Features of pickling cucumbers with citric acid: recipes for 1 and 3 liter jars

Preparing cucumbers with citric acid is a delicious addition to main hot dishes. The absence of vinegar in the composition makes it gentle and allows it to be consumed even by people with a sensitive gastrointestinal tract.

Unlike conventional methods of preservation, such vegetables are not over-salted, and their flavor is not overwhelmed by the smell of vinegar. We will tell you about the secrets of preparing snacks in our article.

Features of pickling cucumbers with citric acid

Containers with properly preserved vegetables on citric acid They almost never explode, and the brine is clean, without cloudiness or sediment.

The workpiece is different absence of a sharp vinegar taste and characteristic odor. Vegetables prepared using this method are tender and flavorful. They can be used not only as an independent snack and side dish, but also added to soups, salads and sandwiches.

The main product for pickling should be fresh, crispy and juicy. Overripe fruits are not suitable for preservation. Size depends on features recipes: large specimens are suitable for cutting, and small and medium ones are suitable for compacting whole fruits.

The peel and pulp of vegetables should not be bitter, otherwise the bitterness will transfer into the preparation.

Reference. The skin of vegetables is usually not removed during cooking, so it should not be too thick.

How to make them crispy

To ensure that the vegetables do not lose their crunch and remain juicy and strong, several oak leaves are added to the container.They will add a herbal aroma to the brine and keep the cucumbers fresh.

What does citric acid do?

Citric acid is a natural preservative used to prevent the growth of bacteria and microorganisms inside the container during the pickling process. Marinade with lemon preservative is clearer and cleaner than vinegar. An insufficient amount of this ingredient can ruin the product.

Advice. Choose citric acid for preparations in powder form, not liquid.

Preparing ingredients and containers

To make the preparation tasty, healthy and aromatic, it is important to properly prepare all the ingredients and containers.

Product preparation:

1. Rinse vegetables and herbs with running water. Rub the vegetables with a stiff bristle brush.
2. Place the washed components on a clean towel and dry naturally.
3. Peel all vegetables except cucumbers.
4. Cut large fruits into slices or cubes.
5. If using onion, chop it into rings.
6. Chop the herbs and garlic if the recipe calls for it.

Preparation of 1 and 3 liter containers:

1. Rinse the containers thoroughly with soda.
2. Dry the clean container and sterilize it in the oven at +180°C. Sterilization time is 10 minutes for a small container and 20 minutes for a large one.

It is more convenient to place chopped vegetables in small jars. It is better to put whole products in large ones, and even large fruits will fit into a three-liter container.

Recipes for pickling cucumbers with citric acid in 1 and 3 liter jars

Preservation does not take much time. After seaming, the snack will be ready to eat in about 10 days.

Traditional recipe

The classic preparation diversifies the usual diet and is combined with everyday hot dishes: meat, fish, chicken and vegetables.

Required products (per 1 l/3 l):

• cucumbers – 300 g/1 kg;
• clean water – 0.5 l/1.5 l;
• citric acid – 0.5 tsp/1.5 tsp;
• salt – 1 tsp/3 tsp;
• granulated sugar - 2 tbsp. l./4 tbsp. l.;
• cherry, raspberry leaves, dill, parsley, thyme, basil - to taste.

Cooking method:

1. Soak the vegetables in water, cut off the stems and place in containers.
2. Wash the greens and leaves and place them whole in a container.
3. To boil water. Dissolve salt and sugar in it. Boil for 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and add lemon powder.
4. Pour the marinade into a container and roll up.

Before moving the container to a storage location, shake it several times to mix all the components.

With mustard and citric acid

Mustard makes the dish piquant and spicy. A vegetable appetizer with mustard often complements holiday feasts.

What you will need (for 1 l/3 l):

• medium-sized cucumbers – 3 pcs./6 pcs.;
• water – 1 l/2.5 l;
• salt and sugar - 1.5 tsp/2 tbsp. l.;
• citric acid – 1 tsp/2 tbsp. l.;
• mustard powder – 1 tsp/2.5 tsp;
• black pepper – 3 peas/6 peas;
• tarragon, rosemary, dill, basil - to taste;
• horseradish leaf – 1 pc./3 pcs.

