Simple and delicious pickled pumpkin recipes: cooking instructions and useful tips

Pumpkin is good in any form. It makes delicious sweet dishes, healthy juice, original side dishes and salads. Pickled pumpkin is recognized as one of the favorites. The preparation is combined with soups, meat and fish. Pickled pumpkin looks beautiful and appetizing, and in terms of the content of nutrients in its composition it is not inferior to fresh pumpkin.

Let's look at the most popular recipes for pickled pumpkin and learn the secrets of its preparation.

Why pickled pumpkin is good

The dish is valued for its rich vitamin composition. The vegetable contains vitamins A, B, C, D, PP, essential for humans, fiber, magnesium, calcium, iron, pectins and healthy sugars.

100 g of product contains only 26-30 kcal, so experts recommend consuming pickled pumpkin for those who are overweight or simply follow a diet. dietary nutrition.

In addition, the benefits of the dish are as follows:

1. Regular consumption of pickled vegetables reduces cholesterol levels in the body and removes toxins.
2. Fermented foods maintain a favorable balance of intestinal microflora.
3. The vegetable has a beneficial effect on the condition of the skin, nails and hair. Prevents premature aging.
4. Pickled pumpkin is an excellent diuretic. Thanks to it, swelling goes away and human health is normalized.

The technology for preparing the product requires a minimum of time and effort. Most recipes consist of readily available ingredients that can always be found in your local supermarket. The dish is stored for a long time, does not lose its taste and beneficial properties. Pickled pumpkin is actively consumed in winter, when the body especially needs vitamins and microelements.

The best pickled pumpkin recipes

Simple but tasty recipes for making pickled pumpkin help preserve the benefits of the vegetable for a long time. On average, one dish takes 1-2 hours, and the result is appetizing and tasty.

Classic recipe

Even a novice cook can repeat one of the simplest cooking recipes. For the dish, select ripe muscat pumpkin varieties, for example, Zhemchuzhina or Muscat de Provence.

The list of ingredients looks like this:

• 1 kg pumpkin;
• dill and parsley to taste;
• 12 g salt;
• 1 liter of water;
• 10 g cinnamon;
• 2 cloves garlic;
• 3 peas allspice.

Cooking method:

1. Rinse the pumpkin under running water, peel it, cut into pieces 0.5-1 cm thick. The pieces should be the same size so that during the cooking process they are soaked in brine at the same time.
2. Prepare the brine: add salt, cinnamon and allspice to 1 liter of water. Mix everything thoroughly.
3. Place pumpkin pieces, garlic, herbs in a clean and sterile jar and fill with brine to the very top. Cover with a thick cloth or nylon lid.
4. Leave at room temperature for 6 days, then put in the refrigerator. After 1-2 days, the product is ready for use.

Pickled pumpkin in a barrel

Many gardeners ferment the product in a wooden barrel. The container not only preserves the taste of the product, but also saturates it with special aromas. The preparations in oak tubs and barrels are especially tasty.

For preparation you will need:

• 800 g pumpkin;
• 1 liter of water;
• 50 g ground pepper;
• sprig of cloves.

Cooking method:

1. Wash the pumpkin, remove peel and seeds. Cut the pulp into cubes and boil for 3-5 minutes in boiling water.
2. Fish out the pieces and place them in a clean wooden barrel.
3. Pour ground pepper into a saucepan and cook the brine over low heat for 10 minutes. Pour the liquid into the barrel, close the lid, and place pressure on top. Add cloves to taste. Store the snack at room temperature for three days.
4. For further storage, move the barrel to a cellar or basement. Serve as an independent snack or as a side dish for meat dishes.

Interesting! As a result of pickling pumpkin, beneficial bacteria are formed, which normalize intestinal function and increase overall immunity. For preventive and health benefits, experts recommend consuming 60 to 120 g of fermented foods per day.

Recipe with cabbage

Crispy sweet and sour cabbage harmoniously complements the taste of pickled pumpkin. The dish can be prepared at any time of the year. Ingredients for cooking:

• 2 kg of white cabbage;
• 700 g pumpkin;
• 60 g sugar;
• 80 g salt;
• 2 mint leaves;
• cumin and basil to taste.

Cooking method:

1. Wash the pumpkin, remove peel and seeds. Cut into small cubes, put in a deep bowl and cover with sugar. Leave for 2-3 hours so that the vegetable gives juice.
2. Remove the cabbage stalk and outer leaves. Rinse in cold running water and chop.
3. Mix cabbage with salt, add spices and spices to taste. Place vegetables in layers in a glass or enamel container.
4. Place the snack at room temperature under pressure for 3-4 days. After the time has passed, place the preparations in jars, close the lids and put them in the refrigerator.
5. The appetizer goes well with boiled and fried potatoes, rice, and buckwheat.

