Friends, have a nice day everyone! Today there will be quick recipes that you all love so much. Namely, we will make lightly salted cucumbers. I will write how they can be prepared in different ways: dry, in brine - cold and hot. And you choose to your taste.
I will also be sure to tell you how to make preparations for the winter with minimal effort. There will be no need for sterilization and boiling here. Look in the content for the corresponding recipe.
Do not prepare a lot of lightly salted cucumbers at once “for now” - they do not keep for a long time. Make enough for one or two servings (for example, for a picnic or for a salad). The preparation process does not last long, so it can be repeated quite often.
There are some mandatory items, the implementation of which will directly affect the final result. Read them and take note:
- For salting, use only coarse rock salt, without iodine, not extra, otherwise you will get a soft product and will not hear the desired crunch.
- It is important to choose cucumbers suitable for pickling. Salad varieties are not suitable. Choose fruits with black thorns - this is ideal.
- Before cooking, soak the fruits for 2 hours in cold water. This will restore elasticity to the vegetables and nourish them with moisture. The result will be hard and crispy lightly salted cucumbers.
Don't miss the article on how to make pickled cucumbers, sweet and sour, for the winter.
Instant lightly salted cucumbers with vinegar - ready in an hour
I am the first to write a quick recipe for making lightly salted cucumbers, in which all the ingredients are available to everyone, no frills, we will stick to minimalism.
For pickling, you will need a container with a lid, but you can use any sealable container instead.
Ingredients:
- cucumbers - 0.5 kg
- parsley, dill - 0.5 bunch each
- salt - 1 tsp.
- ground black pepper - 0.5 tsp.
- allspice - 5 peas
- bay leaf - 1-2 pcs.
- garlic - 2 large cloves
- vinegar - 1 tsp.
- vegetable oil - 1 tsp.
Cooking steps:
1. For quick pickling, you need to cut the cucumbers lengthwise into 4 parts. If you salt them whole, it will take longer. Place the pieces in a container.
Before cooking, it is better to soak the vegetables in cold water for 1-2 hours, this will make them crispier.
2.Finely chop the greens and add them to the vegetables. Dill is a must, it goes very well in taste and aroma, parsley is optional for those who love it.
3.Grate the garlic on a fine grater or squeeze it through a press directly into the workpiece. And add all the spices: salt, pepper, bay leaf, allspice peas. Season with oil and vinegar.
4.Cover the lid and shake well to combine. Leave at room temperature for 30 minutes, then put in the refrigerator for another half hour.
5.Now the quick lightly salted cucumbers are ready, they can already be placed on the table. Be sure to store them refrigerated. The more they cost, the more they become salted. After a few days they will become soft, so eat them in the first two days while there is still crunch.
What spices and herbs are used for pickling?
For any pickling technology, choose small and equal-sized cucumbers with pimples. This is necessary so that each fruit has time to absorb the required amount of salt and aroma of spices. Before salting, the vegetables are thoroughly washed, filled with ordinary running water and left for 30-40 minutes alone. The liquid is then drained and no longer used. Dry the cucumbers with a towel and cut off the ends.
Almost the same ingredients are used in different recipes. Salt, granulated sugar, garlic, bay leaf, dill, and peppercorns are traditionally added to cucumbers. Some housewives use carrots, cloves, horseradish leaves, cherries, and currants.
How to salt cucumbers in a bag with garlic and dill: a quick recipe
This is probably the easiest way to make lightly salted cucumbers. No utensils are needed - the whole process will take place in a regular plastic bag. The speed of salting will depend on the cutting method: the thinner and smaller the pieces, the faster they will cook.
Ingredients:
- cucumbers - 500 gr.
- garlic - 2 cloves
- salt - 1 tsp.
- dill - 0.5 bunch
Preparation:
1. You can take any package: with or without a clasp. If it is thin, then it is better to take two and put them inside each other. Next, start cutting all the products.
2. Wash the cucumbers, soak them, trim the ends and cut them in half. You can make it into circles, cubes, or in different ways at once. The smaller parts will be ready to eat in a couple of hours, and the larger parts the next day.
3. Finely chop the dill and chop the garlic with a knife or simply squeeze it through a garlic press.
4.Put half the cucumbers into the bag, sprinkle half the garlic and dill on top, and also add 0.5 tsp. salt. Next, repeat the layers.
5. Release the air from the bag, zip it or tie it. Twist the workpiece to mix everything inside. The salt should dissolve and the cucumbers will begin to release juice.
6.Place the bag in any container in case of leakage and put it in the refrigerator for 3 hours. Every half hour, remove and shake to re-mix.
