Fresh cucumbers in a jar with a candle

We all know more than one or two recipes for salads, pickling and pickling of fresh vegetables, so that even in the cold, when the season has passed, we can enjoy them. Fresh cucumbers for the winter are not just a great way to decorate the New Year's table, but also an opportunity to once again experience the juicy bouquet of summer flavors and aromas. "This is impossible!" - you say, but in our article we will offer you methods that you will definitely want to try, and you will see for yourself the effectiveness!

So, first, let's look at the most unusual, but also the fastest option for preserving fresh cucumbers for the winter.

Option 1: preservation

Take 500-600 g of fresh young cucumbers and one 3-liter jar and lid. We select exactly as many fruits as will fit so that there is still free space at the hangers and in the center.

It is better to take pickled cucumbers, since summer varieties are stored worse.

We wash the vegetables well and place them on a towel to dry. Unlike traditional pickling, you cannot soak them in this type of preservation. Cucumbers must be completely dry so as not to release condensation, which will interfere with long-term storage.
If the vegetables are completely clean, it is better to simply wipe them, removing any sharp bumps.
We also wash the jar with the lid and wipe it with a clean towel. Let it breathe until the moisture evaporates completely.
Now put dry cucumbers inside.
Leave a small space in the middle and place a paraffin candle there. It should be the most ordinary one without fragrances or “improvements” in the composition. A tablet candle will also work, the main thing is that it must be new so that the burning time is at least 11-12 minutes.
Light it and let it burn inside the jar for 10 minutes. It is important that the flame is inside and not outside - this way it will burn out all the oxygen.

After a while, without extinguishing the candle, close the jar with a lid and roll it up. The fire will burn for a few more seconds, burning out the remaining oxygen, and then go out. All! The jar of cucumbers can be safely put away in the basement or cellar.

In winter, we will be pleased with fresh crispy cucumbers without pickling or marinade!

Option 2: salad

Here is another – less exotic, but no less “working” option.

Take 1 kg of fresh young cucumbers, wash them well, dry them and cut them into circles.

We fold them, the tighter the better, you can even compact them into jars.
Place 100 ml of 9% table vinegar on the fire in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.
Let it cool to room temperature under the lid and pour in our cucumbers.
We also boil 100 ml of vegetable oil for frying and, as soon as it cools, pour it over the vinegar into the cucumbers.

Cover with a nylon lid and store in the refrigerator. Essentially, we get a ready-made salad that is well suited for both fish and meat hot dishes.

Option 3: freezing

There are several ways to freeze cucumbers.

Method I

We choose young vegetables of any variety, but it is better if they are from the garden and not purchased. We wash them and, without soaking, cut them into circles.
We cover baking sheets or boxes with cling film, lay out the cucumber slices and put them in the freezer. After 2-3 hours, check if they are frozen, remove them from the film and put them in plastic bags.

We will store these cucumbers in the freezer for the winter until the next harvest. After defrosting, they perfectly retain both taste and aroma!

Method II

We choose young cucumbers, but you shouldn’t take too small ones, they will be difficult to peel. We peel the vegetables, as usual, raw carrots or potatoes and cut them into small cubes.

We lay them out on a clean towel so that excess moisture is removed and they do not freeze, and then we pack 250 - 300 g in bags or cling film. Put it in the freezer.

Such cucumbers must be defrosted in cold liquid, otherwise they will turn into mush. Just imagine what a great addition to winter okroshka these cucumbers will be after defrosting!

Recipe for pickled crispy cucumbers for the winter with vinegar

It is very convenient to prepare cucumbers in small 1 liter jars in winter. Although they are small, they hold enough vegetables to feed a large family or serve as a snack on the table. The successful combination of sweet and sour taste and spicy aroma of the marinade allows us to call this preservation recipe a classic.

