How to cut a cucumber into thin slices. How to beautifully cut cucumbers and tomatoes

The festive table will not look elegant if we simply serve treats, even very tasty and unusual ones. We will look at options for beautiful slicing and decorations of cucumbers and tomatoes and acquire the necessary skills in decorating the table and individual dishes. We took these vegetables because of their availability at any time of the year, as well as their usual presence among holiday dishes as a cold appetizer.

These vegetables lead the way when it comes to beautiful cuts of cucumbers and tomatoes, as the contrast of their natural colors is pleasing to the eye. In addition to cuts, we can make various flowers and design elements from their peel and flesh, which we can use to decorate any salad, cold cuts and dishes.

Rose of tomatoes

This beautiful red flower will decorate the dish and will attract the attention of everyone present at the table.

If you have a family signature recipe, a red rose in the center or along the edges of the dish will bring even more applause to the chef. Let's learn how to shape it!

1. Prepare a very sharp knife. We begin to cut off the skin of the tomato, trying to grab a wider strip onto the blade. We start from the top and end at the base.

2. Lay out our ribbon with the flesh facing down and begin to roll it up from the narrow end, forming open petals from the widest part of the ribbon.

We place our roses on the edges of plates or decorate hot meat dishes with them. And then we proceed to decorating the rose with green cucumber leaves.

Knife for wavy slicing

Wavy cutter
This is an indispensable device for preparing French fries and other deep-fried foods. The blade of the tool is made of metal, and the handle is often made of plastic or wood for comfortable use. When choosing a metal, preference should be given to stainless steel or zinc. These materials last longer than regular steel.

Cucumber herb

On a note! The knife should be stored in a special box or stand, and in the room it is important to maintain humidity from 40 to 70% and temperature from +15 to +30°C. In this case, the tools will last a long time.

Cucumber leaves

1. Cut the cucumber into two halves along its length.

2. Cut the widest part in diameter into oblique rings, but not all the way, leaving at least 5-7 millimeters. The number of plates must be odd.

3. Fold the leaf inward through one plate. The leaves for the rose are ready! This decoration of tomatoes and cucumbers will first become your favorite, and then the signature style of your table!

Our cucumber designs can be made even more beautiful, so let's learn a simple technique called carbing.

Stuffed tulips

Another way to beautifully decorate a salad will be memorable for your guests, and will make your holiday meal unforgettable.

Any meat salad with mayonnaise is suitable for stuffing tomatoes. For stuffing, you must use “cream” tomatoes.

1. Make cross cuts in the top of the tomatoes. Using a teaspoon, carefully remove all the inner pulp of the tomato and fill the resulting void with lettuce. 2. Place several green onion feathers on a plate, collecting their root parts in a bunch. We place tomatoes on the tops of the onion feathers, and fill the rest of the plate with vegetable or citrus slices.

* Cook's Tip “Tulips” with salad can be complemented with an unusual decoration – a cucumber “crocodile”. The cucumber animals “graze” are drawn to the delicate red buds! Or you can place crocodiles in different parts of the festive table. This will amuse adults, and it will delight children at a children's party!

Making a crocodile out of a suitable fruit is actually quite simple! All you need is a sharp knife, a tapered dark edge of the cucumber from the side of the stalk, and some skills.

This cute vertebrate will sit imposingly on the side of any plate and become an original design element of the dish. And it's very easy to do.

So, from the side of the stalk we cut out a long triangle - this is the crocodile’s mouth. We cut the rest of the fruit into oblique slices and place them on a dish with a slight offset.

In place of the eyes, cut out small holes, insert a viburnum or cranberry into them, securing them with a piece of toothpick. Teeth can be cut out of cheese or cooked protein and secured in the “mouth.”

Check out another version of cucumber crocodile. You can repeat any of them if you put in some effort and desire.

Creativity - a good mood at the table

There are tons of options for beautiful cuts! It cannot be said for sure that this dish is very easy to make - cut thinly, arrange evenly and in an original way. You need not only a perfectly sharpened knife, but also a skill that is acquired if you correctly and diligently chop vegetables at every opportunity!

For example, you are preparing a salad where vegetables can be chopped in any way. But to obtain a lasting skill, we must cut vegetables thinly and tastefully, leaving suitable parts of the fruit for decoration. Gradually, all your dishes will begin to look creative and elegant. Agree, this increases appetite and mood at the table, even without wine!

We can cut out various elements from the pulp, form flowers from vegetable peels, and arrange them in unusual compositions. We advise you to always keep toothpicks in stock - this is an important tool in creating food decorations. It would also be a good idea to buy a special set of knives for carving.

We are used to thinking that slicing is even rows of vegetable circles laid out on a dish in some order. But this is not true! Check out these creative options! This is also a beautiful cut of cucumbers and tomatoes!

* Cook's Advice

Decorating dishes using various products is a whole science that has been developing for hundreds of years. In the last decade, this skill has acquired the qualities of an art. This type of aesthetic cooking can become your hobby and help you relax after a hard day or week. Why not?

