Fermented pickles (stray, fermented) for the winter: the best recipes for a 1.3-liter jar

Crispy fermented cucumbers in jars for the winter are a flavorful snack that allows you to diversify the menu when fresh vegetables are not available. They are a traditional preparation in Russia and Germany, more useful than those marinated with vinegar. Herbs and roots allow you to diversify the taste and smell, the main ones being dill, horseradish, and black currant leaves.

Pickled cucumbers are tasty and much healthier than pickled cucumbers

Salting and fermentation

Some people believe that pickled and fermented cucumbers are made in different ways. But their preparation is based on one process - lactic acid fermentation.

The second name is not as common as the first, but probably arose due to the replacement of barrels with glass jars with a capacity of 1 and 3 liters. There, fermentation processes are more noticeable, especially if vegetables are cooked in an ordinary living room.

When greens are made in barrels, oxidative reactions occur slowly. After laying the cucumbers, the container is left in a warm place for 1-2 days so that fermentation just begins, but does not enter the active phase. Then immediately transfer to a cool place. If you leave them at normal temperature, the process will be violent, and not all greens will be salted equally.

Fermented cucumbers in jars for the winter are prepared quickly. They are usually left in a warm place until the reaction is complete or it is stopped artificially so that the greens do not peroxidize at too high a temperature. After all, cucumbers are prepared in the summer.

Do not close the lids on the jars until the fermentation process has stopped. The containers are placed in deep bowls or basins so that the foam does not stain everything around; they are collected as needed, at first several times a day. To prevent midges attracted by tempting odors from getting into the jar, cover the necks with gauze or other fabric that allows air to pass through well.

Rules for pickling cucumbers using the fermentation method

Sometimes cucumbers turn out tasteless, even though the hostess tried them at a party and received the recipe first-hand. Of course, it happens that women keep family salting secrets.But usually the cause of failure is incorrectly selected ingredients, sequence of actions or other subtleties that are rarely paid attention to.

Selection of cucumbers

It is widely known that cucumbers must be fresh, and those purchased at the market or in a store must first be soaked in cold water before pickling. But not everyone knows that some varieties are unsuitable for harvesting:

1. The best fermented cucumbers are obtained from varieties with a “Russian” shirt - large, sparse pimples and black thorns.
2. The “German” shirt is more suitable for pickling. But it is also suitable for pickling. Cucumbers are distinguished by small, frequent pimples with black spines.
3. Greens with white spikes are best eaten fresh. They can be used in preparing winter salads. As a last resort, make lightly salted cucumbers. But you need to eat them right away. The fruits become soft as soon as they are completely salted.
4. Cucumbers with smooth skin without pimples are eaten fresh. They are not suitable for blanks.

Fruits with sparse large pimples and black thorns are best suited for pickling.

Spices for pickling

It is wrong to think that the more spices you put in a jar, the tastier the preparation will be. In everything you need to know when to stop. Those who don’t believe, can stuff as much greens into one jar as the main ingredients. Perhaps someone will find them tasty, but most people will refuse to eat such fruits.

For all recipes for pickled cucumbers using the fermentation method, the traditional spices are:

• salt;
• dill;
• black currant leaves;
• horseradish root and greens.

Strictly speaking, water and salt are enough for pickling in jars. The remaining spices are added to add strength and flavor. Previously, this list included cherry leaves, but now they are rarely remembered.

Additional ingredients include:

• tarragon (tarragon);
• hot red pepper;
• thyme;
• Bay leaf;
• mustard;
• black peppercorns.

Almost all aromatic herbs can be used. The main thing is to observe the measure, otherwise the preparation will knock out your taste and olfactory receptors.

Why don't cucumbers crunch?

Garlic deserves a special mention. It has become a traditional spice for fermented cucumbers. But how rarely do they turn out crispy! Many housewives remember their grandmothers with a sigh and assure that modern cucumbers are “not the same.” And the reason is garlic. It is this that makes greens tasty, aromatic and soft. Grandmothers, if they wanted to make stronger cucumbers, put horseradish root in the preparation, not garlic.

Tips and secrets

Water for fermented cucumbers should be taken from a well or spring. The liquid that flows from the tap in city apartments cannot be used. It's better to buy bottled water. And bring it to condition by adding a tablespoon of calcium chloride for every 3 liters. This will cause the water to become hard.

Soft cucumbers cannot be used for barrel cucumbers; the rules for jars with a capacity of 1 or 3 liters are looser. But the preparation will turn out much tastier, and the pharmaceutical drug is inexpensive.

