The most delicious recipes for Polish-style pickled cucumbers for the winter, sliced ​​and diced

Unlike other pickling methods, the Polish-style method produces delicious and crisp cucumbers. The resulting product is slightly tart, yet still has a pleasant aroma. Preparing Polish-style cucumbers requires following certain pickling rules, which ensure the vegetables remain firm for six months or more.

Secrets to pickling Polish cucumbers for the winter

To prepare this Polish-style pickle, you'll need fresh cucumbers, which should be soaked for 4 hours using the coldest water possible. Afterward, the vegetables are cut into longitudinal strips.

The resulting cucumbers should be approximately 0.9 cm thick. If using onions (white is recommended) and bell peppers, cut them into 0.7 cm rings.

Separately, finely chop the fresh garlic. You should get at least two tablespoons of the mixture.

The flavor of the product depends largely on the quality of the brine. To prepare the brine, bring clean water to a boil and add vegetable oil and salt. Once the liquid begins to bubble again, remove the pan from the heat. Then add vinegar. It is recommended to store this snack in liter-size jars. However, the size of the jars is not critical. The jars, including the lids, are sterilized using steam. After sealing, the jars are turned upside down and covered with a warm blanket for 24 hours.

Requirements for choosing cucumbers

For this recipe, we recommend using cucumbers 10 centimeters long. The cucumbers should be smooth, without any visible damage. Ideally, the skin should be green (the shade can vary from light to deep). Overripe cucumbers are not suitable for pickling.

Fresh garlic is ideal for pickling, as it imparts more flavor. To keep the vegetables firm for longer, add currant or cherry leaves, which contain tannins, to the jars.

How to cook Polish-style cucumbers?

When choosing appetizer recipes, consider the type of additional ingredients. Certain types of vegetables can cause stomach and intestinal upset, leading to digestive problems.

Classic recipe

This classic recipe not only makes the most delicious appetizer but also provides a base for future dishes. You can later customize it with other ingredients, depending on your taste preferences.

This recipe makes 4 kilograms of cucumbers. For pickling, use:

• a head of large garlic;
• a tablespoon of sunflower oil and vinegar;
• 200 grams of sugar;
• parsley;
• 4 tablespoons of salt.

The vegetables prepared as described above are placed in a saucepan with the remaining ingredients and mixed. The salad should sit for two hours. This allows the vegetables to release their necessary juices.

After sterilization, the mixture is placed in the jars. A towel is placed on the bottom of the pan, and the containers with the salad and juice are placed there. Next, water is added, leaving about 2-4 centimeters of headroom above the neck of the jar with the lid (unsealed).

Place the pan on the stove and let it simmer for 12 minutes (for 500-milliliter jars) or 20 minutes (for liter jars) after it comes to a boil. Finally, seal the jars and store them away.

With mustard

This pickling method is also considered classic. For 4 kilograms of cucumbers, this method requires 2 tablespoons of mustard seeds and the same amount of crushed garlic.

The brine is prepared from:

• tablespoon of sugar, 6% vinegar and sunflower oil;
• two tablespoons of ground black pepper;
• three tablespoons of salt.

The process for preparing the vegetables is the same as the previous recipe. The only difference is that the ingredients need to be left to rest for three hours. The jars are similarly heated in a saucepan for 20 minutes.

With carrots and onions

Adding carrots and onions to the basic recipe will make the pickles even more delicious. To make them, simply take a kilogram of cucumbers and:

• two medium carrots and the same amount of pepper;
• onions;
• 100 milliliters of vinegar;
• 65 grams of mustard;
• 60 grams of sugar and 70 grams of salt;
• horseradish root.

If desired, you can add allspice peas, bay leaves, and dill seeds to this recipe. These ingredients will add a richer, slightly spicier flavor to the pickled vegetables.

The onion is sliced ​​into rings and the carrots into thin strips. It's recommended to use small vegetables per liter of sterilized jar. Next, add the spices (pepper, bay leaf, and dill) to the jar, followed by the prepared cucumbers, filling the space between them with carrots and onions. Finally, add the remaining ingredients.