We hope that we have convinced you that decoration is not only an attribute of a festive feast. The attractiveness of food is part of the rules of healthy eating, a sign of a high quality of life. We can arrange it if we want! The skill of decorating dishes from cucumbers and tomatoes will help us, which we will definitely acquire!

Vegetables, fresh or canned, are always present on our holiday tables and are a very popular snack. In this article we will talk about how you can beautifully decorate a plate with sliced vegetables.

Today, fresh cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers and other vegetables can be bought all year round in any large store, and although not everyone trusts such winter vegetables in terms of benefits, they are in high demand during the holidays. The same can be said about pickled and salted vegetables. It is difficult to imagine a holiday table without vegetables - in any form they are an excellent snack, and without them a meal on any holiday would be much more modest.

In addition to the long-popular cucumbers, tomatoes and sweet peppers, as well as herbs, vegetables such as celery, cherry tomatoes, avocados, etc. have been added in recent years. In general, today, even in winter, you can make a very beautiful multi-component snack from vegetables. Well, decorating such snacks won’t take much time if you use the ideas suggested in the photo.

Like other appetizers, vegetable platters can be presented beautifully using just greens.

You can supplement fresh vegetables with pickled, pickled or salted ones, for example, as in the next photo - sauerkraut.

Very often, in addition to greens, products such as olives and black olives are used to decorate vegetable cuts.

For such a beautiful decoration, cut carrots, red and yellow bell peppers and celery into thick strips, also use olives and cherry tomatoes. The cucumber must be almost completely peeled, leaving only thin strips, then cut into thin slices diagonally (at an angle of not 90, but approximately 45 degrees). Cover the dish with lettuce leaves, place the sauce in the center, place vegetables and olives in sectors, and decorate the area around the sauce with curly parsley.

If you spend a little more time on the design of the vegetable cuttings, you can make a very beautiful composition by cutting the vegetables in the form of flowers, as in the next photo.

The flowers are cut from radishes, decorated with olives cut into rings, and cucumber and tomato are also used. For cucumber and tomato flowers, cut these vegetables into thin long strips and roll them into flowers.

It won’t be too difficult to arrange such a vegetable cut: make a large flower out of a tomato, place it in the center of the dish on a bed of greens, and place a cucumber around it. The cucumber should be cut lengthwise into long thin slices and overlapped in a circle, then folded like an accordion and insert a stick of greenery into each (you can replace the greenery with skewers or toothpicks).

It’s also not difficult to make such a beautiful cut: take plum tomatoes, cut the top with a zigzag - you get “tulips”, cut flowers from radishes, cut cucumber into strips and sweet peppers into strips, decorate everything with herbs.

If you combine vegetables with cheese, you can make a very beautiful serving: the following cuts use tomatoes, cucumbers, cheese, basil, olives and finely chopped herbs.

In order to decorate such a plate, which would be more accurately called a cheese and vegetable plate, take mozzarella cheese in the form of small and large balls, cut the large ones into slices and place them overlapping in a circle on a flat dish with sliced tomatoes, and place the small ones together with cherry tomatoes on circle. Garnish with basil, tomato flower and sprinkle with herbs.

Decorate and enjoy a delicious and elegant table!

Food should be appetizing, healthy, safe and tasty. In Japan, there is even a special class of culinary specialists for this purpose: their specialty is decorating food. And our housewives (without any courses) can, at home, using a simple knife, create interesting and original snacks by cutting fruits, vegetables and sausage.

As an example, let's try to cut tomatoes and cucumbers beautifully and appetizingly.

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The best recipes for crispy pickled cucumbers

There are many recipes, but you don’t always get crispy cucumbers. It’s better to know the secrets and nuances of proven recipes for pickling delicious cucumbers in jars.

Classic recipe for crispy pickled cucumbers

We take into account that 1 kg of fresh cucumbers will yield 2 liter jars of pickled cucumbers. These cucumbers will taste great in a variety of dishes.

You will need:

1 kg of cucumbers;
1 liter of marinade;
1.5 tbsp. l. table salt;
2.5 tbsp. l. Sahara;
3-4 cloves of garlic;
5-6 peas of allspice;
2 cloves;
currant and cherry leaves;
dill;
2 tsp. vinegar essence (16 tsp vinegar 9%).

Immerse vegetables in cool water for 6-7 hours. Prepare the garlic, rinse the cherry and currant leaves. Steam two 1 liter jars. Place screw caps in boiling water.

Place dill umbrellas, garlic, cherry and currant leaves in jars. Cut the garlic into pieces. Place vegetables tightly in jars. Fill the jars with boiling water.

Pour 1 liter + 50 ml of water into the pan, add salt and sugar. Add peppercorns. Bring the marinade to a boil in a saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes.

Drain the boiling water from the vegetables. Fill the jars up to the neck with prepared boiling brine. Add 1 teaspoon of vinegar essence to each jar and close.

Carefully tighten the caps with a wrench. Immediately turn the jars over and additionally sterilize the lids. First wrap the jars in newsprint, then cover with a warm blanket for 1-2 days.

Spicy pickled cucumbers

This is a recipe for fans of spicy snacks, although by adjusting the amount of chili pepper you can get a taste that will be appreciated by those who prefer a less intense taste.

