp. l.;
• sugar – 100 g;
• vinegar 9% – 100 ml;
• garlic – 1 head;
• hot black pepper – 2 tsp;
• sunflower oil – 100 ml;
• dry mustard – 1 tbsp. l.

Preparation procedure:

1. Wash the cucumbers, peel them, remove the seeds, cut into any shape, but not very large.
2. Mix salt, sugar, mustard, oil, vinegar, garlic and pour into vegetables.
3. Leave for 1.5-2 hours so that the overgrowths release juice and are saturated with spices.
4. Place in sterilized 0.5 liter jars.
5. Place in a saucepan, add water and sterilize for 15 minutes in boiling water.
6. Roll up, place lids down, wrap until completely cool.
7. Place in a cool, dark place.

Read also:

Why are pickles empty inside?

Classic recipes for lightly salted cucumbers in a saucepan.

The best recipes for cold pickling cucumbers.

Storage recommendations

Cooked cucumbers are perfectly stored not only in basements or cellars, but also at room temperature. Each recipe contains a preservative (vinegar), in addition, snacks are additionally sterilized.

But still, for long-term storage, a cool and dark place is recommended. This could be a cellar, basement, refrigerator or balcony.

It is necessary to monitor the state of preservation: throw away jars with rusted lids. If the lid is swollen, do the same. Such signs may indicate the development of dangerous botulism.

Important! Freeze should not be allowed to freeze if stored on an open balcony.

Conclusion

Overgrown cucumbers are not a reason to be upset. Firstly, these are seeds for the future harvest. And secondly, it’s a wonderful appetizer on the winter table.

Late-ripened vegetables can be prepared in a variety of recipes.If you thoroughly wash the fruits and follow all the rules, the cucumbers will not spoil until spring and will retain their crunch and bright taste.