Ingredients:

cucumbers – 3 kg;
black and allspice (peas) – 20 pcs.;
dill - 10 umbrellas;
laurel – 5 pcs.;
horseradish leaves – 7-9 pcs.;
garlic – 1-3 heads;
water – 5 l;
granulated sugar – 1 kg;
table salt – 300 g;
table vinegar 9% - 1 l.

Preparation

Divide all the spices and herbs equally, and then put them in clean, dry containers. Pack the cucumbers as tightly as possible into the jars. Separately, boil water and add salt and sugar. Once the crystals have dissolved, pour in the vinegar and turn off the stove. Pour boiling brine into containers and sterilize each filling for 10 minutes, then roll up the lids.

Option 4: in salt

We wash freshly picked cucumbers, let them dry well and cut them into slices.

Wash and wipe a liter jar with a towel. Let it breathe so that the moisture completely evaporates and pour a thin layer of coarse salt on the bottom. Place a layer of chopped cucumbers on top. Add salt again and add cucumbers again.

The last, top layer should also be salt.

We close the jar with a nylon lid and put it in the basement or cold cellar.

Before use, such cucumbers for the winter should be soaked in filtered water for 20-30 minutes.

As you can see, there are a lot of ways to preserve fresh cucumbers for the winter, and you have plenty to choose from! Try it friends, and you will surely be able to please your family, friends and guests with juicy crispy cucumbers in the middle of winter!

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Almost every family makes preparations for the winter every year. Usually this involves canning and pickling vegetables, making berries into jam, and much more. Preparing cucumbers with a candle for the winter is an original, simple, quick way of preservation that helps preserve all the benefits and freshness of vegetables, but it also has disadvantages. The finished product is suitable for salads and various snacks.

Fresh cucumbers for the winter

We all know more than one or two recipes for salads, pickling and pickling of fresh vegetables, so that even in the cold, when the season has passed, we can enjoy them.
Fresh cucumbers for the winter are not just a great way to decorate the New Year's table, but also an opportunity to once again experience the juicy bouquet of summer flavors and aromas. "This is impossible!" - you say, but in our article we will offer you methods that you will definitely want to try, and you will see for yourself the effectiveness! So, first, let's look at the most unusual, but also the fastest option for preserving fresh cucumbers for the winter.

Features of preparing cucumbers with a candle for the winter

Immediately before harvesting, you need to study some of the features inherent in this method. These include the correct selection of vegetables.

Cucumbers should be:

Fresh. When buying cucumbers, pay attention to the whole batch, rather than choosing one piece at a time. So, if a few specimens are not fresh, then all the others will soon begin to wither and deteriorate.
Before putting cucumbers in a jar, under no circumstances should they be washed. If the outer layer is washed off, the rotting process will begin, and no workpiece will be made. Cucumbers must be dry and clean. It's best to just wipe them with a cloth.
Cucumbers must remain intact. It is important to look not at the batch as a whole, but at each cucumber separately. Such meticulousness is necessary; if one cucumber spoils, all the others will soon spoil.

If the choice is between greenhouse and ground varieties, preference should be given to the latter. Greenhouse cucumbers have a thin top layer that peels off easily and the vegetables begin to deteriorate.

Advantages and disadvantages of the method

This method of harvesting cucumbers has its advantages and disadvantages.

The advantages include:

unchanged taste and almost complete preservation of nutritional value;
cucumbers remain fresh due to the fact that there is no temperature treatment;
The shelf life of such cucumbers is long, about 3-4 months;
does not require large amounts of time and money.

There are much fewer disadvantages:

if you select cucumbers inattentively and a spoiled specimen ends up in the jar, all the vegetables will be spoiled;
When the jars are exposed to light, the cucumbers also spoil.

Specifics of product selection and preparation

Before harvesting cucumbers, they must be properly selected and prepared. If you use cucumbers from your own garden, it is better to pick them in the morning or evening, and not at the peak of solar activity. After harvesting, place the vegetables in the shade. During active fruiting, they are collected once every 2 days, and sometimes daily.