You will need:

2 kg of cucumbers;
3 tbsp. 9% vinegar;
4 tbsp. water;
4 tbsp. l. salt;
2 tbsp. l. Sahara;
12 sprigs of dill;
12 cloves of garlic;
6 tsp. dill seeds;
3 tsp. black peppercorns,
1.5 tsp. chili pepper flakes.

Wash the cucumbers well and cut into slices or lengthwise into four pieces.

Prepare brine for pickling cucumbers. To do this, combine water, salt and sugar in a saucepan and, stirring, bring to a boil over high heat. Remove the pan from the heat and pour in the vinegar.

Place 2-3 branches of dill, 2-3 cloves of garlic, 1 tsp at the bottom of a clean jar. dill seeds, 0.5 tsp. pepper, 0.5 tsp. chili pepper. Then place the cucumbers and pour the marinade over them. Sterilize and roll up.

Sweet pickled cucumbers for the winter

Everyone will like these sweet cucumbers and will be an excellent addition to fried potatoes and meat dishes, and will also take their rightful place on the holiday table.

Ingredients:

fresh cucumbers – 3-3.5 kg.

Brine for 4 1 liter jars:

water – 1.5 l;
granulated sugar – 100 g;
salt – 1 tbsp. l.;
vinegar 9% – 150ml.

To the bottom of one 1 liter jar:

dill – 2 sprigs;
bay leaf – 1 pc.;
cherry leaf – 4 pcs.;
currant leaf – 2 sh.;
garlic – 2-3 cloves;
mustard seeds – 1/3 tsp;
ground black peppercorns – 7-8 peas;
allspice – 2-3 peas.

We will begin pickling cucumbers by preparing all the ingredients in appropriate proportions to make cooking easier and faster. Wash the fruits thoroughly. Then soak in cold water. Leave it like this for 6-12 hours.

On a note. If you just picked them, there is no need to soak them. Simply rinse thoroughly several times.

We also thoroughly wash and sterilize jars with lids. At the bottom we place sprigs of dill, 4-5 cherry leaves and several currant leaves. Then add spices: one bay leaf, 2-3 allspice peas and 7-8 black peppercorns. Then a third of a teaspoon of mustard seeds and a few cloves of garlic.

Now put the cucumbers in the jar. We do this vertically, filling them tightly with the entire volume of the container. When you have everything laid out this way, there is still room on top. You also need to put fruit there. If the whole one doesn’t fit, cut it into pieces. The container should be filled tightly to the top.

Now pour boiling water. Cover the top with lids, but do not screw them on. Leave it like this for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, drain the water. Fill the cucumbers in the jars with boiling water again. Cover with lids and leave for another 20 minutes.

While they are standing in boiling water, prepare the brine. Take a large saucepan and pour one and a half liters of water into it. You can use something already hot from a just boiled kettle. Add 100 g of granulated sugar and one heaped tablespoon of salt to the water. Mix everything.

Place the pan on the fire and bring to a boil. Then pour in 150 ml of 9% vinegar. Mix everything. Remove the container from the stove. Drain the water from the jars. Pour the prepared hot brine over our cucumbers.

We roll up the lids of the jars and turn them upside down. Then wrap it well with a towel. Leave them like this until they cool completely.

Cucumbers with greens

To make the taste of pickled cucumbers richer, add more greens.

You will need:

4-5 kg of cucumbers;
2 liters of water;
2 tbsp. 9% vinegar;
1/2 tbsp. salt;
fresh dill;
fresh parsley;
garlic cloves to taste.

Prepare the brine by combining water and salt and bringing to a boil, stirring frequently. Pour in the vinegar and remove the pan from the heat. Place sprigs of dill and parsley and one peeled clove of garlic on the bottom of the jar.

Fill the jars with cucumbers (cut into circles or cubes), place a sprig of dill, parsley and a clove of garlic on top. Pour over the prepared marinade, sterilize and roll up.

Bulgarian pickled cucumbers

“Bulgarian” cucumbers are preserved with the addition of onions, which add a “zest” to the finished product.

Ingredients:

cucumbers – 700 g;
onions – 3 pcs.;
garlic – 1 head;
laurel leaf – 2 pcs.;
salt – 2 tsp;
sugar and table vinegar - 4 tsp each;
water – 0.5 l.

For pickling, choose small, firm cucumbers, preferably fresh ones. Rinse them well, place in a bowl, cover with cold water and leave overnight. The next morning, the cucumbers can be pickled. Prepare jars for cucumbers, wash and sterilize them in any way. Boil the seaming lids in water for a few minutes.

Peel the bulbs and head of garlic, chop the onion into thin rings and the garlic into slices. Place chopped onions and garlic in jars and add laurel leaves there. Rinse the soaked cucumbers again and cut off their ends. Then place the prepared cucumbers tightly in jars.

Boil clean water in a separate saucepan and pour it over the cucumbers in jars. Cover the jars with lids and leave for 15–20 minutes. Then repeat the filling again. After the last filling, pour the water from the cans into a saucepan, pour the calculated amount of salt and sugar into it, stir and boil. Add vinegar to the boiling marinade and stir again.

