Cold and hot methods for pickling cucumbers in jars and barrels

Methods of pickling cucumbers

Regardless of the pickling method chosen, it's important to select and prepare the vegetables correctly. Cucumbers should be medium-sized, free of wormholes and damage. To ensure crispness, lightly salted cucumbers should be soaked in cold water with ice for several hours.

Pickling cucumbers can be done using cold or hot methods.

Cold

A barrel of vegetables prepared using this method should be stored in a cool place, otherwise they will spoil quickly. The process is quite simple: cucumbers with herbs and spices are placed in jars or a large saucepan, salt is dissolved in water, and the resulting brine is poured over the vegetables. The jars are sealed with tight nylon lids and stored in a pantry. The product will be fully ready in approximately 30 days.

Hot

This method differs in that the vegetables are immersed in a hot brine, made from water, salt, spices, and herbs, rather than a cold one. The pickled cucumbers are left for a week, then canned, adding a little more brine if needed.

Video "Cucumbers Like From a Barrel"

This video will show you a delicious recipe for pickling cucumbers for the winter.

How to pickle cucumbers in a barrel

Barrel cucumbers, fermented in oak barrels, have a traditional, unique flavor. These pickles are still prepared today using old, classic recipes that remain timeless.

First, prepare the container. A few days before pickling, thoroughly wash the barrel with a brush and soak it in clean water for 24 hours. Wipe the entire interior walls with a mixture of salt and garlic—this will prevent mold from developing. Don't forget to do the same with the lid.

About 24 hours before pickling the cucumbers, prepare the brine: dissolve coarse salt (600–900 g) in clean drinking water (approximately 10 liters), then strain through several layers of cheesecloth. Add herbs to the barrel: dill umbels, horseradish leaves, and a few cherry leaves. Place carefully selected, pre-washed, and soaked cucumbers on top, filling about half the container. Now add the spices: garlic and red pepper.

We fill the barrel to the brim with cucumbers, cover it with herbs, and pour in brine. The barrel is left like this for a few days, then sealed tightly and stored in the cellar until winter.

Crispy pickled cucumbers in a saucepan

Love pickled cucumbers but don't have a barrel? No problem! You can deliciously pickle gherkins in a regular enamel pot.

For 1 kg of cucumbers you will need:

• greens for pickling: dill, horseradish leaves, cherry, black currant, parsley;
• 1 pod of hot red pepper;
• 1 liter of clean drinking water;
• 50 g salt;
• peppercorns to taste.

Pre-soak the cucumbers in cold water with ice for 2 hours. Wash the greens thoroughly and line the bottom of the pan with them. Cut the hot pepper into pieces and place them on top of the greens. Pack the cucumbers tightly and pour a cold brine of water and salt over them. Be sure to apply pressure. After 3 days, the snack is ready to eat or can be canned for longer storage.

If you don't plan to eat all the cucumbers at once, drain the brine and rinse the vegetables, place them in sterilized jars, boil the brine, and pour it over the jars. Seal the lids and store them in the pantry.

Quick pickling of cucumbers in jars

Most often, our housewives prefer to pickle cucumbers in jars – such containers are accessible to everyone, and cucumbers sell out quickly after opening.

With mustard

A unique feature of this recipe is the addition of dry mustard powder to each jar before sealing – it protects the product from mold and fermentation. To make one two-liter jar, you'll need:

• 1 kg of cucumbers;
• greens for preserving: parsley, dill, currant leaves, cherry leaves, horseradish;
• garlic – 4 cloves;
• 1 liter of water;
• 2 heaping tablespoons of salt;
• 1 tbsp. mustard powder from a packet.

Pre-sterilize the jars and lids, then soak the cucumbers in cold water for several hours. Add herbs and peeled garlic to each jar, then pack the cucumbers tightly. Prepare a cold brine: dissolve salt in water, pour the mixture into the jars, and let sit at room temperature for several days. After three days, drain the brine, bring it to a boil, and pour it over the cucumbers again. Add mustard to each jar and seal the lids.

With hot pepper

Pickled cucumbers with hot peppers, prepared for the winter in jars according to this recipe, turn out crispy, with a sharp taste, and store well even in a warm city apartment.

To salt 2 kg of cucumbers, prepare:

• 1 medium bunch of dill;
• 2 hot peppers;
• medium-sized horseradish root;
• 3-4 cloves of garlic;
• a few cherry or blackcurrant leaves.

For the brine:

• 5 glasses of water;
• 2.5 tbsp. rock salt.

Wash and dry the cucumbers, then layer them in jars, alternating with herbs and garlic. Boil water, dissolve salt in it, cool slightly, and pour the warm brine over the cucumber jars. Cover with lids and leave for about a week to marinate. After seven days, drain the brine, bring it back to a boil, and pour it over the vegetables again, immediately sealing them with lids.

In tomato juice

A quick recipe for pickled cucumbers, using tomato juice as the main preservative. To make one serving, you'll need:

• 15 medium-sized cucumbers;
• 1.5 l tomato juice;
• 1.5 tbsp rock salt;
• 1-2 bay leaves;
• 2 umbrellas of carnations;
• a few black peppercorns;
• 2 sprigs of parsley or celery;
• 2–3 g hot ground pepper.

Pour the tomato juice into the pan, add salt, and simmer over medium heat until it boils. Add the spices: bay leaves, cloves, and peppercorns. Pack the cucumbers, celery, or parsley tightly into the prepared jars, adding a small piece of hot pepper. Pour the tomato marinade over the vegetables and sterilize for 15 minutes (for 800g jars). Roll up the jars and place them under a warm blanket until completely cool.

Old recipes

Along with modern pickling methods, there are classic pickling recipes that our grandmothers used successfully. We suggest trying a few of these options.

With oak bark

Oak bark added to jars of cucumbers gives that unique flavor that barrel cucumbers are famous for.

Place the selected, pre-washed, and soaked cucumbers in liter jars, adding dill, horseradish leaves, and garlic. Prepare the brine: dissolve 1 tablespoon of salt and 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar in 1 liter of water, bring to a boil, and pour the brine into the jars.

Cover with lids and let sit for 20-30 minutes. Then drain the brine and bring to a boil again. Meanwhile, add 2 tablespoons of vinegar and 1 teaspoon of crushed oak bark to each jar. Pour the boiling brine over the vegetables and seal.

On vodka

Based on a three-liter jar:

• cucumbers - as many as will fit;
• 1.5 l of water;
• 50 ml vodka;
• 4 tbsp. salt;
• herbs and spices to taste.

Layer the vegetables and herbs in sterilized jars, add salt, and cover with cold water. Cover with lids and leave for a few days to ferment. Once a film forms on the surface of the brine, you can proceed to the next step. Pour the brine into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add vodka to each jar, pour in the hot brine, and seal tightly with plastic or metal lids.

You can never have too many pickles. Make them with joy and enjoy them.