Next, clean water is heated to 40 degrees Celsius and poured into the jars containing the vegetable mixture. Each jar is sealed with a lid and placed in a saucepan with a towel at the bottom. Then, water is added, and the jar is heated for 15 minutes in boiling water.

Sliced

If you want to cook spicy cucumbers for the winter, you should use this recipe. Canning is done in a similar manner. This recipe requires liter-size jars.

The main ingredients you need to take are:

• 4 kilograms of cucumbers;
• 2 heads of garlic;
• parsley.

Add to the marinade:

• 200 grams of sugar (preferably crystal sugar);
• 100 grams of coarse salt;
• a tablespoon of 9% vinegar and sunflower oil (preferably unrefined).

Cucumbers are cut into thin strips, up to 5 centimeters long, then mixed with crushed garlic. The vegetables are mixed with the remaining ingredients (the parsley should be finely chopped) and left to infuse for 2 hours.

After the allotted time has passed, the salad is placed into jars. The juice should also be poured into the containers.

Fill the pan with water, stopping short of the jar's neck, and bring to a boil. Line the iron bottom with a terry towel. Otherwise, the glass will crack during sterilization. Place the jars with their lids in the pan and steep in boiling water for 20 minutes. Finally, seal the jars and let them cool.

With garlic

If for some reason vinegar can't be added to the marinade, you can use this recipe for the appetizer. Pickling these cucumbers is quite simple. You'll need 1.5 kilograms of gherkins and 3 heads of winter garlic.Horseradish root and a tablespoon of rock salt are added to the marinade. To dilute the flavor and prevent the gherkins from becoming soft, cherry or currant leaves are recommended.

Place additional ingredients at the bottom of each sterilized jar, followed by the cucumbers—from large to small. To prepare the brine, pour 5 liters of clean water into a saucepan and add salt. The marinade is then distributed among the jars containing the vegetable mixture. It is recommended to seal the jars with tight-fitting nylon lids. Garlic gherkins are ready to eat after 1 month.

Sharp without sterilization

The basis of the spicy snack is:

• 1.5 kilograms of gherkins;
• 500 grams of bell pepper;
• no more than 40 grams of chili pepper.

To prepare the marinade you will need:

• a liter of clean water;
• 13 bay leaves;
• 100 grams of salt;
• 250 grams of sugar;
• 3 tablespoons of wine vinegar.

The vegetables are pre-cut and seeded. The onion is sliced ​​into half rings. After this, the vegetables are placed in the bottom of the jars.

When handling chili peppers, it's recommended to wear gloves. Add the marinade ingredients to the water and bring to a boil. The resulting mixture is immediately poured into the jars along with the vegetable mixture. The jars are sealed (not rolled up) with lids. Once the marinade has cooled, the mixture is poured back into the saucepan and brought to a boil. Finally, fill the jars with this mixture.

With cherry leaves

This original preparation boasts a unique flavor. The addition of three cherry leaves (currants can be used) ensures the gherkins' shelf life throughout the winter.

The base of this appetizer is 500 grams of gherkins and three cloves of garlic. The marinade is made from:

• 200 milliliters of vinegar;
• bay leaf;
• 60 grams of salt;
• 3 black and allspice peas;
• horseradish leaf;
• 100 grams of sugar.

If desired, add half a teaspoon of chopped tarragon and 2 sprigs of dill to this recipe. All ingredients are prepared according to the instructions above. Then, the horseradish, dill, and cherry leaves are placed at the bottom of the jar, and the gherkins are tightly packed on top. The top of the jar is filled with the remaining ingredients. Next, salt, sugar, and vinegar are added to a liter of water.

The mixture is brought to a boil and poured into the jars containing the vegetables. Finally, the jars are placed in a saucepan and sterilized according to the instructions provided.

Rules and shelf life for canned cucumbers

Pickled gherkins Store away from sunlight in a cool, dry place (preferably a basement). The air temperature should not exceed 24 degrees Celsius. Warmer temperatures will cause the product to ferment, causing the jar to burst.

When stored correctly, the preserved cucumbers remain fit for consumption for up to a year after canning. Some recipes allow pickling for up to two years. If white spots appear on the surface of the gherkins, open and re-can the jar.