Pour the prepared marinade over the cucumbers and immediately seal the jars tightly. Place the rolled jars on the lids. There is no need to cover with a warm blanket. Transfer the cooled “Bulgarian” cucumbers to a cool storage place.

Recipe for preparing cucumbers in Polish

Another recipe for delicious pickled cucumbers that every housewife can prepare. We will cook from chopped fruits, so long Chinese cucumbers and slightly overgrown greens are suitable for it.

Required for brine:

2 liters of water;
3 tbsp. l. salt;
1.2 cups sugar;
1.5 cups 9% vinegar.

On a note. It turns out - 7-8 cans of 0.7 liters.

We cut the cucumbers lengthwise into 4-6 slices and place them vertically in jars. Cut the carrots (a little) into rings and place them on the bottom between the cucumbers. Cut the onion into half rings. Add dill seeds.

Fill everything with brine and sterilize for 10 minutes after boiling. Let's roll up.

Delicious Berlin-style cucumbers - a recipe just like in the store

Anyone who likes to go to supermarkets and buy canned vegetables has at least once in their life seen jars of cucumber preparations on the shelves. Sometimes you want to create something similar in your kitchen. Well, why not, it’s easy to make it a reality, especially if you take your own vegetables from your garden. It will turn out even more magnificent.

In stores you can see the name “Uncle Vanya”, so don’t be surprised, this is the version presented below.

We will need:

small cucumbers;
mustard seeds;
currant leaves;
dill stems.

For marinade per 1 liter;

pepper mixture - a pinch;
salt - 1 tbsp. l.;
sugar - 2 tbsp. l.;
vinegar 70% - 2 tsp.

Prepare the jars and sterilize them. Place a currant leaf and a pinch of mustard seeds on the bottom of the jar. Then, at your discretion, place the cucumbers vertically and then horizontally, as desired. Next, lay the dill stems. As soon as you complete this work, pour boiling water into the containers and cover with lids for 10 minutes.

Then pour the water into a saucepan and add the pepper mixture and boil. Pour with a ladle until each jar is completely filled to the brim. And pour 2 teaspoons of vinegar essence into each liter jar, it will turn out one on one, like Uncle Vanya. Seal with suitable clean lids.

Allow the pieces to cool completely upside down under a towel. Store anywhere, but where there is no sunlight.

Pickled cucumbers with red currants

We present to your attention an unusual recipe for preparing pickled cucumbers for the winter. They are rolled up in jars with red currants. The berries contain natural acid, so there is no need to add vinegar to the marinade. And such conservation looks very impressive.

Currants can be used both fresh and frozen. To ensure reliable storage of such cucumbers, sterilization is necessary. It is proposed to pickle cucumbers in 1.5-liter jars. They take up less space in the refrigerator and are eaten faster.

Ingredients:

cucumbers – 1 kg;
red currants – 1 cup;
black currant leaves – 3 pcs.;
dill umbrella – 1 pc.;
garlic to taste;
water – 750 ml;
salt – 1 tbsp. l.;
sugar – 2 tbsp. l.

Pre-soak small, strong cucumbers for 2 hours in cold water. Then rinse them thoroughly and remove the ends on both sides. Wash the red currants well and remove any damaged fruits. Frozen berries do not need to be thawed. The fruits do not need to be separated from the branches; there is no difference for pickling. Wash the jars with water and soda and sterilize in any way. Boil the seaming lids.

Place washed currant leaves, peeled garlic cut into large pieces and one dill umbrella at the bottom of the prepared jars. Then compactly place the prepared cucumbers in jars. Immediately fill the gaps between the cucumbers with berries and sprinkle them on top of the cucumbers.

In a separate bowl, boil clean water (the volume of water depends on the number of cans), pour the amount of sugar and salt indicated in the recipe into it, stir and boil for a couple of minutes. Pour the prepared marinade over the cucumbers.

Then sterilize the cucumbers. To do this, take a large saucepan, cover its bottom with a towel and place jars of cucumbers in it. Fill the pan with hot water (after all, the jars with the marinade are hot) to the level of the hangers of the jars. Sterilize the cucumbers over medium heat for 6 minutes from when the water in the pan begins to boil.

Then roll up the jars tightly and immediately check the tightness of the seal. Invert them onto the lids and cover with a blanket for additional pasteurization. Transfer the cooled jars to a designated storage location.

Pickled cucumbers for the winter in mustard

The marinade with mustard turns out to be piquant, very tasty and unusual.

Required:

2 kg of cucumbers;
non-iodized salt - 2 tbsp. l.;
2 tbsp. spoons of dry mustard;
10 g ground black pepper;
1 cup of sugar;
sunflower oil - 1 cup;
1 glass 9% vinegar;
100 g finely chopped garlic.

Cut the cucumbers into slices, add spices, salt and sugar and leave in the bowl for 3 hours, stirring from time to time. After 3 hours, place the cucumbers in clean 0.5 liter jars and sterilize for 5 minutes. Roll up.

Cucumbers with mustard seeds

This preparation turns out to be piquant and the most delicious.

