Sweet and sour cucumbers for the winter: without sterilization, with vinegar, crispy, pickled

Content

1 Features of preparing sweet and sour cucumbers
2 What gives the sweet and sour taste in the preparation?
3 Recipes for canned sweet and sour cucumbers for the winter
4 Recommendations from experienced housewives
5 Conclusion

Cucumbers are versatile in processing; they can be used to make a salad, include in assorted dishes, pickle or ferment in a barrel. Many recipes offer preparations of different tastes (spicy, salty), but sweet and sour cucumbers for the winter are especially popular; not only the vegetables, but also the marinade are tasty in them.

Cucumbers are one of the popular vegetable crops, often used for home preparation.

Features of preparing sweet and sour cucumbers

There are two ways of such processing: with sterilization of the product in jars and without additional hot processing. In the latter case, it will take more time to prepare, but the process is less labor-intensive. Canning methods do not affect the shelf life of the finished product. Sterilization time depends on the volume of the container, for a 3 liter jar – 20 minutes, for a liter container 10 minutes is enough.

Only good quality fruits are used, not large and not overripe. The surface should be free of stains, signs of rotting, mechanical damage and soft areas.

It is better to use apple cider vinegar 6%; this type of preservative is softer and without a strong odor. In some recipes it is replaced with citric acid. To get a sweet and sour taste, it is poured into the marinade strictly according to the recommended dosage.

Do not put celery or basil in the preparation; spicy herbs do not go well together, because the brine is not salty, but sweet and sour. Particular attention is paid to salt. Take only table, large, without adding iodine. Seafood is not suitable for canning.

Vegetables are placed in sterilized jars without cracks on the body or chips on the threads and neck.

Important! The lids must be boiled for 15 minutes and left in the water until ready to use.

What gives the sweet and sour taste in the preparation?

Vinegar and sugar are responsible for the taste of the pickled product; thanks to the ratio of these ingredients, a sweet and sour marinade is obtained. Salt is included to a minimum in these winter recipes. The amount of sugar in the set of components should not alarm you; the sweetness and acidity in the finished product harmoniously complement each other. The taste of pickled cucumbers for the winter will be truly sweet and sour only if the dosage specified in the recipe is followed.

Recipes for canned sweet and sour cucumbers for the winter

Below are some popular winter recipes. The traditional method requires a minimum of components. This method of canning does not require sterilization, but requires hot processing. The recipe for processing tomatoes for the winter has a sweet and sour taste, which is imparted by tomato sauce.

Classic sweet and sour cucumbers

The set of ingredients is designed for sweet and sour cucumbers canned in liter jars; if a different volume is used, calculate the proportions, strictly observing the ratio of acid and sugar:

salt – 1 tbsp. l. (on the edge);
garlic – 2 cloves;
green dill - a bunch, can be replaced with an inflorescence with not yet ripened seeds;
vinegar – 50 ml;
currants – 2 leaves;
horseradish - 1 leaf;
pepper – 2-3 peas.

Containers of any size are suitable for preserving vegetables.

To make the taste of pickled cucumbers sweet and sour according to the recipe for the winter, you must adhere to the following technology:

Spices are divided into two parts, one of them goes to the bottom of the jar, the second is placed on top.
The ends are cut off from the vegetables, the first layer is placed vertically, the top layer is placed horizontally so that there is no empty space.
Fill with boiling water to the top, cover with a lid, and heat the workpiece until the jar can be picked up by hand.
While the cucumbers are cooling, prepare the filling.
Dissolve salt and sugar in a liter of water, let the mixture boil, and add vinegar.
Drain the cooled water from the jars and fill the containers with boiling marinade.

Rolled up and sterilized.

Pickled sweet and sour cucumbers for the winter with vinegar

To pickle sweet and sour cucumbers for the winter, the recipe includes a set of all the preferred spices and additional components:

carrots – 1 pc. (for a volume of 3 l);
onion – 1 head;
a few cloves of garlic;
hot pepper - to taste (you can omit this component);
sugar – 200 g;
vinegar – 200 g;
salt – 1 tbsp. l.

Preparing stock for the winter:

The carrots are cut into thin slices, the onion into half rings, and the garlic clove is divided into 4 parts.
The placement of vegetables is standard; the cucumbers in the jar are placed with chopped ingredients.
For processing you will need boiling water.
Pour boiling water over the cucumbers and allow them to cool.
When the containers have cooled to about 50 ⁰C, the water is drained, measuring the amount. A marinade is made from it.
The cucumbers are poured with boiling water again, they will warm up for 15 minutes.
Prepare a sweet and sour brine; as soon as it boils, pour the water out of the jars and fill them with marinade.

Seal and sterilize.

Delicious sweet and sour cucumbers with citric acid

You can make pickles with a sweet and sour taste for the winter without vinegar, but with the addition of citric acid. Ingredients of the recipe for 3 liters:

dry dill sprigs, maybe with seeds – 2-3 pcs.;
sweet pepper – 1 pc.;
peppercorns – 5-6 pcs.;
laurel – 2-3 leaves;
garlic – 3-4 cloves;
salt – 1.5 tbsp. l.;
sugar – 9 tbsp. l.;
citric acid – 2 tsp.

Winter canning technology:

Place a sprig of dill, a bay leaf, a few peas, and ½ part of a sweet pepper at the bottom of the jar.
Cucumbers are trimmed on both sides, the largest ones are placed vertically, and the small ones are placed on top.
The laying is completed with sweet pepper and a dill sprig.
Fill the jar to the top with boiling water, cover with a lid and cover with a terry towel, and heat the cucumbers for 25-30 minutes.
Drain the liquid into the pan using a nylon lid with holes.
Salt and sugar are dissolved in the drained water and the brine is allowed to boil, during which time the garlic is chopped into the jar on top and the acid is added.

