Not a single festive table can do without pickled cucumbers: they are not only an integral part of many salads, but also good as a snack for drinking. Of course, now in all grocery stores you can buy ready-made canned cucumbers, but can they compare in taste with pickles prepared by the housewife herself?

Typically, pickle recipes are passed down in families from generation to generation from mother to daughter. But it should be noted that along with this, home cooking does not stand still, and many hostesses come up with their own recipes for pickling cucumbers, which differ in taste and aroma from the "grandmother's classic".

Therefore, the choice of a recipe for pickling cucumbers in our time is quite large, and if standard recipes are already boring, it is possible to try canning cucumbers with a variety of additional ingredients.

Classic Crispy Pickled Cucumber Recipes

For canning, you will need small cucumbers of varieties intended for pickles (usually they are covered with pimples, do not form voids inside and are no more than 12 cm long). They are pre-soaked in boiled cold water for several hours - from 2 to 5.

This note applies to absolutely all recipes for pickling cucumbers, and not only the classic ones, so this stage of their preparation will not be indicated in the future.

Read more about the selection of cucumbers and their preparation, as well as the proper sterilization of jars and lids, can be found below.

Recipe 1. Crispy pickled cucumbers (per liter jar)

The required number of cucumbers per jar can be different, it all depends on their length and width. Cucumbers are stacked so that the jar is filled with them as much as possible. In addition, you will need:

• vinegar essence 70% - 1 tsp;
• parsley branch (a small dill umbrella) - 1 pc;
• garlic clove - 1 pc;
• sugar - 1 tbsp. without a slide;
• allspice - 2 ... 3 pcs;
• cherry leaf - 1 pc;
• cloves to taste.

First, cucumbers, garlic, parsley (dill) are placed in a jar. In parallel with this, 0.5 liters of water are boiled. As soon as it boils, immediately pour cucumbers into it and leave to infuse for 10 minutes. The jar can be covered with a lid at this time.

After the specified time, the water must be drained back into the saucepan and put on fire. The boiling operation is repeated again: as soon as the water boils, cucumbers are poured for 10 minutes.

And only when the water is poured back into the pan again, salt, sugar, pepper, cherry leaf and cloves are added to it and brought to a boil again. As soon as the moment has come, the cucumbers are poured with the resulting boiling brine, and vinegar essence is added to the jar.

The jar is rolled up, turned over and wrapped until it cools completely, and only then it is put into storage.

Recipe 2. Crispy pickled cucumbers (calculation for a three-liter jar)

In addition to the main ingredient - cucumbers, you will need:

• table salt - 2 tbsp;
• sugar - 2 tablespoons;
• 70% vinegar essence - 1 tsp;
• spices for canning - 1 g;
• cherry leaf - 2 pcs.

At the bottom of the jar, you first need to lay the cherry leaf and spices for canning, and then lay the cucumbers tightly. Prepare boiling water and pour over cucumbers for 5-8 minutes.

After the specified time, drain the water back into the pan and add salt and sugar to it, and after boiling - vinegar. The resulting marinade must be poured into a jar, rolled up and turned over.

Crispy pickled cucumbers for the winter: video

Sweet cucumbers usually use more sugar than classic recipes. Unusual cucumbers can be prepared, for example, in the following way, by preparing:

• cucumbers;
• garlic - 1 head;
• cherry leaf - 3 pcs;
• dill -2 ... 3 branches;
• carrots (medium-sized) - 2 pcs;
• cloves - 5 pcs;
• peppercorns - 5 pcs;
• sugar - 6 tablespoons;
• table salt - 2 tbsp;
• vinegar 9% concentration - 6 tbsp.

At the bottom of each jar, you need to evenly distribute garlic cloves, dill, cherry leaves. Then the jar is filled with cucumbers and carrots cut into strips.

When all the ingredients are laid out, they are poured with boiling water and left to infuse for 15 ... 20 minutes. After that, the water is poured back into the pan and spices are added: cloves, pepper, salt and sugar.

The marinade is brought to a boil and poured into jars. At the end, vinegar is added to each of them and rolled up. Leave to cool at room temperature upside down.