In addition to carefully choosing water, spices and fruits, you need to adhere to the following rules:

1. Use only rock or sea salt.
2. The fruits are placed vertically in the jar, “standing up”.When there is room on top, several fruits are placed flat.
3. If you pickle fermented cucumbers for the winter, you cannot cut off the ends. This speeds up preparation, but shortens shelf life and makes the fruit softer.
4. When soaking greens that are not too fresh, it is good to add ice cubes to the water.
5. It is better to take old dill, with an empty stem and large umbrellas that have begun to turn brown.

If you cut off the ends of cucumbers when pickling, they will not crisp up and will not be stored for a long time.

Classic recipe for fermented cucumbers

Of course, the classic recipe for crispy stray cucumbers for the winter should be prepared in barrels. Now you can buy a container that is not too large, which can be easily mixed even in a city apartment.

Ingredients for a 10-liter tub or barrel:

• cucumbers in a “Russian” shirt - as many as will fit;
• black currant – 30 leaves;
• dill - 5-6 old hollow stems with umbrellas beginning to ripen;
• horseradish – 5-6 leaves;
• rock salt – 2 tbsp. l. with a slide for 1 liter of liquid;
• water.

For spiciness, you can add 3-5 pods of red hot pepper, and for strength, a peeled and chopped or grated piece of horseradish root.

Preparation:

1. Wash cucumbers with black, sparsely located large pimples and cover with ice water for 1-2 hours.
   
2. Rinse the greens. Dill and horseradish leaves can be cut into large pieces or simply broken.
   
3. Place some of the greens at the bottom of the prepared barrel. Lay the cucumbers flat.
   
4. Place the remaining seasonings on top, or layer the fruits. Pour in cold brine.
   
5. Seal the barrel and send it to a room with a temperature of 6-7 ° C for one and a half months. Then you can eat the pickles.
   

Adaptation of a classic recipe for glass jars

But even for the smallest barrel there is not always room in a city apartment. And low temperatures can only be achieved on the balcony in winter. And the preparations are made in the summer, when intense fermentation occurs, which is contraindicated for barrel cucumbers. Even rural residents living in houses built several decades ago do not always have a cold cellar or basement.

You have to preserve fermented cucumbers in small glass jars and adapt recipes to them.

Sometimes a housewife finds a description of the process of preparing vegetables in tubs or barrels, but does not know how to make it in 1-3 liter jars. There is nothing complicated about this.

The next 4 points are devoted to adapting the classic recipe for pickles to glass containers. Their taste will differ slightly from barrel ones.

Fermented cucumbers: recipe for a 3-liter jar

If you simply divide the ingredients proportionally, you may not get cucumbers. In jars and barrels, their preparation, although slightly different, is different; there are certain subtleties.

Ingredients:

• cucumbers – 1.7 kg;
• horseradish leaf – 1.5-2 pcs.;
• water – 1.5 l;
• salt – 2 tbsp. l.;
• black currant leaf – 7 pcs.;
• dill - 1 old stalk;
• hot pepper – 1 pod;
• a piece of horseradish root.

If you compare recipes for how to pickle fermented cucumbers for the winter in barrels and jars, it is easy to notice that the amount of products is not always reduced proportionally. That's how it should be. Rapid fermentation occurs at high temperatures. Less salt and herbs will be required.

Preparation:

1. Sterilize jars and lids.
2. Soak the cucumbers in cold water for 1-2 hours.
   
3. Boil and cool the brine completely. Or stir well - the salt should dissolve. Fermentation takes place quickly. If the preservative lies at the bottom, the cucumbers may become soft even before the salt is completely dissolved, and there is already less of it than in barrels.
   
4. Rinse the greens and chop coarsely. Immediately place some of it on the bottom of the jar.
   
5. Place the cucumbers vertically in the container. Place the rest of the greens on top. Pour in brine.
   
6. Place the jar in a deep, wide saucepan or bowl. Cover with gauze. Collect and remove foam as necessary.
   
7. When fermentation enters a calm phase, close the jar with a lid and put it in a cool place. After a month, the cucumbers are ready.
   

Fermented cucumbers: layout for a liter jar

The sequence of preparing cucumbers fermented in liter jars is the same as for 3 liter containers. The layout is as follows:

• cucumbers – 0.5 kg;
• horseradish - 1 leaf;
• red hot pepper – 1 small pod or a large piece;
• water – 0.5 l;
• salt – 2 tsp;
• black currant – 3 leaves;
• dill - 1 umbrella;
• a small piece of horseradish root.

Choose greens for pickling in liter jars that are not too large. Otherwise, only a few pieces will fit into the container.

Fermented cucumbers under a nylon lid for the winter

This is one of the ways to seal cold-salted vegetables. When the fermentation process becomes almost imperceptible, the outer part of the jar is rinsed. Use a clean cloth to remove any remaining foam from the neck. If necessary, add cold brine.

The nylon lid (not airtight) is doused with boiling water. Close the jar. Store in the coolest place possible. At high temperatures, fermentation processes will continue and the cucumbers may become acidic.

