The best recipes for pickling various vegetables for the winter

What can be pickled?

Pickling differs from brining because the latter uses table salt, while the former relies on acids to influence the food. Vinegar is a must-have in any marinade, and the type of vinegar will determine the flavor and quality of the finished dressing. Table or grape vinegar, combined with coriander, cinnamon, nutmeg, bay leaf, and herbs, is an excellent choice for any home cook.

You can pickle your favorite mushrooms, fresh fruits and berries, and vegetables. While pickled cucumbers, tomatoes, and mushrooms are no longer a surprise, pickled eggplants, onions, beets, and cabbage will be a real discovery for many gourmets.

Video: "Pickled Cucumbers and Tomatoes for the Winter"

This video will show you how to make a delicious pickled tomato and cucumber assortment for the winter.

General rules

Pickling various vegetables for the winter is a simple process. The entire process consists of placing sorted, washed, and whole or chopped ingredients in pre-sterilized jars. Next, the vegetables are marinated in a mixture of vinegar, vegetable oil, and the seasonings specified in the recipe. Once opened in the winter, this appetizer can be served with a hot or cold dish, or used as an ingredient in a new salad. Pickled vegetables, unlike salted ones, have a sharper taste, which is given to them by vinegar.

Common recipes

All the winter appetizers we'll share below are quick to make and gobble up in no time. We invite you to make your own spicy cucumbers, flavorful tomatoes, crispy cabbage, and other exciting dishes.

Cucumbers

You can make traditional pickled cucumbers, just like our grandmothers used to make them. You'll need 5 kg of medium-sized cucumbers, 2-3 heads of garlic, 2 bell peppers and 2 hot peppers each, a bunch of dill with florets, a little tarragon, 6 liters of water, 0.5 liters of vinegar, a cup of salt, two cups of sugar, and 1 tablespoon of preservative (in our case, salicylic acid).

Wash the cucumbers and dill, chopping the dill into large pieces, as well as the garlic. Place the bell peppers, cucumbers, and chopped garlic, along with the dill and a slice of hot pepper, in the bottom of liter-sized jars (which don't require sterilization). Next comes a layer of cucumbers with a sprig of tarragon and a pinch of preservatives. Prepare a brine from water, vinegar, salt, and granulated sugar. After boiling, pour it into the jars, which are then sealed with lids.

You can make Hungarian-style pickled cucumbers, using mustard seeds, allspice, and black peppercorns instead of the usual garlic and dill. Spicy cucumbers with ketchup, chili sauce, or turmeric and mustard are equally delicious.

Tomatoes

We offer you a marinade recipe for the beloved dish "Finger-Lickin' Good." It requires 1.5–2 kg of tomatoes, 200 g of bell pepper, 100 g of onion, 1 head of garlic, dried dill, currant leaves, and cherry leaves. To prepare the marinade, use 1.5 liters of water, 100 ml of vinegar, 1.5 tablespoons of salt, and 3.5 tablespoons of granulated sugar, along with Ogonyok pepper.

All vegetables must be thoroughly washed, as must the jars, which must be scalded with boiling water. The lids must be sterilized. The onion must be cut into half rings, the pepper must be cut into strips, and the garlic must be quartered. Place a little dill, a couple of currant and cherry leaves, some chopped garlic, and two peppercorns (Ogonyok) in the bottom of each jar. Next, add the tomatoes, bell peppers, garlic, and onions. Boil the brine with water, sugar, and salt for 1 minute after it comes to a boil. After it cools, add the vinegar. After pouring the marinade into the jars, cover them with lids and sterilize.

Be sure to try making spicy marinated cherry tomatoes, tomatoes with cherry plums, apples, green tomatoes without rolling, tomatoes in jelly, Korean-style, and other dishes.

Cabbage

We can't help but mention such a well-known vegetable as cabbage. It makes a light and crunchy appetizer, no matter the recipe, for example, pickled cabbage with garlic. To prepare, take 1 medium cabbage, 1 head of garlic, 2 carrots, 1 cup each of vinegar and granulated sugar, and 2 tablespoons of salt.

The vegetables can be chopped by hand or in a food processor; a garlic press is required for the garlic. The marinade is made from water, sugar, and salt. Once it boils, add 9% vinegar. The cabbage and garlic, covered in the hot marinade, should be kept under pressure for over 6 hours. After cooling, the finished dish is seasoned with fresh chopped herbs and served, or stored in jars for the winter.

Cabbage lovers will appreciate preparations with beets, beets and carrots, cabbage marinated in Petrovsky style, Armenian style, Korean style, and other delicious dishes.

Beet

Pickled beets are a favorite among those watching their health and figure, as they're low in fat and high in healthy carbohydrates. The "Red Commissar" salad is not only a delicious and flavorful standalone dish, but also a great topping for winter borscht. To make this hearty and juicy salad, take 1 kg each of beets, tomatoes, onions, and carrots, along with 2 cups of beans. For the marinade, you'll need 0.5 cups vinegar, 1 cup water, the same amount of vegetable oil, 0.5 cups sugar, and 1 cup and 2 tablespoons of salt.

Wash the vegetables under running water, and soak the beans for 2 hours. Grate the carrots and beets coarsely. Combine all marinade ingredients, except the vinegar. Peel the onion and cut into half rings, cut large tomatoes into pieces, and use cherry tomatoes whole. After boiling, simmer the vegetables for about 1.5 hours. Add the vinegar, and cook for another 15 minutes.

Korean-style beetroot appetizers with cauliflower, carrots, and other ingredients are not only delicious as a standalone dish, but can also be part of a vinaigrette, herring under a fur coat, or cold borscht.

Onion

Winter pickled onions can completely transform the bitter and pungent flavor of onions, and their consumption will help saturate the body with vitamins even in winter. We suggest preparing a fragrant dish with a sweet and sour taste – pickled onions in vinegar. For this, you will need 2-3 onions, 1 chili pepper, 1 cup of water, 70 g of vinegar, 0.5 tbsp of salt, and 50 g of sugar, for 5 servings.

Peel and slice the onion into half rings, place it in a jar, and add a small piece of chili pepper. Bring the marinade, made from water with vinegar, salt, sugar, and pepper, to a boil and pour it over the vegetable mixture. After a short wait, enjoy the marinade, and once cooled, store it in the refrigerator.

Pickled shallots and red onions are also very tasty, there are also onions in tomato sauce, with beets, tomatoes, cabbage and other vegetables.

Eggplants

Marinated eggplants can be made firmer, softer, or spicier—it all depends on the recipe and the taste preferences of the cook and her family.

A great appetizer is made with 5 kg of vegetables, 2 carrots, 2 bell peppers, 15 cloves of garlic, and 100 g of herbs. Also used are 20 g of marinade spices, 50 g each of salt and sugar, 1 liter of vinegar, and 2 liters of water.

Peel and core the eggplants to remove any bitterness, then place them in boiling water for 2 minutes. Once they've cooled, drain them in a colander. The filling is made from the vegetable pulp, chopped carrots, bell peppers, and herbs (you can also use dill, parsley, cilantro, and garlic). The eggplants, filled with this mixture, are placed in jars. A marinade made from water, sugar, salt, and spices is poured over the contents of the jars.

Eggplants can be used to make an appetizer with carrots, carrots and garlic, or to make them like Georgian-style mushrooms, Tatar-style mushrooms, etc.

Pickled vegetables, including zucchini and pumpkin, can be stored for many years without losing their vitamins and other beneficial substances.

Salt and sugar will prevent snacks from going moldy and spoiling. We recommend storing all marinades in sealed or pasteurized jars.