How to cook:

1. Soak the vegetables and pierce them with a fork in several places. This will help the cucumbers soak up the brine and pickle faster.
2. Place horseradish leaves at the bottom of the container, then herbs and peppers.
3. Place the cucumbers vertically.
4. Add salt and sugar to boiling water. Dissolve the crystals and pour the marinade into a container.
5. Then add lemon powder and mustard.
6. Roll up the container with a lid.

With acid and onion

Pickled onions are devoid of their usual bitter taste and make the pickling crispy and sweetish.

Ingredients (per 1 l/3 l):

• medium cucumbers – 3 pcs./5 pcs.;
• water for marinade – 1 l/2 l;
• salt – 0.5 tbsp. l./1.5 tbsp. l.;
• sugar – 1.5 tbsp. l./4 tbsp. l.;
• small onions – 1 pc./2 pcs.;
• citric acid – 0.5 tbsp. l./1.5 tbsp. l.;
• oak leaves – 1 pc./2 pcs.;
• garlic – 3 cloves/6 cloves;
• dill – 1 umbrella/2 umbrellas;
• tarragon - to taste.

Preparation:

1. Place dill, tarragon, leaves and garlic in a container.
2. Place cucumbers and finely chopped onions into a container.
3. Pour boiling clean water over the workpiece. After 5 minutes, pour the liquid into the pan.
4. Heat water, add salt, sugar and citric acid. Boil for about three minutes.
5. Pour the resulting marinade over the vegetables and roll up.

Place the cooling container upside down.

In Bulgarian

An appetizer with Bulgarian pepper turns out to be piquant, so it is used as a complement to fish and meat hot dishes.

Required products (per 1 l/3 l):

• cucumbers – 2 pcs./3-4 pcs.;
• water – 1 l/2.5 l;
• salt – 1 tsp/1 tbsp. l.;
• citric acid – 1 tsp/3 tsp;
• chopped hot chili pepper – 1-4 pieces;
• cherry, oak and currant leaves - 1 pc./2 pcs.;
• black peppercorns – 2 pcs./4 pcs.

How to cook:

1. Place vegetables in a container. Distribute leaves, peppercorns and hot chili peppers between them.
2. Pour boiling water over the vegetables and cool slightly. Pour the liquid into a saucepan. Rinse the vegetables and put them back in the jar.
3. Add salt, sugar, acid and ketchup to the brine and put on fire. Boil the marinade and pour it over the workpiece.
4. Roll up the lid, cool and store.

The lids use soft nylon.When they swell, the marinade is checked for the presence of foam. If foam appears, remove it and close the lid again.

With thyme

Thyme gives pickling an unusual herbal aroma. The preparation turns out tender and not sharp.

List of products (for 1 l/3 l):

• fresh cucumbers – 3 pcs./5 pcs.;
• water – 1 l/3 l;
• citric acid – 1 tsp/1 tbsp. l.;
• salt – 0.5 tbsp. l./1.5 tbsp. l.;
• granulated sugar - 2 tbsp. l./5 tbsp. l.;
• thyme – 10 g/30 g;
• horseradish leaves and bay leaves - several pieces to cover the bottom of the container;
• cherry and raspberry leaves - 2 pcs./4 pcs.

How to cook:

1. Place all the leaves and thyme in the bottom of the container.
2. Place vegetables on leaves.
3. Fill the container with boiling water. After 5 minutes, drain.
4. Boil the brine and pour it back into the container.
5. After 5 minutes, drain the liquid again and boil.
6. Add sugar, salt and acid to the brine. Boil and pour the marinade into a container. Roll up the lid.

With cloves

Cloves have an island-spicy aroma, which is why they are used by lovers of savory herbal dishes.

Ingredients:

• cucumbers – 1 kg/3 kg;
• water – 0.5 l/2.5 l;
• citric acid – 1 tsp/3 tsp;
• cloves – 10 g;
• salt – 0.5 tsp/1 tsp;
• sugar – 2 tbsp. l./3.5 tbsp. l.;
• cherry leaves, oak leaves, black pepper, dill, garlic - to taste.