7. In three hours, excellent lightly salted cucumbers will be on your table, very crispy and tasty. This is a very simple way to quickly cook with a minimum of ingredients.
There is also a short video on this topic in which I show how to quickly and easily make these lightly salted cucumbers. Minimum time, quick and very fragrant result:
Cold and fast method of salting with mineral water
And there is also such an interesting way to salt cucumbers. This is the so-called cold salting method. You can, of course, use regular cold water, or better yet, spring water.
Or you can do it like this, with mineral water.
Mineral water must be carbonated. It is the gas bubbles that help ensure that the salting process occurs quite quickly.
Delicious beautiful cucumbers can be eaten the next day.
Delicious crispy cucumbers with soy sauce and herbs
You can make lightly salted cucumbers in an oriental style by adding soy sauce, sesame seeds and hot pepper. The result will be quite a rich taste, very pleasant. Perhaps these crunchies will become your favorites, and you will cook them very often during the summer season.
Ingredients:
- cucumbers - 6-7 pieces
- salt
- green onions - 7-8 feathers
- garlic - 2-3 cloves
- sugar - 1 tbsp.
- sesame - 1 tbsp.
- ground chili - 1 tsp.
- soy sauce - 2 tbsp.
- dill - to taste
- vegetable oil - 1 tbsp.
How to cook:
1. Wash the cucumbers in cold water and cut off the tip of each fruit on one side (the stalk). From the cut edge, make two cuts crosswise, without cutting the fruit completely.
2.Rub the salt into the slits of each cucumber using your hands. There are no clear grams here, use salt generously and lubricate. One vegetable will need about 2 pinches.
3. Place the cucumbers on a plate and leave them for 30 minutes at room temperature to salt.
4.In a separate container, mix sunflower oil, sugar, sesame seeds, ground hot pepper, and soy sauce. Peel the garlic, crush it with the edge of a knife and chop finely. Add to the resulting mixture.
5.Chop the green onions finely, and the dill can be made coarsely. Add everything to the aromatic mass with soy sauce. Stir - this will be the “filling”.
6.When the cucumbers stand, drain the juice that has separated. Stuff them with the resulting mass with herbs and garlic. Place in a deep container (container or pan), sprinkle the remaining marinade on top.
7.Place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours. But these cucumbers will be much tastier in a day. During this time, they will be very well saturated with all the aromas and will be simply magically delicious.
Lightly salted cucumbers in mineral water a day in advance (cook in a saucepan)
This method of salting is in cold water. You know that when you pour hot brine over cucumbers, they will cook faster than in a cold marinade. But many are afraid that boiling water will make the vegetables soft and not as crisp as they would like.
Mineral water speeds up the salting process. But take water with a neutral taste so that it does not affect the taste of the finished product. You can just take regular highly carbonated water.
Ingredients:
- cucumbers - 1.5 kg
- sparkling water - 1.5-2 l
- salt - 2 tbsp. for 1 liter of water
- garlic - 5-6 cloves
- dill - small bunch
- currant and cherry leaves - optional, not required
- black peppercorns - 10 pcs.
- cloves - 2 buds
Cooking method:
1.Wash the cucumbers in advance, trim the ends and soak in cold water for a couple of hours. After this, you can start salting them.
2.Chop the dill quite finely, the garlic into slices. Place half of these ingredients on the bottom of the pan, and also add currant leaves (if you use them).
3. Place cucumbers on top. After laying half the amount, sprinkle the fruits with herbs and garlic. Add remaining vegetables. Sprinkle the rest of the dill on top, you can also put a few cherry and currant leaves, add black peppercorns and cloves.
4.Now you need to make the brine. Pour 1.5 liters of mineral water into a container and dissolve 3 tablespoons in it. salt. Pour over the cucumbers until the water completely covers them.
For complete immersion, cover the workpiece with a plate and apply pressure.
5.Leave the structure on the table for a day. Then place in the refrigerator to cool. And already cold, you can serve these delicious lightly salted cucumbers soaked in herbs and spices. They will be very crispy and fully cooked.
Lightly salted cucumbers with ketchup
A very simple, but harmonious and delicious combination of flavors!
You will need:
1.5 liters of water, 2 kg of cucumbers, 1 tbsp.
salt, 2 tsp. sugar, 80 ml lemon juice, 150 ml ketchup, 5 cloves of garlic, half a bunch of dill, 5 peas each of black and allspice. Preparation:
Cut the cucumbers into quarters and place in a bowl, add chopped herbs and garlic. Boil water in a saucepan, add sugar, salt, peppercorns and ketchup. Boil for 5 minutes, turn off and add lemon juice. Add the marinade to a container with cucumbers, cover tightly with a lid and wrap in a warm towel for 2 days.
