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Soaking cucumbers before pickling is common in most canning recipes. This is done so that the fruits, even after standing for a long time, remain dense, elastic and crispy. At the time of soaking, the vegetables are saturated with water and look as if they were just picked from the bush.
Do I need to soak cucumbers before pickling and pickling?
As a rule, there is no need to soak fresh gherkins that are just picked from the garden. You can start preserving them immediately after washing. But fruits that have already been sitting for several hours or days must be soaked before pickling. The cucumbers will thus absorb the missing moisture and regain their former elasticity. It is also necessary to keep gherkins bought at the market or in a store in water. To be sure that in winter you won’t have to feast on hollow and soft fruits.
In general, soaking cucumbers in preparation for canning is not necessary, but it is helpful.
Pre-soaked cucumbers before pickling turn out more tasty
How long should cucumbers be soaked before pickling?
It is impossible to say exactly how long you need to soak cucumbers before pickling. Everything here is individual.
The average duration of the preparation process is 4 hours, but depending on the specific situation, this time can be increased. The longer the vegetables have lain after harvesting, the longer it is advisable to soak them.
Only collected fruits can be used immediately, but those brought from the store must be soaked. If they are dense, it is enough to soak them in a tank of water for 5-6 hours. This way they will not only acquire a good appearance and taste, but will also get rid of nitrates and harmful substances that enter during the growing period. It has been proven that when soaked, up to 15% of nitric acid salts are released from vegetables.
You need to soak cucumbers overnight before pickling if they have been sitting for a long time, their tail has dried out, and the surface has become pale.
Which cucumbers to choose for pickling
The key to successful preservation is the correct choice of the main ingredient. The ideal option would be small (up to 13 cm), smooth, elastic, bright green fruits with tubercles. With such cucumbers, the preparation turns out to be especially tasty, and the jars almost never explode.
It is also worth paying attention to the peel. It should be thick, so that it is difficult to pierce it with a fingernail.
It's good when you have the opportunity to taste a vegetable. Bitter fruits with voids are definitely not suitable for pickling, or they will have to be soaked for a day.
The following varieties of cucumbers are ideal for canning:
- Nezhinsky.
- Far Eastern.
- Vyaznikovsky.
- Hermann.
- Aquarius.
- Zyatek F1.
- Hit of the F1 season.
As for early ripening fruits, it is better to eat them fresh rather than canned.They have a delicate and thin skin and contain more harmful elements, which cannot be completely eliminated even if you soak the cucumbers in salt water.
It is better to take an enamel container for the procedure
What kind of water are cucumbers soaked in before pickling?
It is better to soak the vegetable in water from a well or spring. If it is not possible to obtain it, then it is permissible to use the usual one from the tap. But in this case, it is advisable to first keep it in the refrigerator (ideally 10 hours), pass it through a filter, infuse it with silver or boil it, and then cool it. Bottled water is also suitable for soaking, but if the volume of vegetables is large, it will be very expensive.
How to properly soak cucumbers before pickling
There are three main rules for soaking cucumbers:
- Wash vegetables before and after the procedure.
- Change the water every 1.5-2 hours.
- Use enamel cookware.
If the cucumbers are soaked for a day before pickling, then the water is changed for the last time as late as possible. It's better if it's ice cold.
Some housewives recommend cutting the tails off cucumbers before the procedure. In their opinion, this part contains the maximum amount of harmful substances. However, experts in the field of preparations note that if the integrity of cucumbers is violated, the taste quality decreases. They don't turn out as springy and crispy as they could be.
Also, do not pierce vegetables with a fork or toothpick; this manipulation is usually performed at the time of pickling tomatoes, not cucumbers.
There is no point in cutting off the tails of vegetables before soaking.
Conclusion
Whether or not to soak cucumbers before pickling is up to each housewife to decide for herself. Although, according to experienced cooks, it is better not to neglect this procedure. It is good to wash pre-soaked fruits; they acquire elasticity and the bitterness disappears from them. With proper processing of cucumbers before canning, the finished pickling will have excellent taste and will be an excellent addition to both the everyday and holiday tables.