Let's take:

2 kg of medium cucumbers;
dill bush;
3 cherry leaves;
chili pepper to taste;
fresh or dried garlic;
pepper mixture;
dessert spoon of mustard seeds;
½ glass of salt;
50 g sugar;
a glass of vinegar.

We carry out the preparatory stage as in the previous recipe. When the 3 liter bottle is full, pour boiling water over the fruit twice.

Boil the liquid drained a second time. Add mustard with vinegar, salt and sugar to the bottle. Fill with boiling water flush with the edges and seal. Cover until cool.

Pickled cucumbers with citric acid

Instead of vinegar, citric acid can also be used as a preservative. Pickling cucumbers with citric acid makes them less spicy.

You will need:

1 kg of cucumbers;
2-3 blackcurrant leaves;
1 horseradish leaf, dill umbrella;
5 cloves of garlic;
2 bay leaves;
3 peas of allspice;
6 black peppercorns;
1/3 tsp. citric acid;
1 liter of water;
2 tbsp. l. salt;
6 tbsp. l. Sahara.

Wash the cucumbers and fresh leaves well. Place dill leaves and an umbrella at the bottom of a sterilized jar, then place cucumbers, and garlic cloves on top.

Pour boiling water over it, let stand for a few minutes and drain the water into a saucepan. Add pepper, bay leaf and citric acid. Add sugar and salt, bring the marinade to a boil and pour over the cucumbers. Cover with a lid, sterilize and roll up. Turn upside down and leave for a day.

How to seal cucumbers with vodka in a half liter jar

Look for something original and unique, consider that you have already found it. The fact is that in cooking such an ingredient as alcohol is used quite often. For example, if you are preparing Easter cakes, or making pasties, in a word, they are used in baking.

But in preparations, vodka is also often added to achieve the desired effect, the brine will never sour, and the jars will be transparent like glass. Well, plus the cucumbers will be crispy and moderately pickled. In general, vodka marinade is what you need.

For 2 half-liter jars you will need:

any spices for marinade (for example, dill, horseradish, garlic, hot pepper);
gherkins - 1 kg;
sugar - 2 tsp. with a slide;
salt - 2 tsp. with a slide;
vinegar 9% - 50 ml;
vodka - 50 ml;
water 0.75 l.

First, place dill, garlic cloves and washed cucumbers in clean, sterile jars. Then bring the water to a boil in a saucepan. As soon as the water boils, add salt, spices and vinegar; do not add vodka yet. Wait until it boils again, and then proceed according to the instructions.

Fill the jars with the contents with this marinade. Pour water carefully into the center, let it stand for 10 minutes under the lids, this will be the first time, then drain the marinade and boil again. Fill the jars again. Drain the water a second time and boil. Before the third run, you need to pour vodka into each jar. And then pour boiling brine over it.

And just now close the lids and wait for it to cool completely. It will turn out amazingly tasty, especially in winter, when it’s bitterly cold.

Crispy pickled cucumbers with chili ketchup

Here is a basic recipe for pickling cucumbers with Chili ketchup. For this preservation, choose small, slightly shorter than the height of the jar, strong cucumbers and roll them into small jars so that there is enough for one time.

On a note. The set of spices for such cucumbers can be different, but they must include garlic, dill and green hot pepper to make the appetizer spicy and piquant.

Ingredients (for 4 750 ml jars):

small cucumbers – 2 kg;
water – 6 glasses;
sugar – 1 glass;
table vinegar – 150 ml;
rock salt – 2 tbsp. l.;
“Chili” ketchup – 350 g;
garlic cloves and bay leaf – 8 pcs.;
horseradish leaf – 2 pcs.;
dill seeds – 4 tsp;
peppercorns – 20 pcs.;
hot pepper – 1 pc.

Rinse the cucumbers, remove the ends and cover with ice water for a couple of hours. Wash and sterilize the jars for 1 minute and at the highest power in the microwave, pouring a little water into them. Then pour out the water. Rinse the lids and scald with boiling water or boil in a saucepan.

Peel the garlic and crush the cloves with a knife to release more garlic flavor. Cut the hot pepper into 4 parts. For a more delicate taste, pepper can be omitted. Place chopped peppers, garlic and other spices at the bottom of each jar.

Place the prepared cucumbers compactly in sterile jars. Pour boiling water over the cucumbers. Cover the jars with sterile lids and leave for 30 minutes.

During this time, prepare the tomato marinade from “Chili” for the cucumbers. Pour water into a separate pan, add salt, sugar and ketchup, mix well and boil. Pour the boiling marinade over the cucumbers in the jars, filling them to the very top.

Seal the jars hermetically, turn them over onto the lids and cover with a towel. Once completely cooled, store them.

Crispy pickled cucumbers without sterilization

Using this recipe, you will get very crispy and spicy cucumbers.

Ingredients for an 800 ml jar:

small cucumbers - 550-600 g;
salt - 2 tsp;
sugar - 1 tsp;
vinegar 9% - 20 ml;
bay leaf - 2-3 pcs.;
dill umbrellas - 2 pcs.;
black peppercorns - 5-6 pcs.;
garlic - 2 cloves (large);
horseradish leaves - 1/3 pcs.;
cherry leaves - 2 pcs.;
black currant leaves - 2 pcs.;
oak leaf - 1 pc.;
hot pepper - 1-2 rings (optional);
boiling water.