Recipe for lightly salted cucumbers in a jar using the cold method in brine
This time we will lightly salt the cucumbers in a jar, with herbs and garlic. Let's make the brine cold, and in the end we will get very tasty, crispy cucumbers. True, they will take longer to salt than using the methods described above.
Ingredients for a 3 liter jar:
- cucumbers
- hot pepper - 1 pod
- garlic - 6 cloves
- cherry, oak leaves
- dill umbrellas
- horseradish leaves
- water - 1.3 l
- salt - 2 tbsp. with a slide
Preparation:
1. Wash the cucumbers, soak them, trim the ends. The jar should be washed with baking soda without using chemicals. Wash the greens too.
2. At the bottom of the jar, place a couple of dill umbrellas, 3-4 cherry leaves, 1 oak leaf, a piece of horseradish leaf (cut it in advance). Cut three cloves of garlic into slices and also add half a hot pepper. Add the last ingredient as desired.
If you don't want your cucumbers to be spicy, you don't need to use chili.
3.Place the cucumbers vertically in one layer. You should get up to about half the jar. Place another umbrella of dill on top, chop three cloves of garlic, drop half the pepper and don’t forget about the horseradish leaf, which will add crunch.
4.Fill the jar to the top with cucumbers. If any copy does not fit, it can be cut across. You can add more dill on top if desired.
5.Now prepare the brine. For a 3-liter jar you will need about 1.3 liters of cold water (boiled or from a well). Dissolve two full tablespoons of rock salt in water.
6. Pour the resulting solution over the cucumbers in the jar. It is necessary that the liquid completely covers the workpiece.
7. Close the jar with a nylon lid and leave at room temperature for 1.5-2 days. The warmer the room, the faster the greens will be ready. The brine should become slightly cloudy, this is normal.
8. Ready lightly salted cucumbers should be stored in the refrigerator; if warm, they will simply turn sour. Although the method is not very fast, it is tasty and spicy.
Cucumbers cooked in a jar according to a crispy lightly salted recipe
Everyone knows that the most common way to make lightly salted cucumbers is to cook them in a jar. All houses are preserved for the winter every year. That is why everyone has cans of different sizes.
But first, let me tell you what the difference is between cucumbers prepared in a jar and those made in a bag. As we already know, when we lightly salt cucumbers in a bag, we do not need brine. Although they turn out to be very tasty, when cooked in a jar, cucumbers acquire an extraordinary taste and aroma that arises during the fermentation of the brine. Anyone who has tasted this or that recipe will understand me and agree with this fact.
I want to offer you two good recipes in my opinion. But first, I recommend that you add different herbs and spices to the composition. Don't be afraid to experiment. Take my word for it, if you add a little mint or cloves to the main ingredients, the cucumbers will only turn out tastier and more aromatic with a special note in taste.
I also once heard that adding oak leaves to brine produces incredibly crispy cucumbers. I don’t know how true this is, since I have never tried this recipe yet. Maybe you know how true this information is? Please tell me if you tried it.
Well, now let’s return to the main topic and consider 2 excellent ways that you should try to cook at least once.
How to prepare lightly salted cucumbers for the winter at home?
By pickling cucumbers in this way, you can preserve them until spring. But it must be stored in a cold place - a cellar or basement. There is no need to sterilize the jars or use boiling water. All steps are as simple as possible - similar to the previous recipe. Here, too, the jars will be closed with nylon lids and cold water will be used.
Ingredients for 1 liter jar:
- cucumbers - 0.6 kg
- garlic - 1 large clove
- cherry leaves - 4 pcs.
- horseradish leaf - 1 pc.
- dill - 2 umbrellas
- tarragon - 1 sprig (optional)
- allspice - 3 peas
- black peppercorns - 5 pcs.
- bay leaf - 1 pc.
- hot pepper - 1 pod (optional)
- dry mustard or grains - 1 tsp.
For the brine:
- water - 1 l
- salt - 2 tbsp. (50-60 gr.)
Preparation:
1. Wash the jars with soda, without aggressive chemicals, and dry them. It is not necessary to sterilize, since all products will still not be sterile.
2. Wash all greens thoroughly under running water. Be sure to soak the cucumbers for 2 hours before pickling.
3. Place 1 leaf of horseradish, torn into pieces, at the bottom of each jar. As an alternative, you can use horseradish root, it will be more spicy. Next, add cherry leaves, 1 dill umbrella, a large clove of garlic, cut into several pieces, 1 bay leaf, 3 allspice peas and 5 black peppercorns.
