Pickled cucumbers
Starting this year, I decided to keep a record of my preparations. To finally write down and remember the recipe for my mother’s pickles. So as not to torment my mother every year: “Mom, what is the ratio of salt and sugar? And this is for a three-liter jar? What kind of spoons should I use? Should I also measure the salt in tablespoons? And how many times should I pour it in?”
Basic pickled cucumber recipe
Quantities for a 3-liter jar, which takes approximately 1200 ml of water.
- 2 tbsp. salt, preferably coarse
- 2 tbsp. sugar
- 1 tbsp. vinegar essence (70%)
1-liter jar: less than a dessert spoon of 70% vinegar essence
2-liter jar: a dessert spoon of 70% vinegar essence.
3-liter jar: a tablespoon of 70% vinegar essence
Wash the jars thoroughly and sterilize. I sterilize over steam. I tried it in the oven. It seemed very troublesome to me.
Place chopped garlic cloves, peppercorns, bay leaves, and dill flower heads on the bottom of each jar.
Pack the cucumbers tightly into the jars. Cover with boiling water and leave for 10-15 minutes. Pour this water into a pan to make the brine, then refill the jars with fresh boiling water. Add the salt and sugar to the water in the pan and bring to a boil.
Drain the first jar. Add the vinegar essence, then fill to the neck with boiling brine. Immediately seal with a sterilized lid and cover with a blanket. Repeat with the next jar.
Once all the jars are sealed, leave them covered with a blanket for 12-15 hours.
2020
I didn’t have any dill flower heads, horseradish leaves, or any other leafy branches suitable for pickling cucumbers. Therefore, I took a set of seasonings for pickling cucumbers, dill seeds and tarragon from the store.
I poured a pinch of dill and tarragon directly into the jar before pouring the brine, i.e. vinegar and seasonings immediately. Seasonings for cucumbers, a teaspoon or a little less. I was afraid it would be spicy. We'll see what happens this winter.
There was an incident with these seasonings. When I poured the brine, small particles got onto the neck of the jar. As a result, the lid did not fit tightly and let water through. When I realized what the problem was, I began to carefully monitor that the neck of the jar was absolutely clean.