21 Best Recipes for Making Delicious Cucumber Appetizers for the Winter

Fresh cucumbers are a wonderful winter appetizer that complements grains, meat, and fish during the cold season. They're not just crunchy cucumbers, which quickly become boring. Salads like Nezhinsky, with mustard, Winter King, Korean-style, Assorted, with cabbage, Hunter's, Nostalgia, and spicy are perfect for a holiday table, as they're not only delicious but also beautiful.

Selecting and preparing vegetables

Medium-ripe cucumbers are best for pickling; avoid overripe or underripe varieties. Choose the firmest possible cucumbers. If there's no liquid left and they've begun to wilt, it's recommended to place them in a bowl of cold water.

To saturate the cucumbers with moisture even faster, you can add ice to the water.

The vegetables are immersed in the liquid and left for several hours. This will ensure they are completely clean, and all dirt and dust will rise to the surface. There are no specific requirements for the size of the pieces into which the vegetables are cut before pickling. Each recipe will require different sizes of pieces; for some, large pieces are ideal, while for others, the cucumbers should be cut as finely as possible.

Coarse salt is used for salad. Iodized water is not used, as it can cause vegetables to lose their characteristic crunch. Other ingredients must be of good quality, thoroughly washed and dried.

Containers for salad must be sterilized. For snacks, you can choose either a one-liter container or a three-liter jar. Sterilization is carried out using a convenient method (on the spout of a kettle, in the oven, or in the microwave). Afterward, the jars are placed on a clean towel to prevent germs from developing.

Delicious recipes for cucumber preserves for the winter

Use one of the proven recipes.

Nezhinsky Salad

Nezhinsky winter salad is perhaps the most famous green vegetable appetizer. Even those who don't like fresh cucumbers love it. If you follow the recipe carefully, the ingredients will be very crunchy. You'll need:

• 1.2 kilos of vegetables;
• 600 grams of onions;
• dill, bay leaf and pepper to taste;
• 4 tbsp. salt and vinegar;
• 2 tbsp. sugar.

First, the cucumbers must be immersed in cold water. This ensures they absorb moisture and remain crisp, even after a year in storage. Afterward, they are cut into thin slices (3 to 4 millimeters thick, but no thinner) and placed in any container. The onion is cut into half rings (large ones are preferable—they'll look prettier in the finished salad). Mix all the ingredients together and let sit for a few hours. Then add dill and other herbs (optional).

The ingredients are enough for two liter jars. Ladle the mixture into the jars, pressing lightly. Add bay leaves, pepper, and other spices. Make a separate brine: add salt and sugar to the water, and finally add vinegar. Pour boiling water over the cucumbers and sterilize. Heat for at least 10 minutes.

Finger-licking good recipe

And for this salad you need to take:

• 1 kg of cucumbers;
• dill;
• 200 g onions;
• standard seasonings;
• 1 tbsp each of sugar and salt;
• 3 tbsp. bite.

Finely chop the vegetables into random pieces, add dill. Mix and let sit for an hour. During this time, the salad should release its juices. Add other spices, salt, and sugar, cover with water, and place on the stove. Simmer over low heat, turning off the heat when the cucumbers have taken on an olive, almost translucent hue. No need to sterilize. This delicious salad can be immediately jarred with metal lids.

Cucumber salad with mustard

The salad uses simple ingredients:

• 4 kg of cucumbers;
• 200 g butter;
• garlic;
• half a bunch of dill;
• 200 g vinegar;
• 2 tablespoons each of salt and sugar;
• classic seasonings to taste, plus 2 tbsp. fresh dry mustard.

First, you need to slice the vegetables. To do this, first cut one medium-sized cucumber in half, then cut each half into quarters. This method will allow the pieces to marinate without becoming soft and will retain their wonderful flavor. Add the dill and garlic. In a bowl, mix the salt, sugar, spices, and mustard. Sprinkle this mixture over the mixture and let it sit for 2-3 hours. After the juice has released, pour the mixture into jars and sterilize for at least 15 minutes.

Winter King Salad without Sterilization

The "Winter King" sliced ​​cucumber salad is stunning. Not only does it require no sterilization, it doesn't even require boiling.

You will need:

• 3 kg of main ingredient;
• half a kilo of onions;
• 200 ml of oil (you can use fragrant oil);
• 100 g salt;
• 150 g sugar;
• 100 ml vinegar;
• classic spices, bay leaf is a must.

Slice the vegetables into circles or semicircles, add finely chopped onion. Mix the spices and sprinkle them over the salad. Refrigerate the salad, covered with plastic wrap, for 12 hours. Once the salad begins to release its rich juices, it's time to marinate.

The snack is placed in pre-sterilized jars. There's no need to heat them or add water. Brine is the liquid that is released during storage.

Latgalian salad

This appetizer is made with standard ingredients. However, there are a few nuances that should be taken into account. Small cucumbers are best; too large ones will be bitter, ruining the overall flavor. Coriander is a must in the marinade for Latgalian salad.

Garlic appetizer

Making garlic pickles is easy. The recipe is classic. But to really bring out the garlic flavor, use whole cloves, not just grated or pressed garlic. If you have garlic scapes, you can use them too.