Wash and dry everything, soak the cucumbers for two hours in cold water. Place dill umbrellas at the bottom of dry, clean jars. You can also put the stems of this plant, they contain a lot of essential oil, which gives a great smell. Next, add cherry, currant, oak leaves (they have good tannins), pieces of horseradish leaves, garlic, peppercorns, bay leaves.

Cut off the nose and tip of the cucumbers and place them tightly in jars. Pour boiling water over it, cover with sterile lids and leave for 20 minutes until the water becomes warm. Drain the water into a saucepan. It is convenient to use a nylon lid with holes for this.

Advice. If the cucumbers are purchased, then it is better to drain the first water and not make brine on it. Just measure how much goes into the jars.

Add the required amount of salt and sugar to the water, the calculation in the list is given for one 800 ml jar. When the marinade has boiled well and everything has dissolved, add table vinegar to it. Bring to a boil again, stir.

Pour the boiling marinade over the cucumbers to the very top, seal with a lid and turn over. Check that nothing is leaking. Cover with a blanket and leave until the next day. Store this preparation in a cool, dark place, as there is not a lot of vinegar here.

Assorted pickled cucumbers and tomatoes

A very interesting preparation is obtained by marinating tomatoes and cucumbers in one jar at the same time. This beautiful pickle will delight both the taste and the eye on the holiday table. The spicy-sweet marinade will make the cucumbers crispy and the tomatoes will remain intact. We marinate using the double pour method.

Ingredients (for 1 liter jar):

cucumbers – 400 g;
tomatoes – 300 g;
dill umbrella and laurel leaf - 1 pc.;
black and allspice peas - 5 pcs.;
garlic – 6 cloves;
tarragon and horseradish leaf - to taste.

For the marinade (per 1 liter of water):

salt – 2 tbsp. l.;
sugar – 4 tbsp. l.;
table vinegar - 6 tbsp. l.

Wash the jars with baking soda and be sure to sterilize them in any way. Place all the spices specified in the recipe in jars.

Rinse the cucumbers and tomatoes well with running water. Remove the ends from the cucumbers. Place the prepared cucumbers in the jars in the first layer and preferably vertically. Prick the tomatoes with a needle or toothpick in several places near the stalk to keep them intact. Place a dill umbrella and a piece of horseradish leaf on top of the vegetables.

Pour boiling water over the vegetables in jars to the very top, cover them with boiled lids and leave for half an hour. After this time, pour the water from the jars into the pan through a special lid.

Place a saucepan with water over medium heat. Pour the calculated amount of salt and sugar into the marinade, stir and cook for 1-2 minutes. Pour the prepared hot marinade over the vegetables in jars and pour 2 tablespoons of vinegar into each jar.

Roll up the jars, check the tightness of the sealing and, turning it over onto the lid, leave until completely cooled. Your wonderful assortment of cucumbers and tomatoes is ready!

Pickled cucumbers for the winter with onions and carrots “You'll lick your fingers”

Another wonderful recipe that I have been using for canning for 10 years now and the cucumbers always turn out to be very tasty, truly “finger-licking” cucumbers.

Ingredients:

cucumbers;
garlic;
onion;
carrot;
horseradish root or leaves;
Bay leaf.

Marinade for 3 liters of water:

salt - 5 tbsp. l.;
sugar - 9 tbsp. l.;
vinegar 9% - 300 ml.

Place herbs and spices at the bottom of the jar. Cut the onion into half rings, carrots into circles. Place it on the bottom of the jar. Place the cucumbers tightly in the jar.

Prepare the marinade, adding vinegar last. Pour hot marinade over cucumbers. Immerse the jars in a saucepan with warm water. Place a towel on the bottom of the pan. It is better to boil lids for jars separately. Sterilize jars of cucumbers for 10-15 minutes and seal them.

Recipe for pickled cucumbers in jars

It happens that there is no place to store all the pickles, you have to somehow get out. In this case, we have already come up with recipes for you so that your homemade preparations are stored at home, and not in a cool place.

Note! There is no vinegar in this version, which means they will ferment on their own.

For a 3 liter jar you will need:

cucumbers - from 1 to 2 kg;
salt - 70-75 g;
garlic - 7 cloves;
rye flour - 0.5 tbsp. l.;
spices at your discretion (currant leaves, dill seeds, bay leaves, etc.).

Place garlic cloves, dill seeds, bay leaves, flour and salt at the bottom of a clean, sterile jar. Place the gherkins in the jar, quite tightly to each other. Fill with regular cold water. And leave it to stand and start fermenting for about a week on the table.

After a few days you will see foam, remove it. After a week has passed, drain the brine and boil. Next, fill the containers again, let stand for 10 minutes, then drain and boil again, pour into a jar.

You will get 2 passes, you can do it in three, it will even be more correct, but two are quite enough. Screw on the lid. Store in the cellar.