In fact, there are recipes for making pickled cucumbers without vinegar, but using other natural preservatives. Some of them are listed below.

Recipe 1. With the addition of citric acid

Here, all the components are taken with the expectation of filling a liter jar:

• cucumbers;
• horseradish leaf - 1 pc;
• bay leaf - 3 pcs;
• peppercorns - 4 pcs;
• garlic clove - 3 pcs;
• dill umbrella - 2 pcs;
• sugar - 150 g;
• table salt - 40 g;
• citric acid - 1 tsp

At the bottom of the jar you need to put a sheet of horseradish, bay leaf, garlic, dill and pepper, and then fill it to the top with cucumbers.

Boil water, pour boiling water over cucumbers and leave covered for 15 minutes. After this time, drain the water back into the saucepan and prepare the marinade by adding salt and sugar.

After the water boils again, add citric acid, stir quickly and pour the marinade back into the jar.

Then the jar is rolled up, turned over and waiting for complete cooling without additional wrapping.

Recipe 2. With the addition of red currants

All ingredients presented in the recipe will be taken based on filling one liter jar:

• cucumbers
• garlic clove - 1 ... 2 pcs;
• horseradish shavings - 1 tsp;
• red currant berries - 1 cup;
• table salt - 1 tsp with a slide;
• sugar - 1 tbsp. without a slide;
• currant leaf - 3 pcs;
• allspice - 5 pcs.

Garlic and horseradish chips are first placed in a prepared liter jar, then cucumbers and, finally, they are sprinkled with red currant berries (if they were frozen, they must first be thawed).

Pour the entire contents of the jar to the top with clean boiling water and wait 10 minutes, then drain the water into a saucepan and start preparing the marinade. To do this, salt, sugar, pepper and currant leaves are added to the water drained back.

As soon as the water boils, the marinade is poured into a jar. The jar is covered with a lid and pasteurized for 5-6 minutes.

After that, roll up, turn over and wrap until completely cooled at room temperature.

Recipe 1. Cucumbers in Bulgarian

The ingredients for the recipe are based on a two-liter jar (two liter jars):

• cucumbers
• onion (small) - 2 pcs;
• garlic clove - 6 pcs;
• allspice - 10 pcs;
• bay leaf - 10 pcs;
• water for marinade - 1 l;
• sugar - 8 tsp;
• table salt - 4 tsp;
• vinegar 9% concentration - 8 tbsp.

At the bottom of the jar, put peeled onions, garlic, pepper and bay leaf (or distribute all the ingredients equally into two one-liter bowls).

Then you should at least once pour and pour back into the saucepan 1 liter of boiling water with an interval of 10 minutes for infusion.

After that, you can prepare the marinade by adding salt and sugar, and after dissolving them - vinegar.

As soon as the marinade boils, remove from heat and carefully pour into a jar. Roll up the jar and turn it over. Cooling takes place at room temperature without wrapping.

Recipe 2. Pickled cucumbers with carrots

All components for harvesting cucumbers according to this recipe are taken based on a one-liter jar, so if necessary, they will need to be increased:

• cucumbers;
• carrots - 100 g;
• garlic clove - 2 ... 3 pcs;
• sprig of dill - 1 pc;
• bay leaf - 1 pc;
• black pepper (peas) - 4 ... 5 pcs;
• sugar - 1 tbsp;
• table salt - 0.5 tbsp;
• vinegar 9% concentration - 40 ml;
• water for marinade - 0.5 l.

In addition to the standard preparation of cucumbers, before preparing the workpiece, you need to wash and peel the carrots, and then cut them into thin circles.

Cucumbers are placed in the jar first, and then carrots. Dill, garlic, bay leaf and peppercorns are placed on top.

Then immediately prepare the marinade by mixing salt, sugar and vinegar in water in the indicated quantities and putting on fire. As soon as the marinade boils, it is poured into a jar, allowed to stand for about 10 minutes and rolled up.

The jar is turned over and it is expected to cool completely to room temperature without wrapping.