Fermented cucumbers for the winter under iron lids

To better store the product, some housewives prefer to close the jars with tin or screw-on metal lids. They drain and boil the brine and immediately return it to the container. Cucumbers are rolled up.

Here you need to remember that the fermentation processes, although slowly, continue in a warm room. If there is no cold cellar or basement, tin lids are likely to swell, even after boiling. The nylon ones will slowly release fermentation products, and the workpiece will remain intact.

It is not recommended to remove the contents from jars to rinse them and to sterilize the container. But some housewives do this. This deteriorates the taste, and in general the product may be spoiled. Along with the unsightly sediment, the preservatives covering the fruits and herbs are washed off.

Cucumbers can be rinsed right before serving. If you don’t put the jar in front of your guests, but use any saucer or plate for its intended purpose, everything will be beautiful.

Crispy fermented cucumbers for the winter

To make cucumbers crispier and stronger, you can add vodka to the brine. But they do this immediately before sealing the jar. Alcohol serves as an additional preservative and stops fermentation processes.

Ingredients for a 3 liter jar:

• cucumbers – 1.7 kg;
• black currant – 7 leaves;
• dill stem without root with umbrella - 1 pc.;
• vodka – 75 ml;
• salt – 2 tbsp. l.;
• horseradish leaves – 3 pcs.;
• water – 1.5 l.

Preparation:

1. Wash the greens and cucumbers.Cut horseradish leaves and dill into large pieces.
   
2. Sterilize and cool jars. Place some of the greens on the bottom. Fill the container with cucumbers, placing them vertically. Place the remaining greens on top.
   
3. Pour in cold brine. Regularly remove fermentation products. When it stops, pour in vodka and cover with a nylon lid scalded with boiling water.
   

Stray cucumbers in jars for the winter with horseradish and dill

Horseradish leaves and dill are almost always added to cucumbers. This is one of the simplest recipes that will appeal to people who don’t like the smell of blackcurrant even in preparations.

Ingredients for a liter jar:

• cucumbers – 0.5 kg;
• horseradish leaf – 0.5 pcs.;
• dill umbrella – 1 pc.;
• salt – 2 tsp;
• water – 0.5 l.

Preparation:

1. Small elastic cucumbers are washed and soaked in cold water.
   
2. Place an umbrella of dill and half a chopped horseradish leaf at the bottom of a sterile jar.
   
3. Cucumbers are placed vertically in a container. The remaining greens are placed on top.
   
4. Fill with cold brine. Cover with gauze. Fermentation products are removed regularly. When it subsides, rinse the outside of the jar and wash the neck. Seal with a scalded nylon lid.
   

Fermented pickled cucumbers: recipe with cherry and currant leaves

Cherry leaves are now rarely added to pickles, but few ancient recipes could do without them. The main thing here is not to overdo the spice. Cherry leaves, although they make the taste play with new notes, in large quantities can spoil the preparation. You don’t have to spare currants.

Ingredients for 1 liter jar:

• cucumbers – 500 g;
• black currant leaf – 3 pcs.;
• salt – 2 tsp;
• dill - 1 umbrella;
• cherry leaf – 1 pc.;
• water – 0.5 l;
• horseradish - 0.5 sheets.

Preparation:

1. Place the greens in a sterile jar.
   
2. Place washed cucumbers vertically on top and fill the container with brine.
   
3. When fermentation subsides, drain the liquid, boil, and immediately return to the jar. Roll up with a sterile tin lid.
   

Stray cucumbers for the winter with garlic

If you add garlic when salting, the cucumbers will not be crunchy and will become softer. This spice is intended for pickling and hot pouring, not cold fermentation. But for many, a specific taste and aroma is more important than crunch and tight greens. This recipe is for them.

Ingredients for 3 liter container:

• cucumbers – 1.7 kg;
• horseradish - 2 leaves;
• garlic – 2-3 large cloves;
• dill - 1 old stem with an umbrella;
• black currant – 7 leaves;
• horseradish root - a small piece;
• red hot pepper – 1 small pod;
• salt – 2 tbsp. l.;
• water – 1.5 l.

Preparation:

1. Wash cucumbers and herbs under running water. Soak vegetables if necessary. Peel the garlic and horseradish root.
   
2. Place some of the herbs, garlic, a whole pod of hot pepper, and randomly chopped horseradish root at the bottom of a sterile jar. Place the cucumbers vertically in the container. Sprinkle the remaining spices on top. Pour in cold brine.
   
3. Cover with gauze. Remove foam regularly. When fermentation is over, seal with a nylon lid.
   

Fermented cucumbers in jars with tarragon

Tarragon or tarragon is a spice that is not always added to cucumbers. The plant belongs to the genus Wormwood and has a strong specific taste and aroma. The seasoning is especially popular in France.