On a note. You can also add an oak leaf, this will add even more crispness.

Cutting vegetables

The easiest way to arrange sliced cucumbers and tomatoes is on a flat plate. You can give them a spectacular look using mint leaves, powdered sugar or apple “tulips”.

You can beautifully cut cucumbers, tomatoes and other vegetables as follows:

Use a flat dish and make rings of tomatoes, cucumbers and sweet peppers;
Don't forget to decorate the composition with sprigs of greenery;
You can continue to imagine and get creative with the design of the dish (for example, cutting tomatoes in the shape of a ladybug).

How to beautifully cut cucumbers: photo with step-by-step description

Of course, there should be flowers on the holiday table. But is it necessary to run for a bouquet? Or should you give free rein to your imagination and make beautiful flowers in the form of cut vegetables?

Flower

At first glance it seems difficult, but this is not entirely true. Let's look at the creation of such a cut step by step with photos and descriptions:

Step 1. Take the outermost part of the cucumber and cut off the tip - 0.5 cm.

Step 2. Now we will make several petals - these are 2 rows of cuts in the skin along the bottom edge. We make the cuts deep enough, but not all the way - the base should remain on the fruit.

Step 3. Now we peel off a small part of the skin along the top edge - literally 1 centimeter.

Step 4. And we make the third row of petals, which are directly adjacent to this top edge.

Step 5. Actually, these are not petals - in our case they will play the role of pockets. We insert pre-cut circles into each of them: they should be as thin as possible, then the figure will turn out especially beautiful.

Step 6. The lower ones are lower, the upper ones are higher: everything is in accordance with the classical rules of design.

Step 7. Actually, we have already created a flower. However, it is better to also work with the core to make it look even more beautiful. You also need to make several slits on it - say, 4 along the edges and 2-3 in the very center.

Step 8. We insert the smallest circles into them. And those that go to the center also need to be tucked - then you get a real rose.

Here she is. But that is not all.

Step 9. Now we make leaves from a semicircle with two cuts, one of which is tucked inward.

Step 10. And arrange them in a circle around the flower. We also decorate with tomato slices or other bright vegetables.

The visual instructions in the video will help you figure out how to beautifully cut cucumbers and tomatoes in the shape of a flower.

Cucumber rose

But this is a real masterpiece - the cucumber queen of flowers! It will decorate the most exquisite holiday table and will be wonderful on any dish - Greek salad, your favorite Olivier, aspic. You will need a little patience, inspiration and attention - after all, this cucumber slicing is done with a very sharp knife.

Cucumber spiral

Now let’s figure out how to make such a beautiful spiral from a cucumber.

We proceed like this:

Step 1. Take a fairly long cucumber and cut off the bottom tip. And insert a wooden stick into the top one (directly in the center).

Step 2. Gently push it through the entire fruit and leave it inside.

Step 3. Now we cut circles, moving in a spiral. The stick will serve as a stopper for the knife - there is no need to cut further.

Step 4. We move further and further - the cut goes in a single line, going down in a spiral.

Step 5. Then we remove the stick - it has already served its purpose.

Step 6. And stretch the cucumber in a spiral. Simple, fast and beautiful.

Let's lay it out in the form of a circle.

Or in the form of 2 flowers.

Or it can be in the form of a zigzag.

Carving tomatoes

Carving is the art of decorating dishes. Let's try to decorate a tomato:

You need to remove the core from the tomato by first cutting it into 2 parts;
Place a lettuce leaf on a plate, and a ladybug stuffed with pate or cheese on it;
The spots and antennae on the back are made using chopped black olives.

In addition, you can also add smoked meats, deli meats and sausage to the cuts.

You can decorate a plate with a side dish in a very appetizing way if you lay out thin slices of sausage of different varieties, and place cucumbers and tomatoes, sprigs of herbs, slices of carrots and olives nearby - this design will please almost any guest.
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How to beautifully cut tomatoes and cucumbers? This question becomes especially relevant when housewives begin to prepare to receive long-awaited guests. It is worth noting that the vegetables presented are excellent helpers for good digestion of food. In addition, they help speed up metabolism and remove toxins from the body. In this regard, nutritionists around the world recommend consuming these products exclusively in their raw form. That is why most housewives are often interested in the question of how to beautifully cut tomatoes and cucumbers and properly present them to the holiday table.

In this article, we decided to present several simple and original options for unusual design of vegetables. So, with us you can make butterflies, petals, flowers, etc. from fresh tomatoes, and beautiful boats with filling inside from cucumbers.

Making butterflies from tomatoes

How to beautifully cut tomatoes and cucumbers in the form of a beautiful spring butterfly? The last ingredient will not suit us for this. But an original insect can come out of a tomato, which is good for decorating a salad border. Thus, you should take several not very large tomatoes, and then cut each of them into 8 equal parts. After this, you need to pull off the skin halfway from the vegetable pieces by prying it with a knife. As a result of this, you should get tomato slices with a peculiar curl. By placing two identical pieces on a dish (with the skin facing each other), you will get the silhouette of a beautiful butterfly.