The sweet and sour marinade is poured to the top, the jars are sterilized, closed and put on the lids.

Place vegetables in the jar as tightly as possible

Sweet and sour marinade for cucumbers for the winter with oil

According to the technology of the recipe for the winter, pickled cucumbers are sliced or sliced. Ingredients for processing 2 kg of fruit:

vinegar – 100 ml;
sugar – 140 g;
salt – 1.5 tbsp. l;
spices and herbs according to the standard bookmark;
vegetable oil – 130 ml.

Canning algorithm:

Cucumbers are covered with salt and sugar.
Add chopped parsley and garlic, pour in ½ part vinegar and oil.
The mixture is stirred and the cucumbers will infuse for 3 hours.
Leaves and dry dill and peppercorns are placed at the bottom of the jars, and the remaining vinegar is poured into the slices.
The product is packaged in containers.

Sterilize and seal.

Crispy sweet and sour cucumbers for the winter with mustard

Mustard will add an additional piquant taste and make the consistency of vegetables more elastic. The fruits turn out crispy, their shelf life is extended due to the antibacterial properties of mustard.

Recipe Ingredients:

cucumbers – 1 kg;
mustard (grains) – 1 tbsp. l.;
water – 1 l;
vinegar – 50 ml;
sugar – 5 tbsp. l.;
salt – 25 g;
dill, garlic, leaves, peppercorns - to taste.

Preparation for the winter with a sweet and sour taste with the addition of mustard is done as follows:

Fill the jar with vegetables, starting with leaves and spices, do not add garlic, add it later.
Heat the cucumbers with boiling water, the drained water will go into brine.
Before putting the liquid to boil twice, it is measured, garlic is cut into jars and mustard seeds are poured into jars.
Add marinade spices to the water based on the volume of liquid. When the sweet and sour brine boils, pour into the container.

The preparation for the winter is sterilized and sealed.

Sweet and sour cucumbers with tomatoes

The basis for the marinade according to the recipe will be sweet and sour tomato juice, not water. To prepare for the winter you will need:

cucumbers – 1.5 kg;
tomatoes – 1.5 kg;
sugar – 10 tbsp. l.;
salt – 2 tbsp. l.;
vinegar (preferably apple) – 50 ml;
garlic – 4 cloves;
cilantro, dill and parsley - ¼ bunch each;
oil – 100 ml.

Cucumbers for the winter, drenched in sweet and sour tomato sauce, are processed as follows:

The fruits are cut into 4 parts lengthwise and placed compactly vertically in a jar.
Tomatoes are treated with boiling water, peeled, and pureed with a blender.
Finely chop the greens and garlic and combine with the tomatoes.
The mixture is brought to a boil, the ingredients for the marinade and oil are added, and kept in a boiling state for 5 minutes.
Pour sweet and sour sauce over the cucumbers and sterilize for 20 minutes.

Roll up the containers and insulate them.

If vegetables are well heated, they do not need to be sterilized.

Cucumbers in sweet and sour filling for the winter without sterilization

You can make pickled cucumbers for the winter with a sweet and sour taste according to any recipe you like, but the processing technology will be slightly different. When sterilizing, it is enough to warm the vegetables with boiling water once, make the brine a second time and carry out additional hot processing of the vegetables in the jar. For a recipe without sterilization, the workpiece is heated twice with the same liquid. The first time - 30 minutes, the second - 20 minutes, at the last stage the brine is made and the jars are filled with boiling liquid.

Advice! After seaming, the containers are turned over and insulated for a day.

Recommendations from experienced housewives

To ensure that pickled cucumbers with a sweet and sour taste are crispy, it is recommended to follow certain rules based on many years of experience of housewives:

Only pickled varieties of cucumbers can be preserved; they have a thin but dense peel; when hot processed, they will retain their shape.
Pay attention to the density inside; if there are voids, such fruits will not be elastic and crispy at the end.
The surface of vegetables should not be smooth, but finely lumpy with dark spines.Such varieties absorb the marinade faster, and the preparation looks more aesthetically pleasing.
The size of the fruits should not exceed 12 cm in length, then they will fit compactly into the jar and there will be no emptiness. Overripe vegetables are not suitable for this processing method.
When preparing for the winter with sweet and sour brine, it is not recommended to use large quantities of horseradish in any form. Like oak leaves, cherries and currants have tanning properties; it is better to take the leaves of these crops. Rowan berries are suitable for pickling, but they are not always on hand.
You should not overuse garlic; in recipes with sweet and sour marinade, it will worsen the taste and make the vegetables softer.
Pepper is used only with peas, but you should not overuse this spice.
The main requirement of the recipes is to maintain the proportion between vinegar and sugar. If you want to get a really sweet and sour taste, these components are used strictly according to dosage.
Freshly picked fruits are used for canning; if they have been stored for more than a day, they must be kept in cold water for about 4 hours.
To give the fruits firmness, use vodka or mustard seeds, even if they are not in the recipe, a tablespoon per 3 liters will be enough.

Attention! The technology of all recipes for the winter with sweet and sour marinade involves long-term hot processing, so after seaming the jars do not need to be insulated.

Conclusion

Sweet and sour cucumbers for the winter (subject to processing technology and the proportion between sugar and vinegar) turn out dense, with a crunch characteristic of vegetables. The workpiece undergoes repeated hot processing, so it retains its nutritional value for a long time.