Salad for the winter of eggplant and cucumbers

Eggplant with cucumbers for the winter is a well-known snack that came to us from the southern regions. This tasty and fragrant dish will be a pleasant reminder of the hot summer and generous autumn harvest on the table. It is prepared simply and is accessible for execution even by beginners.

Features of cooking eggplant with cucumbers

Eggplants are extremely useful due to their rich composition. They contain:

• vitamins of group B;
• folic acid;
• macronutrients (copper, magnesium, potassium);
• phytomenadione.

Eating eggplant helps strengthen the heart muscle, lower cholesterol and control blood pressure. Vegetable juice dulls appetite, and low calorie content allows you to include it in the diet.

The main feature of eggplant is the need to prepare it before use. Since the fresh pulp is bitter, after cutting it into pieces, it is soaked in cold salted water for 30-40 minutes. After that, the bitterness goes away, the water is drained, the vegetable slices are washed well and used in recipes.

Cucumbers are no less popular. They are well known for their cleansing properties. This type of vegetable is able to remove toxins from the body, salts from the joints, cholesterol from the vessels and free radicals from the bloodstream. Cucumber is also a source of fiber, potassium, manganese, copper, magnesium, and folic acid.

When choosing eggplants for harvesting for the winter, you should pay attention to their appearance. The skin should be smooth and shiny, and the stalk should be strong and greenish. These are indisputable signs of the freshness of the product. Cucumbers are selected based on color (it should be uniform) and elasticity. The most intense taste in medium-sized specimens (10-15 cm) with dark tubercles. It is from them that the best preservation for the winter is obtained. Before use, the ends of cucumbers are cut off, since it is in them that bitterness most often accumulates.

Eggplant before harvesting should be soaked for 40 minutes to remove bitterness

The combination of these two types of vegetables makes the dish very healthy. The main thing is to know how to cook them correctly.

Salad with eggplant, cucumbers and peppers

The recipe for a salad with eggplant and cucumbers for the winter allows for several variations that can significantly enrich its taste.

You will need:

• eggplants – kg 2,8;
• tomato juice (freshly squeezed) – 1,7 l;
• cucumbers – 1,4 kg;
• sweet pepper – 1,4 kg;
• onion – 600 g;
• salt – 40 g;
• sugar – 180 g;
• Vegetable oil – 400 ml;
• Vinegar (9%) – 140 ml.

Lettuce can be consumed 2-3 months after seaming

Cooking steps:

1. Wash the eggplant, peel (optional), cut into slices, salt and send under the press for 1,5-2 hours. Then wash and squeeze.
2. Cut cucumbers and peppers in the same way.
3. Pour the tomato juice into a saucepan, place over medium heat and bring to a boil.
4. Chop the onion in half rings, send it to the juice.
5. After 5 minutes, add eggplant, peppers and cucumbers.
6. Bring to a boil again and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
7. Add sugar, salt, oil, vinegar to the mixture and simmer for another 5-7 minutes.
8. Arrange the salad in pre-sterilized jars and roll up the lids.

Eggplant blanks with pepper for the winter should cool upside down.

This dish can be consumed 2-3 months after canning. During this period, eggplant will infuse and become much richer in taste.

Cucumbers marinated with eggplant and garlic

This type of preparation for the winter has a pleasant garlic aroma and will be a good addition to snacks on the dining table. If desired, any greens and dry herbs can be added to the recipe.

You will need:

• cucumbers – 8 pcs.;
• eggplant – 2 pcs.;
• dill – 50 g;
• garlic – 2 heads;
• laurel leaves – 6 pcs.;
• pepper (peas) – 14 pcs.;
• sugar – 80 g;
• vinegar (9%) – 20 ml;
• salt – 20 of

Mustard seeds and coriander add a piquant taste to the preparation

Cooking steps:

1. Prepare eggplant, cut into rings (soak in cold salted water or put under pressure).
2. Peel the garlic, wash the cucumbers well.
3. Sterilize jars and leave to dry.
4. Put dill and garlic (3-4 cloves) in glass containers.
5. Cucumbers cut into quarters (vertically) and put in jars, alternating with herbs.
6. Put a few rings of eggplant and 2-3 cloves of garlic on top.
7. Boil water and pour it into a container with vegetables. Leave for 20-25 minutes.
8. Pour the resulting broth into a saucepan, turn on medium heat, add salt, sugar, bay leaf and pepper.
9. As soon as the marinade boils, pour in the vinegar.
10. Pour everything back into the jars, roll up the lids and leave to cool completely.

Salad with cucumbers, eggplant and tomatoes for the winter

Preparations for the winter with cucumbers, eggplants and tomatoes are appreciated due to the juiciness that tomatoes provide in the recipe. They are a good addition to meat dishes. The hot pepper adds a spiciness, and the combination of vinegar and sugar gives a pleasant sweet and sour aftertaste.

You will need:

• Tomatoes – 1,6 kg;
• eggplant – 700 g;
• cucumbers – 700 g;
• Vegetable oil – 100 ml;
• sugar – 90 g;
• vinegar (9%) – 70 ml;
• pepper (hot) – 1 pc.;
• garlic – 1 head;
• provencal herbs – 1 pinch;
• salt – 20 of

Thanks to the tomatoes, the preparation is very juicy.

Cooking steps:

1. Eggplant cut into cubes, soak in salt water for 40-50 minutes, wash and squeeze lightly.
2. Rinse the cucumbers, remove the tips and chop in the same way.
3. Peel the garlic, cut the stalk and seeds from the pepper.
4. Twist tomatoes, garlic and hot peppers through a meat grinder.
5. Pour oil into the pan, heat it up, add a pinch of dry herbs.
6. Send the tomato-garlic mixture, sugar, salt there, bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes.
7. Add eggplants and cucumbers to the pan and simmer for another 25 minutes over low heat.
8. Enter vinegar.
9. Arrange the salad in hot sterilized jars and roll up the lids.

Terms and rules of storage

After cooling, eggplant and cucumber blanks are stored for the winter in the basement, pantry or on the balcony, depending on the place of residence.

The best storage option is the basement. It maintains the required temperature, as well as the level of humidity. Before storage, the basement must be cleaned, checked for mold and fungus, and if found, treated with fungicides. The presence of air exchange will help in the future to avoid the occurrence of these troubles.

In the apartment, blanks for the winter are stored in a special pantry (if provided by the layout) or on the balcony. When equipping a pantry, you need to make sure that there are no heating devices in it that increase the temperature in a small enclosed space.

As for the balcony, it is also being prepared for the storage function. To do this, they shade the windows in the place where the preservation for the winter will be stored or assemble a closed cabinet that allows you to protect the workpieces from direct sunlight. The temperature on the balcony should not fall below 0 ° C, in addition, it must be regularly ventilated in order to maintain the required level of humidity.

Another way to store on a balcony or loggia is a thermal box. It consists of 2 boxes (large and slightly smaller). A layer of foam is laid on the bottom of the first, thus forming a thermal cushion, then a small box is placed inside and the remaining gaps are filled with sawdust or mounting foam.

Conclusion

Eggplant with cucumbers for the winter is a simple but very tasty snack that goes well with both meat and fish dishes. It is easy to cook, and the variability of recipes allows you to experiment with spices, seasonings and additional ingredients.