The smell of dry and fresh tarragon is noticeably different. It is correct to use them in different dishes. When pickling cucumbers, take freshly picked green sprigs.

Ingredients for a 1 liter jar:

• cucumbers – 500 g;
• horseradish leaves – 0.5 pcs.;
• tarragon – 2 sprigs about 10 cm long;
• salt – 2 tsp;
• vodka – 25 ml;
• water – 500 ml.

Preparation:

1. First put the greens in a clean jar, then the cucumbers. Pour in brine.
2. Before sealing, add vodka.
   

Cucumbers fermented in jars without sugar

Sugar is not needed when pickling cucumbers. Recipes with it have been invented recently and speed up the fermentation process. It makes sense to use a sweetener in the cold summer, when pickles are prepared in the country, and they need to be made as quickly as possible.

The proposed recipe is used more often for lightly salted cucumbers. But you can also do winter preparation this way. People who don't like spice smells will appreciate it.

Ingredients for a liter jar:

• small cucumbers – 500 g;
• water – 500 ml;
• salt – 1 tbsp. l.

Preparation:

1. Wash the cucumbers and, if necessary, soak them in cold water. Place vertically in a jar.
   
2. Salt is dissolved in water. Pour in cucumbers. Cover with gauze. Place in a place protected from the sun. Regularly change the cloth to a clean one and collect the foam.
   
3. When fermentation becomes almost imperceptible, drain the brine. Boil. Returned to the jar.
   
4. Cover with a nylon lid.
   

Cold-processed stray cucumbers

All recipes in which the brine is not boiled before sealing the jars can be considered cold prepared. This is how you get especially tasty, crispy cucumbers.

This cooking method is intended especially for those who like to experiment, without dill and currant leaves, but with aromatic thyme. Hot pepper and horseradish root will add additional strength to the preparation.

Ingredients for a 3-liter jar:

• cucumbers – 1.7 kg;
• horseradish leaves – 1 pc.;
• savory or thyme – 5 sprigs;
• salt – 2 tbsp. spoons;
• horseradish root - a small piece;
• hot pepper - small pod.

Preparation:

1. Place herbs, pepper and horseradish root at the bottom of the jar. Place the cucumbers vertically in a container. Pour in brine.
   
2. When fermentation is over, close with a nylon lid.
   

Spicy stray cucumbers in jars for the winter: recipe with chili peppers

Many pickle recipes include red hot peppers. But if you put a lot of it, the fruits will become “thermonuclear”. Guests will certainly appreciate this recipe when drinking strong alcoholic beverages. The next morning, cucumbers cooked with chili will help relieve hangover symptoms.

Ingredients for a 3 liter jar:

• cucumbers – 1.7 kg;
• horseradish - 2 leaves;
• dill – 1 adult plant with an umbrella, without root;
• salt – 2 tbsp. l.;
• chili pepper – 1-1.5 large pods;
• black currant – 7 leaves;
• water – 1.5 l.

Preparation:

1. Wash the cucumbers and soak them in cold water if necessary. Rinse the greens. Cut the pepper into pieces without removing the seeds.
   
2. Place peppers and herbs at the bottom of the jar. Place the cucumbers vertically on top. Pour in cold brine.
   
3. After fermentation is complete, close with a nylon lid.
   

How to close stray cucumbers with mustard for the winter

Mustard will give cucumbers additional strength, a subtle specific taste and aroma. True, the brine will be cloudy, especially if you use powder, but the fruits can be washed before serving.

Ingredients for a 3-liter container:

• cucumbers – 1.7 kg;
• black currant leaves – 5 pcs.;
• garlic – 2 cloves;
• dill – 1 stem with an umbrella;
• horseradish leaf – 1 large or 2 small;
• salt – 2 tbsp. l.;
• mustard – 1.5 tbsp. l. powder or 2 tbsp. l.grains;
• water – 1.5 l.

Preparation:

1. First, a brine is prepared from water, salt and mustard. Cool completely.
   
2. Place half of the chopped herbs, garlic and horseradish root at the bottom of a sterile jar. Cucumbers are placed vertically. The rest of the spices are placed on top. Fill with cold brine.
   
3. They are left to ferment. When the reaction becomes almost imperceptible, seal the jar with a nylon lid.
   

Storage rules

Ready cucumbers should be stored in a cool place away from light. If the jars are kept at high temperatures, fermentation will continue, the cucumbers will become sour and become soft and tasteless.

Conclusion

Crispy fermented cucumbers in jars for the winter are made simply; the recipes allow for deviations and liberties. To make the preparation tasty, it is better to use hard water and not to overdo it with a variety of herbs. The fruits will be dense and crispy only if garlic was not used during cooking. Horseradish root can give strength.

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