If desired and to taste, you can add a sprig of tarragon and oak leaves.
4.Next, place the cucumbers tightly, vertically, like a picket fence. When preparing for the winter, you do not need to cut off the ends, as is done when quickly salting for now. Lay the vegetables horizontally for the second layer; it is better to put small fruits on top.
5.If you like it spicy, put a pod of hot pepper in each jar. Cover the top of the greens with an umbrella of dill and add a teaspoon of dry mustard.
6.Now make the brine. For this, take clean filtered water, not boiled, cold. Dissolve two tablespoons of salt in a liter of water and let stand for 5 minutes. There will be a small sediment at the bottom from the coarse salt; it does not need to be used.
7. Fill the jars with the blanks with brine right up to the neck and close with tight nylon lids. Immediately take them to a cold place where they will be stored (cellar). There is no need to ferment cucumbers at room temperature; they will ferment slowly, which is what is needed in this case.
8.The brine will gradually flow out of the jars during the fermentation process. To prevent mold from forming, you need to periodically check your supplies and add brine to the very top. In just one and a half to two months, lightly salted cucumbers will be ready to eat.
Hungarian style lightly salted cucumbers
The result is simply amazing!
You will need:
2 kg of cucumbers, 50 g of salt, 200 g of bread, a bunch of dill, 5 peas of black and allspice, 2 bay leaves, 2 liters of water.
Preparation:
Cut off the ends of the cucumbers. Slice the bread and dry in a dry frying pan until golden brown. Place a couple of slices on the bottom of the jar, add peppercorns and some herbs. Next, compact the cucumbers. Top with bread and herbs. Boil water in a saucepan, add salt and bay leaf. Pour the marinade into a jar, cover with a nylon lid and leave for 4-5 days.
Read more: Crispy lightly salted cucumbers in a bag - 8 quick recipes
Classic recipe for cucumbers with boiling water
This recipe is quick and easy. Today you pickle it, tomorrow you can eat it. Hot brine will be used to speed up the process. For spice, take spices that can be bought at any supermarket.
Ingredients:
- cucumbers - 1 kg (weight with trimmed ends)
- water - 1.1 l
- garlic - 4-6 cloves
- dill greens - 40-50 gr.
- chili pepper - 1 pc. (taste)
- salt - 1 tbsp.
- black pepper - 5-8 peas
- mustard seeds - 1 tsp.
- sugar - 2/3 tsp.
- bay leaf - 4 pcs.
Cooking method:
1. Since the salting method is hot, immediately put the water to boil. Wash the cucumbers, then cut off their ends. Also prepare all the spices.
2.Chop the dill quite coarsely, chop the garlic into slices or arbitrary pieces. At the bottom of the pan or jar, put some of the dill, garlic, all the black pepper, a couple of bay leaves that need to be broken, and half a teaspoon of mustard seeds.
3. Place half of the cucumbers quite tightly together, but do not try to compact them too much. Top them with dill and garlic, reserving a little more for coating on top. Also add a couple more bay leaves and chili peppers, cut into pieces along with seeds.
Pepper will give the cucumbers some heat. You don't have to use it at all if you don't eat spicy foods.
4.Next, lay out the remaining greens, sprinkle them with the rest of the dill, garlic, and some more white mustard seeds.
5.When the water boils, add salt and a little sugar and dissolve. Let the brine cool slightly, to 80 degrees, and pour over the cucumbers. The liquid should completely cover the workpiece.
6.Cover the fruits with a plate that will prevent them from floating. You can also put pressure on top. Let the brine cool at room temperature, then put the pan in the refrigerator.
7.After 8 hours you can already try these delicious lightly salted cucumbers. They will change color slightly, will be very crispy and will have time to soak in the spices. Have a delicious snack!
Video recipe for making lightly salted cucumbers with mustard
This video recipe can easily be considered an express option. After 3 hours you can take a sample. The speed of salting will depend on the size and thickness of the pieces.
The method is used dry, without adding water, in a bag. And be sure to add mustard seeds, they will complement the taste of cucumbers very pleasantly.
Ingredients:
- cucumbers - 1 kg
- salt - 1 tbsp. no slide
- sugar - 1 tsp.
- garlic
- bell pepper
- green cilantro and dill
- mustard beans - 0.5 tsp.
Salt the cucumbers according to these recipes, and they will turn out tasty, crispy, and the cooking process will not take much time.
If you decide to prepare zucchini for the winter, then go to my selection of top 8 recipes for this occasion. There you will find a variety of winter delicacies.
