Content
The green peel of cucumbers owes its color to chlorophyll. It is unstable and easily destroyed when exposed to high temperatures and acid. Usually, during canning, cucumbers change color to olive. This does not affect the taste, but at the festive table you really want everything to be perfect. Emerald cucumbers got their name for the winter for a reason. They are tasty, crispy and as green as in summer.
Emerald cucumbers do not change color when pickled
Features of preparing Emerald cucumbers
Each housewife has her own secret of how to keep cucumbers green when pickling. Not all of them are equally effective, and in order for the color of the fruit to remain emerald, it is better to combine 2-3 methods:
- The cucumbers are scalded and then immediately immersed in ice water. This will stop the thermal processes. The faster the fruits cool, the better the color will be preserved. It is recommended to add ice cubes to the water.
- Prepare a decoction of oak bark. Cool it completely. Immerse cucumbers in the broth. Leave for half an hour.
- Rinse jars with alcohol or vodka before adding cucumbers.
- Add ethanol to the brine.
- Alum effectively preserves color. But you cannot add a lot of them, and with a small volume of brine it is difficult to maintain the dosage. For 10 liters of water you will need 0.5 tsp. alum.
Selection and preparation of ingredients
The correct choice of fruit is of great importance for preserving the color of cucumbers. Old ones that have begun to turn yellow or are simply overgrown, with large seeds, will no longer become emerald.
You should choose fruits of late varieties, medium size. You can’t take smooth cucumbers, they will be soft, tasteless, and their color cannot be preserved by any tricks.
Varieties with lumpy skin and black pimples are suitable for pickling. The shirt doesn't matter. It’s just that the German one, when the pimples are small and arranged so densely that they almost merge, is considered ideal for canning. And the Russian one, with sparse large tubercles, is for cold pickling.
Recipe for making Emerald cucumbers for the winter with vodka
A proven recipe for pickling Emerald cucumbers not only preserves the color of the fruit, but also turns out very tasty. The quantity of products is calculated for one three-liter jar or 3 1-liter jars.
Ingredients:
- cucumbers – 2 kg;
- black peppercorns – 10 pcs.;
- garlic – 2 cloves;
- black currant leaf – 3-5 pcs.;
- dill – 1 whole stem without root;
- horseradish leaf – 2 pcs.
For the marinade:
- water – 1.5 l;
- sugar – 3 tbsp. l.;
- salt – 3 tbsp. l.;
- citric acid – 2 tsp. without slide (10 g);
- vodka – 50 ml.
Preparation:
- Sterilize the jar and lid in any convenient way.
- Wash the cucumbers. Pour boiling water over, immerse immediately in water with ice. Soak for 20 minutes in oak bark decoction.
3
- Place garlic and herbs at the bottom of the jar. Place the cucumbers tightly vertically.
- Prepare a brine from water, sugar, citric acid, salt. Pour over cucumbers for 5 minutes.
Important! Unlike other recipes, here the brine is made immediately.If you just use boiling water, without acid, the color of the fruit will change. - Drain the liquid, bring to a boil, fill the jar.
- Place pepper in container. Heat the brine again and pour over the cucumbers. Add vodka to the jar. Roll up immediately. Turn over, wrap.
Useful tips
When preparing Emerald cucumbers, everything should be done quickly; this determines how well their color will be preserved. If you drain the brine and are distracted, the fruits are unlikely to remain perfectly green.
The workpiece should be stored in a cool place protected from light. Otherwise, they, again, may lose their emerald color.
To make the fruits suffer less from boiling water, it is recommended to place some of the greenery on top. This does not affect the taste, but it will help preserve the color.
Vodka cannot be replaced even with the highest quality moonshine. But you can take medical alcohol and dilute it to 40%.
Conclusion
When preparing Emerald cucumbers for the winter, they require careful attention; this is the only way to preserve the beautiful green color of the fruit. But on the table they look great and turn out very tasty.