It is important to prevent the cucumbers from overripening and becoming covered with a yellow coating. It is best to prepare recently picked cucumbers; if they lie at room temperature for even 2 days, their freshness and healthy appearance will disappear, and their shelf life will be significantly reduced.

Preparing cucumbers for placing in jars is a simple matter. They are simply sorted, the fruits of the required size are separated and damaged or deformed specimens are removed.

The shape of the cucumbers is also important; it is desirable that they be almost identical.

How to properly prepare containers

It’s easy to prepare a container for preparing cucumbers with a candle. The jars are disinfected, preferably heated in a water bath. To do this, you need to pour 1 cm of water into a pan, put a wooden grate on the bottom, and place a jar on this grate. Bring the water to a boil and keep it in the jar for another 10 minutes.

After this procedure, the container becomes suitable for harvesting cucumbers.

Harvesting methods

If the variety is chosen correctly, the fruits are fresh, healthy, dry, you can extend the shelf life not only until the New Year celebrations, but also until spring. Some of the methods go back to the times of Rus', there are also those that were invented by contemporaries. Regardless of which one you choose, it is important to follow the basic guidelines and tips.

With a candle

Placing them in a vacuum allows you to keep cucumbers fresh. It’s easy to do this at home by following these steps:

Take healthy specimens without damage, clean them of dirt and dry them well.
The greens are not placed very tightly in a large jar.
Place a short paraffin candle in the middle of the container between the vegetables and light it for 8-10 minutes.
In the meantime, the metal cap for sealing is sterilized, which should be dry at the right time.
During the specified time, the oxygen in the jar burns out - carefully, so as not to extinguish the candle, roll up the container. (The wick will go out after all the oxygen has been burned.)

To create a vacuum, small decorative candles in a metal base are also used. The main condition is the absence of aroma.

In a barrel

A technique that rural residents often resort to to harvest a large fresh harvest. A low and constant temperature within 4 °C, as well as the absence of the possibility of light or air entering the container, allows the pulp to be kept dense and crispy. Main stages:

The container is pre-prepared, scalded and dried.
Horseradish leaves are placed at the bottom to prevent fermentation.
The fruits are tightly placed in a barrel in a vertical manner, with the stalks down. (There should be no gaps).
When the container is filled to the top, the greens are covered with a second layer of horseradish leaves.
The container is “sealed” with a wooden circle-lid and lowered into a reservoir where underwater springs emerge.

In the glacier cellar

The method for preserving fruits is similar to the previous one. The differences are that the barrel is filled completely, and then the greens are filled with cold spring water. You cannot use tap water because it contains chlorine and heavy metals. Afterwards, the container is tightly closed and sent to a deep basement, where glacier conditions are created, allowing the cucumbers to be kept fresh for a long time.

In a head of cabbage

To implement the technique, cabbage plantings are placed next to the cucumber plantings. At the moment when the heads of cabbage begin to form, place a fruit in the center without disconnecting the latter from the central shoot. As a result, the cabbage leaves will tightly wrap the still filling greens, blocking access to air and light. After the cabbage reaches technical ripeness, the head of cabbage is carefully dug up along with a lump of earth and sent to the basement with the roots facing up. The disadvantage of this technique is that you won’t be able to save much of the cucumbers, and the greens may begin to rot along with the cabbage.

In a protein shell

Reception does not guarantee a very long shelf life - a maximum of 2 months. To perform it, leveled, healthy specimens, previously cleaned and dried, are carefully coated with an egg white shell. The latter allows you to preserve the cucumber qualities. For the result to be successful, the fruits are taken with stalks. After processing, they are dried, placed in the basement, covered with wax paper.

How and for how long can preserves be stored?

Cucumbers preserved in a jar with a candle are stored for 3-4 months. Due to the fact that a certain vacuum is created in the jar, the vegetables remain fresh and retain all their nutritional value.