With cabbage and apples

Pumpkin with apples and cabbage is an excellent fruit and vegetable salad with a high content of vitamins C and B. To prepare the dish, you will need the following ingredients:

• 3 kg pumpkin;
• 800 g white cabbage;
• 1 kg apples;
• 150 g salt;
• 20 g cumin;
• ground red pepper to taste.

Cooking technology:

1. Wash the cabbage, remove the stalk and top layer, and chop.
2. Wash the pumpkin and grate it on a coarse grater. Cut the washed apples into medium strips.
3. Mix pepper, salt and cumin.
4. Place the ingredients in an enamel pan in the following order: cabbage, pumpkin, apples. After each layer add the spice mixture.
5. Place the pumpkin under pressure for 7 days. Store in a cool place.

Important! Instead of apples, some cooks add rowan berries. To do this, they are washed and soaked for 3 minutes in boiling water. Rowan adds sourness to the dish and makes the taste more piquant.

With hot pepper

The spicy snack is easy to prepare. Serves as an excellent addition to kebabs, cutlets, goulash and other meat dishes.

List of ingredients:

• 4 kg pumpkin;
• 50 g salt;
• 50 g red hot pepper;
• 1.5 liters of water.

Cooking method:

1. Wash the pumpkin, remove seeds and peel. Cut the pulp into small cubes and blanch for 5 minutes in boiling water. Then put it in an enamel bowl.
2. Add salt and pepper to the water and mix thoroughly.
3. Pour the brine into a bowl and leave under pressure for several days at room temperature.
4. After fermentation, store in the refrigerator or cellar.

With basil

Basil contains essential oils, which give the snack a strong spicy aroma. Basil imbues the dish with antiviral and antifungal properties.

To prepare you will need:

• 1 kg pumpkin;
• 15 g garlic;
• 30 g sugar;
• 50 g salt;
• 20 g basil;
• 20 g hot red pepper.

Step-by-step instruction:

1. Wash the pumpkin, remove seeds and peel. Cut the pulp into small cubes. Mix with sugar, salt, pepper and basil. Place the preparations in a sealed container and leave for a day.
2. Add garlic, put under pressure for another two days.
3. Place into jars and place on the balcony or cellar for 15 days. The product is ready to use.

Tips and tricks

Pickled pumpkin will be a great addition to the dinner table. The snack attracts attention with its bright appearance and spicy aroma. When making sourdough, experienced housewives advise adhering to the following recommendations:

1. Select ripe and smooth fruits, without damage or scratches. The pumpkin should be firm and elastic. It is better to grow the vegetable in your own garden or purchase it from a trusted seller.
2. Sweet varieties are excellent for preparations, for example, Melon, Kroshka, Zhemchuzhina. They have the sweetest and juiciest flesh.
3. Before use, thoroughly wash vegetables, herbs, and kitchen utensils.
4. Add spices to taste, experiment with different spices. Pumpkin goes well with cinnamon, coriander, cumin, basil and mint.
5. A sign of proper preparation of the starter are small bubbles and slight cloudiness of the brine.
6. Before serving, drizzle the dish with olive oil.
7. Store the preparation in the refrigerator.

Reviews

On culinary online forums, gardeners and housewives share their recipes and tips for preparing pickled vegetables. Some prefer spicy snacks, while others prefer the classic cinnamon recipe.

Olga, Moscow region: “I make winter snacks and pickles every year.My favorite is pickled pumpkin with basil. The dish turns out very aromatic, juicy and tasty. Both adults and children love him. I especially like to eat pumpkin with black toasted bread.”

Boris, Tyumen: “Of all the pumpkin recipes, my favorite is the classic cinnamon recipe. It requires little time, the appetizer is very tender, suitable for any dish. Last season I tried to cook pumpkin with peppers, but it wasn’t so tasty.”

Maria, Ufa: “I appreciate pickled pumpkin for its beneficial properties. I like the recipe with apples and cabbage. The result is a crispy and juicy snack. The dish fits perfectly into a diet and saturates the body with vitamins.”

Conclusion

Pumpkin starter is a real lifesaver. With its help, gardeners process crops in a short time, all recipes are easy to follow. The results are aromatic and healthy preparations that will delight you all year round.

For added spice, black and red pepper, coriander, and mint are added to dishes. Lovers of a more delicate taste prefer recipes with the addition of apple and cabbage. Pumpkin is fermented in wooden barrels, enamel pans or glass jars. All kitchen utensils are thoroughly washed before use.