Unusual tomato petals

There is nothing difficult about cutting cucumbers and tomatoes for a vegetable arrangement. For example, you can make beautiful petals from fresh tomatoes in a matter of minutes. To do this, you need to cut the vegetable in half lengthwise, and then place the cut side on the board and make a diagonal cut, retreating 1.5 centimeters from the edges. Next, you need to remove the resulting wedge and perform the same manipulations with it. Thus, when making such cuts, you should get several slices, which should be laid on top of each other and moved slightly along the axis.

"Cucumber Wave"

Using just a simple cucumber, you can make an elegant, graceful Cucumber Wave. To garnish the first course, simply place this carved wave of cucumber in a bowl of soup (preferably a soup with a very contrasting color, such as tomato or carrot). It is also an ideal decoration for any salads and sushi.

1. First, rinse the cucumber well and, holding the knife at an angle of 45 degrees, make two cuts, separating a piece of 15-20 cm.

2. Cut the resulting piece of cucumber lengthwise and separate half. Place the remaining portion on a cutting board.

3. Place a few toothpicks on both sides of the cucumber and score the cucumber, continuing to hold the knife at a 45-degree angle as before. Remove the knife as soon as it touches the toothpick. The cuts should be approximately 1-2 mm thick.

4. To create a wave, simply move the ends of the cucumber together to form an “arch.” If done correctly, this should form a graduated cascade of sliced cucumber on one side.

Cutting sunflowers from fresh tomatoes

You can make such a sunny flower in a few minutes. To do this, take a large tomato and then lightly cut its skin as if you wanted to divide it into eight equal slices. Next, using a knife to pry the hard peel in the center of the vegetable, you need to carefully separate it from the pulpy part almost to the base, but without tearing it off. As a result of these actions, you should be left with a whole tomato, and along the edges - curls of the skin, which will play the role of sunflower petals. For a beautiful decoration, the pulpy part of the tomato can be sprinkled with poppy seeds or covered with olive rings.

Now you know how to cut tomatoes beautifully. You can see a photo of such a decoration for a vegetable arrangement in this article. It is worth especially noting that the presented methods for decorating tomatoes are far from exceptional. After all, from such vegetables you can make other, no less original decorative elements.

Making snack boats from cucumbers

Beautiful slicing of cucumbers and tomatoes can transform even an ordinary dinner table into a luxuriously set one. In this section, we decided to present to your attention a step-by-step method of how to make a tartlet for an appetizer from fresh vegetables.

To prepare this decoration, you need to purchase young and maximally elastic cucumbers. They should be washed well and all navels should be removed. After this, each cucumber must be chopped into short pieces (6 centimeters long), which must be divided in half lengthwise. The resulting slices should be cut parallel to the central plane, not reaching the end of 2 centimeters. Next, you need to make a small hole in the vegetable, removing some of the pulp with seeds.

To give our boat a complete look, the cut cucumber plate should be lifted, bent in the opposite direction, and then secured with a toothpick, thereby making a kind of sail with a mast.

You can fill the cavity of the vegetable with any filling. Black or red caviar, a mixture of grated crab sticks, cheese, garlic and mayonnaise, as well as slices of lightly salted salmon or trout, sour cream with herbs and seasonings, etc. are ideal for this.

To decorate the festive table, housewives use vegetable and fruit slices. But slicing vegetables is too easy. But I would like to surprise guests with my abilities and the beauty of my dishes. Such a versatile vegetable as a cucumber will make the table bright and beautiful. Today we want to tell and show how you can cut it so that it becomes a real work of culinary art!

Most housewives are accustomed to cutting cucumbers into slices or strips. Alas, you won’t surprise anyone with this design of vegetable cutting. To surprise your guests and improve your culinary skills, we recommend that you read our article.

How to beautifully cut a cucumber for the table?

There is nothing easier, it is a fun and interesting process. You can use these cucumbers to decorate meat dishes or as a side dish. You only need to make a few cuts with a knife! Anyone can cope with such a simple task.

How to pickle cucumbers to make them tasty and crispy

Our collection of recipes contains a lot of interesting things about canning cucumbers, but there are some subtleties and notes that will be useful to housewives in preparing this wonderful preparation:

Use vegetables that were immediately picked, or no more than a day old.
For the marinade you need clean well water, or spring water, chlorinated from the tap, is not suitable.
You need rock salt, never iodized.
Choose green vegetables, with thin skin, preferably small in size.
For crunch, put in jars: horseradish root, currant leaves, oak leaves, cherry leaves.
To avoid the appearance of emptiness in vegetables, be sure to soak them in cold water for a couple of hours, they will become stronger.
To preserve hardness and elasticity, pouring should be repeated (2-3 times, without sterilization).
The following are used as spices and herbs: onions, garlic, carrots, horseradish leaves, oak leaves, cherries, currants, dill, parsley, basil, mustard, and even marigolds, yes, it is this flower that adds piquancy to the preservation.
Mustard seeds will add density, but garlic, on the contrary, will make them a little softer.
To make the cucumbers crispy, some housewives add vodka to each jar.
It’s better not to wrap the jars, or do it for a couple of hours; it’s important not to overcook, otherwise they will look like boiled.