In order to increase the shelf life of preservation, the jars are placed in cool and dry rooms where heat will not penetrate.

Places where you should not store canned food are the kitchen, rooms that are very heated, places near heaters. Otherwise, the cans will heat up and explode. If this does not happen, then the condition of the vegetables will not be the best; most likely they will soften and become flabby and tasteless.

Cucumbers are everyone's favorite vegetables, which are invariably present in salads and other dishes.

Currently, fresh cucumbers can be bought in supermarkets even in winter, but the price and quality of the products are not always satisfactory.

Therefore, at the end of the cucumber ripening season, you need to stock up not only canned vegetables, but also fresh ones.

You can do this at home in several ways, which we will talk about in more detail.

How to store such cucumbers

Storage conditions for harvested fruits depend on the method. For example, when using the candle technique, the fruits will remain fresh in jars until spring, even at room temperature and access to light. Since ancient times, cucumbers have been preserved in barrels by immersion in a body of water where cold springs flow. Sand will also come to the rescue during the harvesting process. Vegetables are placed in layers of clay containers. They are sprinkled with well-washed dried sand. Close the lid tightly and store in a cool room.

If you have a large freezer, the freezing method is often used. Although they become a little soft after defrosting, the nutritional value of the vegetables is retained.

To maintain the freshness of fruits, they should not be packaged in cellophane without air access, which is a common mistake. Without oxygen, greens will simply “suffocate,” even if they are in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator. Also, the storage period is shortened by proximity to ripe fruits that emit ethylene (apples, tomatoes). This happens due to the effect of the substance on the biochemical processes in vegetable crops.

Any greenhouse vegetables are inferior in quality to seasonal ones from the garden. And when using one of the methods, it will not be difficult to serve fresh and aromatic cucumbers to the table in winter.

In a refrigerator

Such a modern benefit of civilization as a refrigerator will help keep cucumbers fresh longer. For this recipe, we select whole pimply fruits with thick skin.

Wrap each fruit in a paper towel. The material will absorb excess moisture and will not allow it to evaporate.

Then we place the cucumbers in a special plastic bag with holes for storing vegetables. If you don’t have one at hand, then an ordinary cellophane bag will do, but you can’t tie it tightly.

It is very important that vegetables have access to oxygen; the shelf life of the product largely depends on this.

Place the cucumbers packaged in this way in the lower compartment of the refrigerator with a temperature of 0 to + 4 degrees Celsius, which is intended for storing vegetables. Periodically, all fruits must be inspected, removing spoiled ones.

Please note: these cucumbers will not last too long, but for a month or a month and a half you can enjoy fresh vegetables.

Now let’s look at ways to keep cucumbers fresh until winter:

Where is it better to store cucumbers in the refrigerator or not? For long-term storage, cucumbers must be:

Fresh:

When collecting cucumbers in your own garden, try to ensure that as little time as possible passes from the time of collection to the time of storage. Fruits that remain at room temperature for several days will no longer be suitable for long-term storage;
When buying cucumbers at the market, pay attention not only to individual specimens, but also to the entire batch. So, if most of the fruits are wilted, you shouldn’t take such greens; they won’t last long, even if the specimens you choose seem fresh.

Clean and dry:

cucumbers must be dry and clean. Remember this when collecting them in the garden or buying them at the market;
You cannot wash greens before storing them, because the fruits have their own protection from rotting.

Without damage:

carefully examine the cucumbers: there should be no damage to their skin, otherwise the fruits will begin to deteriorate very quickly.

With thick skin:

For long-term storage, ground cucumbers with thick skin are more suitable than greenhouse cucumbers;
The fruits of special varieties are well stored: Kharkovsky, Nezhinsky and others.

