Recipes for making finger-licking cucumber caviar for the winter

Many gardeners grow cucumbers for their culinary uses. They're often used to make fresh vegetable salads or preserves. Some even try recipes for making delicious cucumber caviar for the winter—it's finger-licking good.

To prepare such a delicious dish, you need to study the most famous recipes.

Composition and useful substances of cucumber

Before preparing caviar, you need to familiarize yourself with the beneficial properties of the vegetable and the components that make up it.

 

Some gardeners dismiss cucumbers as a tasty but completely useless vegetable, with no positive effects on the human body. However, this misconception is erroneous, as cucumbers are just as beneficial as many other vegetables.

People doubt the plant's health benefits because it contains few vitamins. However, the other micronutrients it contains make fresh cucumbers an indispensable vegetable on any table.

One hundred grams of the product contains the following components:

• 95 grams of liquid that helps cleanse the human body and quenches thirst;
• glucose, myoglobin;
• dietary fiber that normalizes the functioning of the digestive system;
• ascorbic acid and vitamins belonging to groups E and B;
• potassium, which improves the functioning of the kidneys and circulatory system;
• iodine, which accelerates metabolic processes in the body;
• mineral components.

Due to the many beneficial substances found in cucumbers, they possess certain beneficial properties. These include:

• Eliminates fluid deficiency. Cucumbers are over 90% liquid, so eating just 1-2 cucumbers is enough to quench your thirst.
• Helps relieve burning sensations both internally and externally. Pumpkin seeds relieve symptoms of heartburn and restore the skin's surface after burns.
• Cleanses the body of accumulated toxins. The liquid contained in the plant is considered an excellent cleanser. Regular consumption of the vegetable can not only cleanse the body of waste but also help eliminate kidney stones.
• Replenishes vitamin reserves. Cucumbers contain a complex of vitamins essential for the human body. Therefore, regular consumption of cucumbers strengthens the immune system and improves the body's defenses.
• Improves digestive function and helps with weight loss. Many nutritionists consider this pumpkin plant ideal for those looking to lose weight. The fruits contain few calories and a lot of water, which promotes rapid weight loss.
• Eliminates bags and dark circles under the eyes. Cucumbers have anti-inflammatory properties, which can help reduce eye puffiness.

What you need to create a classic dish

Preparing any dish begins with identifying the main ingredients. Therefore, it's important to figure out in advance what the cucumber caviar will be made from. The main ingredients of the classic dish are:

• cucumbers;
• carrot.

Selecting cucumbers

To make caviar, small, underripe cucumbers are used, which are free of cavities. These are considered more delicious, as they contain 2-3 times more sugar than overripe cucumbers. These cucumbers are much easier to pickle and ferment.

Some gardeners recommend using varieties specifically bred for winter pickling for this dish. Every year, many new varieties of cucumbers are developed for winter pickling. They can be distinguished from salad varieties by their appearance.

Fresh salad-grade fruits have thick skins that prevent moisture and salt from penetrating. While they can be pickled, the resulting dishes will be tasteless.

Pickling varieties of pumpkins have thin flesh, making them crispier, juicier, and more delicious. Distinctive features of these varieties include their rough surface and oval shape. Only fresh cucumbers with no yellow spots or mechanical damage on the surface are selected for canning.

Choosing carrots

The second main ingredient for preserving caviar is carrots. When choosing a vegetable for winter pickling, pay attention to its appearance. Carrots should be bright orange, indicating a high carotene content. Large carrots should be free of deformations, cracks, or other serious damage. Smooth, firm carrots with a slightly rounded tip are considered ideal.

Only fresh root vegetables are used for canning. To determine freshness, look for a dimple near the top. In fresh plants, this dimple is green. Do not use carrots with thickened cores to make caviar. Such roots have a bitter taste that will ruin the flavor of the preserves.

Delicious options for preparing cucumber caviar for the winter

There are several recipes for making delicious cucumber caviar, which we recommend you familiarize yourself with in advance.