Korean-style cucumbers

The unique feature of this recipe is that the grated cucumbers are canned, just like Korean-style carrots. You'll need:

• 4 kg of main ingredient;
• 1 kg carrots;
• 200 ml oil and vinegar;
• garlic, bay leaf, seasoning.

First, grate the vegetables using a Korean-style carrot grater. Add oil, vinegar, cumin (grated in the same way), and garlic. Let it sit for an hour, stirring constantly with a spoon—this will release more juice. Then, pour the mixture evenly into jars and sterilize for 15 minutes.

Assorted Salad

For the Assorted Salad you will need:

• 2 kg of cucumbers;
• 2 large sweet peppers;
• 2 large carrots;
• 0.5 kg tomatoes;
• 0.5 kg of onions.

Cut the vegetables into thin slices and the onion into half rings. Mix all the ingredients together and let sit for several hours. Add dill, parsley, and other herbs if desired.

After two hours, place the mixture into jars along with the liquid. Add bay leaves, pepper, and other spices. Sterilize for at least 15 minutes.

Vegetable salad with cabbage leaves

There's nothing complicated about making this salad. It's classic, but with a little cabbage added. For a kilogram of cucumbers, 300 grams is enough, no more. Don't cut them into strips like for a salad, but into 2-3-centimeter pieces. This way, they'll remain crispy but soak up the delicious marinade.

Winter preparations of cucumbers and tomatoes

You'll need varying quantities of cucumbers and tomatoes, though green tomatoes will do. Trim the ends of the cucumbers and poke a small hole in the tomatoes close to the stem with a toothpick.

To make the marinade, add 4 tablespoons of salt and sugar per liter of water, then add 100 grams of 9% vinegar and classic seasonings. Pour over the vegetables and quickly seal.

Pickles in Prague marinade

Preserving vegetables in jars doesn't require any special tricks. For 2 kg of the main ingredient, make a brine using the following ingredients:

• 1 liter of clean well or mineral water;
• 40 g salt;
• 120 g sugar;
• 1 teaspoon of lemon juice;
• currant, cherry, horseradish leaves;
• 8 cloves of garlic;
• 8 peppercorns.

Mix spices in water, pour them over chopped vegetables, and sterilize for 15 minutes.

Winter Salad "Watch Out, Vodka!"

This cucumber appetizer, according to reviews, is perfect for feasts. You'll need:

• a kilo of cucumbers, tomatoes, cabbage and sweet peppers;
• 5 tbsp each of salt and sugar;
• half a glass of oil and vinegar.

Finely chop all ingredients and let them sit for an hour to release juice. Then, distribute into containers, add classic seasonings, and pasteurize.

Appetizer of tomatoes, cucumbers and sweet peppers

The recipe is fairly standard; you just need to use equal amounts of vegetables. You can also steam it in the microwave, rather than following the classic recipe. This will result in a fairly tender stew that retains its nutritional and aromatic properties.

Salad "Genius"

The well-known saying that everything ingenious is simple and reveals new colors applies to these appetizers. Take equal parts cabbage, tomatoes, colorful peppers, carrots, and cucumbers. Cut everything into strips, mix, and leave under plastic wrap for 12 hours. Open, pack into jars, and pour in the liquid that has released. Sterilize for 15 minutes.

Hunter's Cabbage Salad for Winter

The snack is prepared from the following ingredients:

• 250 grams of cabbage, carrots, onions, peppers, tomatoes;
• 20 g each of salt and sugar;
• 60 g oil and vinegar.

The ingredients are cut into strips or cubes, covered with oil, seasoned with spices, and vinegar. Simmer for five minutes over low heat until the liquid is released. Sterilize for 15 minutes.

Pickled cucumbers in slices

A delicious appetizer can be made by marinating the wedges. This shouldn't be difficult, but you'll need to add 20-30 percent more spices. This will give the wedges time to soak in the spices.

Pickled cucumbers "Nostalgia"

Snack fruits, sealed whole, taste similar to those made in the USSR. You will need:

• place garlic, dill, leaves, and pepper on the bottom;
• make a marinade from a liter of water, 4 tbsp. salt and sugar, 100 ml vinegar;
• pour in brine, wait 25 minutes;
• repeat the process.

The jars are rolled up while hot and stored wrapped until they cool.

Spicy appetizer "Glekhurad"

This unusual appetizer will delight those accustomed to Nezhinskie or mustard-based dishes. The specialty lies in the marinade, which is made from the following ingredients:

• hot pepper;
• khmeli-suneli tsp;
• vinegar 100 ml;
• garlic 8 cloves;
• white pepper tsp

Add nuts - walnuts and pine nuts will do.

Kuban Salad

First, grate the vegetables (tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbage, peppers) using a Korean carrot grater. Add oil, vinegar, and garlic. Let it sit for an hour, stirring constantly with a spoon. Then, distribute into jars and sterilize for 15 minutes.

Cucumbers for the winter in tomato sauce with vinegar

There shouldn't be any difficulties. The only caveat is adding tomato sauce (300 g per liter) to the brine.

Sweet Pickled Cucumber Salad

Large cucumbers can also be used in salads, but they need to be cut into quarters. The trick is to avoid leaving them to release juice. Sterilize immediately, but a little longer—up to 25 minutes. In addition to large cucumbers, add tomatoes and peppers.

Duration and storage conditions

Sterilized vinegar preparations can be stored in a dark place for up to 1.5–2 years. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.