Long-fruited parthenocarpic cucumber varieties have excellent shelf life, such as:

Sadko
Neroshimy 40
Nezhinsky local
Nezhinsky 12
Competitor
Bush
Parade

Which cucumbers are not suitable for long-term storage:

Watery fruits with thin skin are poorly stored;
overgrown cucumbers. Overripe and yellowed cucumbers lose all their beneficial properties and are no longer suitable for eating;
It will not be possible to preserve greenhouse varieties of quick-ripening cucumbers for a long time. Such greens can only be stored for 3-4 days. The only exceptions are those greenhouse cucumbers that are packed in bags with carbon dioxide. To store them, they must be placed in the refrigerator, on the vegetable shelf.

How to store cucumbers in the refrigerator

In the vegetable compartment: Cucumbers will easily be stored in the refrigerator (in the vegetable storage tray) for about 3 days, and there is no need to prepare them for such short-term storage. In cellophane: Place the cucumbers in a plastic bag and cover them with damp gauze on top, where the cucumbers are open. Fruits packaged in this way can stay fresh for about 10 days. In paper: By wrapping each cucumber in a paper towel (napkin) and placing them in a plastic bag, you can keep the greens fresh for up to 2 weeks. In water: You can keep cucumbers fresh for up to 3-4 weeks in water. To do this, you need to pour cold spring water into a bowl (or tray) and lower the fruits into it, tails down. In this case, the cucumbers should not be completely submerged in water, but only 1-2 cm deep. Cucumbers should also be stored in water in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator. The secret of the method is this: as the fruits lose moisture, they will be able to compensate for its loss by absorbing water. To store this method, it is better to take cucumbers with thick, dark green, slightly tuberous skin. And in order to maximize the shelf life of cucumbers in water, it must be changed at least once a day. In egg white: Fresh cucumbers must be carefully washed, dried and coated with egg white without damaging the skin. A transparent film forms on the peel of cucumbers, which will prevent moisture evaporation. Store cucumbers in a protein film in the refrigerator, on the vegetable shelf. Important. At low temperatures (below 0°C), cucumbers begin to quickly soften and mucus appears on them. Therefore, when storing cucumbers in the refrigerator, make sure that they do not end up near the freezer.

Freezing

Along with other vegetables, cucumbers can also be frozen; this is considered the most effective method of preparation.

In this form, the fruits will have the taste, aroma and beneficial composition of a fresh vegetable . Unfortunately, they just won’t crunch, but frozen cucumbers are simply irreplaceable in winter salads and okroshka.

Freezing is done from whole, unspoiled fruits. Wash them thoroughly and cut off the butts. If the cucumbers are bitter, then soak them in cold water for several hours. Then we cut it as we plan to add it to the finished dish:

cubes;
rings;
half rings;
cubes.

Place the chopped cucumbers in one layer on a plate or tray and place in the freezer for 1 hour. To prevent vegetables from losing moisture, cover them with cling film.

After the specified time, we take out the cucumbers, pack them in special bags in small portions, seal them tightly and return them to the freezer for storage. Cucumbers in this form are stored for quite a long time and will last until the New Year and beyond.

To get the most out of a frozen product, you need to defrost it properly. To do this, it is better to transfer a portion of cucumbers to the refrigerator for 3 hours. After the specified time has passed, place the cucumbers on the kitchen table.

In a jar with a candle

There is a unique way to seal fresh cucumbers in jars. There are a lot of positive reviews about it.

It is based on the fact that a candle burning in a jar at the moment of twisting burns all the oxygen inside. And as you know, without access to oxygen, products last longer.

Fresh cucumbers.
Paraffin candle.
Banks.
Tin lids.

For harvesting in this way, strong cucumbers of the same size without any damage to the skin are suitable. There is no need to take ones that are too large or overripe. We thoroughly wash the fruits under running water and spread them on a towel to dry completely.

Take note: before preparing fresh cucumbers for the winter, the fruits should not be soaked.

Banks also require pre-treatment. First, wash three-liter jars of soda. Thoroughly steam over hot water or bake in the oven. If the jars were sterilized over water, then let them dry completely. We do the same with iron lids.