A simple recipe

To quickly prepare a winter snack, you can use this simple recipe. Rinse 500 grams of overripe cucumbers in water and peel them. Then, finely grate them and place them in a saucepan.

Next, finely chop one onion and carrot, add them to the pan, and stir in the grated cucumber mixture. Place the pan on the stovetop and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Then, add 20 ml of vegetable oil and 35 grams of salt. For a richer flavor, add 20 grams of sugar. Mix all the ingredients and simmer for 20-25 minutes. The cooked caviar is divided into jars, covered with vinegar, and sealed.

Cucumber with added tomatoes

Some housewives prefer to add additional ingredients to the caviar to enhance its flavor. Tomatoes or tomato paste are often used when preserving the dish. To prepare the dish, 1-2 kg of fresh cucumbers are peeled and diced. Then, 400-500 grams of overripe tomatoes are washed in water and minced.

Once the main ingredients are prepared, chop 350 grams of carrots and 200 grams of onions. Place the entire vegetable mixture in a saucepan, add some salt, and simmer for about an hour.

Cooking method in a multicooker

Sometimes people don't have time to cook on a gas stove, so some use a slow cooker. It can be used to make delicious caviar for winter canning. To make the caviar, you'll need 2 kg of overripe cucumbers, 300 grams of onions, and 450 grams of carrots.

Vegetables are thoroughly washed to remove dirt, peeled, chopped and minced.

After preparing the main caviar ingredients, set the multicooker to the "Sauté" setting. Then, pour in all the ingredients and sauté for 10-20 minutes. Add 30 grams of salt to the bowl with the vegetables, then set the multicooker to the "Soup" setting and cook for another half hour.

Without sterilization

You can make cucumber caviar without sterilizing the container first. To do this, you'll need to add more lemon juice or vinegar to the dish.

Before preparing the dish, prepare the following in advance:

• 1 kg of cucumbers;
• two onion heads;
• three heads of garlic;
• 100 ml oil;
• 30 ml vinegar;
• 20 g of salt.

First, chop the onion and fry it in a frying pan for 5-7 minutes, then mix it with grated cucumbers. Place the mixture in a saucepan and simmer for 40 minutes on a gas stove. Then add chopped garlic, salt, and vinegar.

Spicy

For a spicier cucumber caviar, try the "Piquant" recipe. This recipe calls for more herbs, pepper, and aromatic spices.

Preparation begins with frying 150 grams of peeled and chopped onion. Fry for no longer than 10 minutes to prevent burning. Then chop the pepper, zucchini, tomatoes, and cucumbers. Place the ingredients in a saucepan and simmer for 25 minutes, then toss with the fried onion, chopped garlic, parsley, and salt.

Vegetarian pickled cucumbers

Using this recipe, you can prepare a delicious appetizer from pickled cucumbers.

To begin, add diced mushrooms, grated carrots, and onions to a preheated frying pan. Lightly fry the ingredients for 15-20 minutes. Next, grate the pickled cucumbers using a coarse grater and add them to the pan with the other vegetables. Simmer all the ingredients in the cucumber brine for half an hour. Place the stewed vegetables in jars and seal with lids.

With squid

Cucumber caviar lovers often prepare it with squid. To do this, the cucumbers are washed and cut into small pieces. Then, the onion is chopped and fried in a pan. All the prepared ingredients are mixed, poured with tomato paste, and simmered for half an hour. Afterwards, the caviar is mixed with pepper and cooled.

While the dish is cooling, boil the squid in salted water. Boil them thoroughly for about 5-7 minutes, then chop them and add them to the caviar.

Rules for storing jars of caviar

Most housewives store their prepared cucumber caviar in the cellar. To ensure its longevity, follow these rules:

• Rolled up jars with snacks should be stored at a temperature no higher than 18-20 degrees;
• If the dish was prepared without prior sterilization of the container, it is stored in cooler rooms with a temperature of 10-15 degrees.

The snack cannot be stored for more than a year.

Conclusion

Many people use cucumbers to preserve caviar for the winter. To prepare this snack, you need to familiarize yourself with the basic recipes and storage requirements.