Cucumbers are one of the vegetables that can be preserved very easily and without much effort. You can choose from many recipes or create your own spice mix.
How can you can your own pickles?
To can pickle cucumbers yourself, you need pickling cucumbers, sterilized jars, spice mixture, vinegar stock and preserving accessories. The cucumbers are peeled, mixed with spices, put into jars and poured over with vinegar. After boiling at 80 degrees for 20 minutes, they are preserved and ready to eat in two weeks.
How to preserve pickles
In addition to fresh, perfect pickling cucumbers, you need screw-top jars or swing-top jars and a variety of spices, such as:
- Mustard seeds
- Dill as small bouquets or chopped
- Peppercorns
- Allspice grains
- bay leaves
- Onions
- small chili peppers
- Coriander seeds
- Juniper
- ginger pieces
- Garlic cloves
You can combine the spices according to your taste. If you like it sweet and sour, try adding honey. The choice of vinegar is also important. White wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar, for example, are well suited. But decide for yourself. For about 3 kg of cucumbers you need a liter of vinegar, a liter of water and of course s alt and sugar.
- First, scrub the pickles under running water with a vegetable brush.
- Create a spice blend of your choice.
- Prepare a vinegar broth by briefly boiling vinegar with water, s alt and sugar.
- Place the cucumbers upright in the sterilized jar, add some of the spice mixture and pour hot stock until the cucumbers are covered.
- Immediately seal the jars and place them in a large saucepan. Place a grid or a board in the pot beforehand so that the glasses do not come into direct contact with the hot base.
- Fill enough water into the pot so that the glasses are halfway submerged.
- Close the pot and cook the cucumbers at around 80 degrees for 20 minutes.
- Let the jars cool overnight and then store them in a dark place. The cucumbers can be tried after about two weeks.
You can also preserve your cucumbers in the drip pan of the oven or use an automatic preserver.
Important tips for preserving pickles
- Combine cucumbers with other vegetables, such as carrot or pepper pieces.
- Do not use iodized s alt, it makes the vegetables soft.
- Prick the cucumbers with a needle before cooking, this will prevent them from becoming hollow on the inside.
- Do not use overripe cucumbers, they could ferment in the jar.