After the preparatory work, tightly fill a sterile dry jar with cucumbers. We fill the container about 2/3 full so that a paraffin candle can fit on top.

Now we take a regular candle without fragrances. We place it on top of the cucumbers so that the jar can close freely, and light the wick. Leave the candle to burn in the jar for 8-10 minutes, without covering the neck with a lid.

After the specified time has passed, we roll up the jar with an iron lid. We do this carefully so that the candle inside does not go out. The candle will burn in a sealed jar until all the oxygen inside is burned out. This product should be stored in a cool basement.

How to close cucumbers with a candle?

The procurement process itself looks like this:

Cucumbers of approximately the same size are selected.
Selected clean and dry cucumbers are placed in a pre-sterilized jar. Do not fill completely; you need to leave room for a candle.
A candle is placed on top and lit.
The jar closes after the air is completely released, and the candle goes out.

Vinegar

Using ordinary table vinegar, you can create sterile conditions for long-term storage of fresh cucumbers. We select suitable fruits without rot or spoilage (no need to cut off the ends), wipe each vegetable thoroughly with a kitchen towel.

Pour 1 cap from a bottle of table vinegar into an enamel container with a lid, and place a wire rack on top so that its contents do not come into contact with the vinegar.

Place the cucumbers on top of the grill and close the lid tightly to prevent oxygen from entering. These cucumbers will be stored in a cool place for 2-3 months.

Protein shell

This method was also used by our ancestors. Its essence is that a dense, airtight film is formed on the surface of vegetables, which prevents the vegetable from spoiling.

For harvesting, we select smooth, healthy fruits with a small tail. Wash the cucumbers thoroughly and dry them. Next, take fresh chicken protein, shake it a little and cover the cucumbers with a brush.

The protein shell must not have any gaps and must be completely dry before storing..

Place the cucumbers in a convenient container, placing the vegetables between each other with wax paper. The product can be stored for 60 days in a cool room.

How to choose vegetables to store until spring heat

To ensure that the pulp remains dense, crispy, and there is no loss of vitamins and taste, appropriate varieties are selected for long-term storage. Salad representatives of the vegetable crop do not have a similar characteristic: they quickly deteriorate even in specially equipped vegetable storage facilities. For long-term storage, preference is given to universal varieties or preparations intended for commercial production. Among pickling cucumbers there are both hybrids and varietal representatives. More popular:

"Muromsky";
"Nezhinsky";
"Vyaznikovsky 37";
"F1 debut";
"Salting";
"Parisian gherkin";
"Green Wave F1";
"Competitor";
"Goosebumps F1".

Zelentsy have high commercial qualities. An attractive appearance is ensured by its short length (8-10 cm), smooth surface and even color. There are a number of characteristics that allow you to visually determine the pickling purpose of a cucumber:

Elastic pulp with small seed chambers.
Glossy peel, covered with numerous, clearly visible tubercles.
Dark or black spikes (not white).

The advantage of pickling greens over universal ones is their resistance to mechanical damage, which ensures a long shelf life.

How to store in a cellar

A very simple way to preserve fresh cucumbers. It is suitable for those who have a cellar or basement, since in these places the temperature remains quite low, but does not fall below zero. Work order:

First, we collect fresh cucumbers of the same size without the slightest damage. Wash them thoroughly and dry them.
Place the fruits in a clay pot or other container.
We thoroughly wash ordinary sand, dry it and pour it on top of the cucumbers;
We cover the vessel and place it in the cellar.
These cucumbers can be stored for quite a long time – up to 7 months.

Now you know the basic ways to preserve fresh cucumbers for a long time. This makes it possible to prepare a variety of dishes with fresh crispy cucumbers at any time and enjoy the taste and aroma of summer.

How to actually keep cucumbers fresh, see the following video for a description of one of the methods: