Pickled cucumbers https://greenelly.com/ are one of the most popular winter preparations. Cucumbers can be eaten on their own or used in various dishes, for example, in Olivier salad. Many housewives have their own secrets and recipes on how to make cucumbers crispy and flavorful. But sometimes even the most proven method can fail, and instead of tasty cucumbers, you end up with soft, tasteless or even “exploded” jars. Let’s look at the 5 most common mistakes that can ruin the result of salting.
Mistake #1. Using the “wrong” cucumbers
If you want to have an excellent winter snack, choose the right cucumbers. It is best to choose those that have large pimples and black thorns. Cucumbers with small pimples are a little less suitable, but smooth ones are not suitable at all – do not salt them. Thick-skinned cucumbers are much better than thin-skinned ones. If you choose the right cucumbers, you can count on them being tasty and crispy.
Of course, you need to pay attention not only to the shape and texture of the vegetables, but also to the length. Ideal cucumbers for pickling have a length of 10 to 12 centimeters.
Mistake #2. Tap water
This point is neglected by most housewives, and completely in vain. After all, water is an important component of brine. Both the taste and storage of the product depend on the quality of water. We do not recommend using tap water – the cucumbers will come out much worse than if you used bottled/well/spring water.
Mistake #3. Using salt that is too fine or iodized
Salt is as important as water. Do not use fine or iodized salt – this can make your cucumbers too soft or even cause the jars to explode. Buy rock salt that says “Grind No. 1” on the packet.
Mistake #4. Cut off the ends
Some housewives practice cutting off the ends of cucumbers so that they are saturated with brine faster. This strategy is justified only in one case – you need cucumbers for “quick” consumption, “for now.” But for long-term storage it is better not to do this – the cucumbers will become too soft.
Mistake #5. Don’t turn the jar over
Having rolled up the lid of the jar, cover it with a warm towel and let it “settle” for several hours. This is done to seal the jar so that the rubber rim under the lid fits more tightly to the glass. This will not give air a chance to get under the lid, and your workpiece will last as long as possible.
After closing the cucumbers, you need to label them – this way you will know when to open which jar so that its contents do not spoil.