Recipe 3. Pickling cucumbers with onions

Here it is proposed to cook chopped cucumbers with onions, for this you will need:

• cucumbers - 3 kg;
• onion - 1 kg;
• sunflower oil - 4 tablespoons;
• water - 1 l;
• table salt - 2 tbsp;
• sugar - 2 tablespoons;
• black pepper (peas) - 10 pcs;
• bay leaf - 2 pcs;
• tarragon (tarragon) - to taste.

Cucumbers must be cut into circles about 7 mm thick, and then, together with chopped onions (rings), put them in jars, after adding vegetable oil to them.

Distribute tarragon on top of cucumbers in each jar.

After all the necessary ingredients are laid out in jars, you can start preparing the marinade by mixing salt, sugar and vinegar in water and adding bay leaves and peppercorns.

After the marinade boils, it is poured into jars and left to pasteurize for 10 minutes. After that, the jars are rolled up and left to cool at room temperature.

Recipe 4. Pickled cucumbers with mustard

The calculation of ingredients is carried out for 3 kg of cucumbers:

• onion (medium) - 5 pcs;
• garlic clove - 3 pcs;
• horseradish leaf - 1 pc;
• a sprig of tarragon (tarragon), parsley, dill and celery - 2 ... 3 pcs each;
• bay leaf - 2 pcs;
• black pepper (peas) - 5 ... 6 pcs;
• cloves - 5 pcs;
• mustard seeds - 1 tsp;
• vinegar 9% concentration - 130 ml;
• salt - 100 g;
• sugar - 60 g.

So, to prepare the brine, you need to mix salt and sugar in water, and just before it boils, add bay leaf, cloves and pepper. After the marinade boils, you just need to turn off the fire.

You can start filling the jars. First, peel the garlic and onions, wash the greens.

Vinegar is first poured into jars, then mustard seeds are poured, then greens, garlic and onions are distributed.

And only after that they lay out the main ingredient - cucumbers, followed by pouring the marinade.

Banks are rolled up, turned over, wrapped and expected to cool to room temperature.

Usually they try to use home-grown cucumbers for canning. Firstly, they are guaranteed to have no excess nitrates, and secondly, special varieties suitable for conservation are chosen for these purposes.

Usually cucumbers suitable for pickling reach a length of no more than 12 cm, do not form internal cavities, and also have black spines. Smooth cucumbers are generally not suitable for conservation, their purpose is salad.

Cucumbers prepared for pickling should be freshly picked and have a normal dark green color without yellow spots, often indicative of overripe.

To prepare cucumbers for pickling, they are washed off the ground and soaked for several hours in cold clean water. This operation is required for a number of reasons:

• if purchased cucumbers are used, then soaking helps to get rid of excess nitrates, as they will remain in the water;
• if the cucumbers are harvested from the beds not on the day of preservation, but earlier, then they must be refreshed in water, this will give them a unique crunch.

It consists in cleaning the jars from contamination as much as possible. Before sterilizing the jars, you must make sure that they are intact: they should not have chips and cracks on the entire surface.

You can sterilize jars using one of three methods:

• in a water bath: a pot of water is put on fire, a sieve or grate is placed on top, on which the jars are placed upside down. After the water boils, the jars are steamed from the inside for 15 minutes, and then transferred to paper to dry;
• in the oven: after washing the cans of baking soda, put them wet in the oven and set the temperature in it to 160 0, and then simply wait for the containers to dry completely;
• in the microwave: for this, water is poured onto the bottom of each jar and, at a set power of 800 W, they are sterilized for 3 (for small jars) ... 5 minutes. If the jar is large, then it can be put on its side.

Pickled cucumbers for the winter without sterilization! Best Recipe: Video

1. To get crispy cucumbers, you should not cut off their “butts”, but it is advisable to leave them.
2. In order to prevent the marinade from spilling during the infusion into the jar, you can use an ordinary tablespoon and pour over it.
3. To get all the nitrates out of the purchased cucumbers, you can prick them with a fork on both sides when soaking.

I wish you delicious pickles!