Preparation:

1. Place vegetables in a container along with herbs, herbs and spices, including cloves.
2. Pour boiling water over the workpiece. Drain the water after 5 minutes and put it on fire.
3. Pour salt, sugar and acid into the boiling brine.
4. Wait until it boils again and pour the marinade into a container, then close the jar with a lid.

With horseradish and oak bark

To prepare with horseradish and oak bark, take small but strong cucumbers, with thin skin and dense pulp.

List of products (for 1 l/3 l):

• cucumbers – 4 pcs./12 pcs.;
• water – 1 l/2.5 l;
• salt – 1 tsp/2 tbsp. l.;
• citric acid – 1 tsp/2.5 tsp;
• a few pieces of finely chopped horseradish;
• oak bark – 2 pieces/4 small pieces;
• garlic – 3 cloves/5 cloves.

Preparation:

1. Compact the vegetables in the jar, then add garlic, oak bark and horseradish.
2. Pour boiling water into the container and pour into a saucepan after 5 minutes. Boil the liquid and pour over the vegetables. Repeat 2 times.
3. After draining the water into the saucepan for the last time, pour citric acid, salt and sugar into the container with vegetables. Then quickly pour in the hot marinade and close the lid.

With tarragon

Tarragon will give the preparation a light fresh aroma of herbs and make the vegetables crispy, preventing them from becoming soft and lethargic.

Ingredients (per 1 l/3 l):

• cucumbers – 500 g/2 kg;
• water according to the volume of the jar;
• citric acid – 1 tsp/2.5 tsp;
• tarragon - 1-2 sprigs;
• salt – 1.5 tsp/1.5 tbsp. l.;
• sugar – 2 tbsp. l./4 tbsp. l.;
• peppercorns – 3 pcs./6 pcs.;
• garlic – 2 cloves/4 cloves.

Cooking method:

1. Pour boiling water over the vegetables, herbs and spices placed in the container.
2. After 5-7 minutes, drain the water and, adding salt, granulated sugar and citric acid, boil.
3. Pour hot brine into a container and close with a lid.

With carrots

Sweet carrots combined with cucumbers will be an excellent option for an everyday aromatic addition to porridge, mashed potatoes or meat steaks.

Required products (per 1 l/3 l):

• cucumbers – 0.5 kg/2 kg;
• water - by volume of container;
• medium-sized carrots – 1 pc./3 pcs.;
• citric acid – 1 tsp/1 tbsp. l.;
• cherry and currant leaves - 2 pcs./5 pcs.;
• black peppercorns – 3 pcs./5 pcs.

How to cook:

1. Cut the carrots into cubes. Cucumbers - in circles.
2. Place the leaves in a jar. Place vegetables in a container and add pepper.
3. Salt boiling water, add sugar and acid.
4. Pour the resulting marinade over the workpiece and roll it up.

Cooking tips

Some recommendations for preparing pickling:

1. If the house runs out of citric acid, it can be replaced with aspirin. One crushed tablet will allow you to preserve vegetables without adding vinegar.
2. Hot brine can ruin the elasticity of vegetables, making the preservation soft. To prevent the fruits from softening and becoming limp, a horseradish leaf is added to the jar.
3. Various vegetables are suitable for pickling with cucumbers, with the exception of cabbage.
4. It is advisable to keep the cucumbers in water for several hours before pickling.
5. If you add equal amounts of sugar and salt, the taste will be more salty, so lovers of sweetish preparations are advised to add more sugar.

Recommendations for storage in the cellar and apartment

Any cool place where the sun's rays do not penetrate is suitable for storing the workpiece. This could be a cellar, pantry, or a compartment for vegetables and fruits in the refrigerator. Preservation should be kept away from other products, especially odorous ones.

The optimal storage temperature is from 0 to +2°C. Humidity – 90%.

The maximum shelf life is 10 months. Open containers are stored for no more than three days.

Read also:

The best ways to pickle cucumbers for the winter with lemon.

Delicious sweet, crispy pickled cucumbers: a winter recipe for liter jars.

Conclusion

Vegetable preparation with citric acid is an excellent alternative to the usual salads using vinegar. Tender and light cucumbers, seasoned with your favorite spices and herbs, are suitable for everyday use and for holiday feasts. Quick and easy preparation will save time for a busy housewife!