Can you preserve crispy Chinese cucumbers? Top 10 recipes

Chinese cucumbers are beloved by our housewives for their aroma and rich flavor, and by gardeners for their ease of care. They can be smooth or pimpled, but their main characteristic is their long, 40 to 80-centimeter-long fruits. These varieties were considered salad varieties, although they are exceptionally tasty when preserved. The following recipes for Chinese cucumbers for the winter allow you to appreciate them in a new way.

Peculiarities of pickling long Chinese cucumbers

When answering the question of whether these vegetables can be preserved for the winter, it should be said that they make delicious and tasty preserves.

The process of pickling long Chinese cucumbers for the winter is essentially no different from pickling regular cucumbers. The only difference is that they need to be cut before canning.

How to select and prepare a product

Select firm, fresh, blemish-free specimens, preferably smooth. Wash them with a soft brush and soak them for 4-10 hours, changing the water every 2 hours. This will increase the firmness of the fruit and remove nitrates, if necessary.

How to prepare Chinese cucumbers at home

Wash the cucumbers and cut them according to your preference. Be sure to sterilize the lids and jars. Pack the cucumbers tightly into the prepared containers.

Canned cucumbers for the winter

Cucumbers can be pickled in a variety of ways, and they're also delicious pickled. Autumn preserves add variety to your diet, are packed with nutrients, and, last but not least, are simply delicious. For crispy cucumbers, choose cucumbers with thick, firm skins. Long varieties can be used to make delicious pickled preserves or marinated vegetables.

With mustard

Garlic cloves, black peppercorns, and dill are placed in jars, and then filled with cucumber slices. Boiling water is poured into the jars, which is drained after 30 minutes to serve as the base for the marinade. Two tablespoons of 9% acetic acid and one tablespoon of mustard powder are added to the cucumbers. For the brine, one tablespoon of salt and two tablespoons of sugar are dissolved in the boiling water. The brine is returned to the jars, which are sealed with metal lids. The preserves are covered and left to cool.

Mustard imparts a distinctive flavor, prevents the pickles from exploding, and makes the cucumbers crispy. The calculation is for a liter jar.

With red currant

A delicious and beautiful preserving method that doesn't use vinegar or citric acid. Red currants are placed in a glass container, or frozen ones can be used.

For a liter jar of cucumbers you need:

• 1 cup of berries;
• 2-3 pieces of horseradish;
• umbrella dill:
• laurel;
• 6-7 peppercorns.

The vegetables are placed in jars, the berries are added, and boiling water is poured over them. The jars are covered with lids and left for 5-10 minutes. The water is drained and boiled again with 1 tablespoon of salt added. Then, the jars are returned to the cucumbers, which are sealed, turned over, and left covered to cool. Since they are not very acidic, these preserves should be stored at temperatures up to +10°C.

Pickles

Pickles are a mixture of small marinated vegetables. Typically, the mixture includes cucumbers (or, in the case of Chinese pickles, cucumber slices), small tomatoes, bell pepper slices, onions, small carrots, and cauliflower.

This is a wonderful opportunity to pickle an assortment of vegetables that are attractive in appearance and have wonderful taste.

Blanch the carrots and cauliflower florets. Place the vegetables in tight layers in a sterile glass container. Then carefully pour in boiling water. After 5 minutes, drain the water into a saucepan and add 1.5 tablespoons of salt and sugar per liter of water, 7-10 peppercorns, and a few coriander seeds. Bring the brine to a full boil.

Add 2 tablespoons of 9% vinegar to each jar and pour the hot marinade over them. Sterilize the lidded glass jars in a hot oven (100°C) for 10 minutes after boiling. Seal tightly and, turning upside down, cool.

Pickles

They are called pickled cucumbers with added vinegar or citric acidHere's one popular recipe. For a 1.5-liter jar you'll need:

• 2-3 garlic cloves;
• horseradish leaves and 1-2 pieces of root;
• bay leaf and peppercorns (7-10 pieces);
• dill seeds (umbrellas);
• 1 tablespoon each of salt and sugar;
• 4 tablespoons of 9% vinegar or 1 teaspoon of vinegar essence.

Place the spices and cucumbers in sterile jars, pour boiling water over them, cover with lids, and let sit for about 10 minutes. Pour the marinade back into the pan, add the sugar and salt, and bring to a boil until they dissolve completely. Pour the vinegar over the cucumbers, and seal.

Hot jars need to stand upside down and cool slowly, so they are tightly wrapped.

Storage

Canned goods are usually stored in basements or garages. In extreme cases, they're left in the apartment pantry. If the jars are properly sterilized and vinegar is added, they'll keep until spring without any problems.