The best varieties of cucumbers for canning and pickling

Only experienced gardeners know that not all varieties of cucumbers are suitable for conservation. It turns out that in order to get tasty and crispy pickles, it is not enough to know the “magic” marinade recipe. Much, of course, depends on the brine, but not all. No less important factors are: the variety of cucumber and the technology of its cultivation. So, what varieties of cucumbers for pickling and preservation should still be used, and how to properly care for such plants?

Varieties of cucumbers according to the method of pollination

Cucumbers are not such a simple vegetable as it might seem at first glance. There are a lot of nuances and subtleties that you need to know when you go shopping for seeds. For example, not everyone knows that some cucumbers need bees for pollination, others do without pollen transfer at all, as they are hermaphrodites (male and female characters in one flower). And there are even self-pollinating cucumbers, which themselves do an excellent job of carrying pollen.

The question of the method of pollination is quite important when choosing a variety for conservation. Indeed, according to gardeners, there is no tastier cucumber than bee-pollinated. The natural process of pollination is complemented by planting such varieties mainly in open ground – such a “natural” combination provides cucumbers with a pronounced taste and smell. So, the first rule for choosing a pickling variety is that the cucumber must be bee-pollinated.

What is written on the package

A bag of seeds is a storehouse of useful information. There is not much text, when buying seeds, it is better to read it to the last letter. Each package of seeds has one of these marks:

• cucumber for salads;
• the variety is suitable for salting and conservation;
• versatile hybrid.

salad cucumber has a thin and delicate skin. It can be easily identified by its elongated shape and glossy surface. There are no tubercles and thorns on the lettuce cucumber. It is very tasty fresh (in salad or okroshka), but completely unsuitable for conservation.

It’s all about the thin skin and loose pulp. It is a pleasure to eat it straight from the garden – the cucumber is crispy and juicy. But, if you place a salad cucumber in a jar of brine (especially hot), it will wrinkle, lose color, turning into a brown “something”. Opening such a jar in winter, you won’t be able to enjoy a crispy vegetable, the cucumbers will become soft and loose.

It is a completely different matter when it says “for conservation” on the package with seeds. Such cucumbers are designed for pickling and marinade.

Distinctive features of pickled cucumber

The best varieties of cucumbers for pickling and canning are adapted to local climatic conditions. Only with the right temperature, humidity, fertilized, loose soil can you grow delicious cucumbers.

The pickling qualities of cucumbers depend more on the spike. There are three types of spikes:

• white;
• brown;
• black.

The black color of the needles indicates that the cucumber has released all the excess moisture into the atmosphere. This means that the pulp of the fruit is elastic and dense. It is this cucumber that will show itself best after pickling.

Universal varieties are delicious both fresh and salted. Therefore, they can also be chosen for harvesting for the winter.

Rules for the care and collection of cucumbers for conservation

In order to better understand what cucumbers intended for conservation need, you need to understand their structure. Cucumber cells divide only until the moment when green leaves appear. After that, the cells do not multiply, but grow along with the cucumber.

The more the cell stretches, the more juicy and friable the pulp will be in a mature vegetable (just such a structure is observed in salad cucumbers). BUT pickling varieties are distinguished by the density and elasticity of the pulp, they also include small hybrids – gherkins and pickles.

Before harvesting cucumbers for preservation, they must be thoroughly watered with warm water (these vegetables do not like cold water at all). It is better to do this in the evening, and in the morning, until the sun warms up, cucumbers are harvested.

You need to pick cucumbers very carefully, the lashes cannot be turned over and injured, otherwise the plant may become infected.

Selecting the best variety

After evaluating all the factors and your own capabilities, you can buy cucumber seeds for pickling. The general requirements for such varieties look like this:

1. On the packaging of seeds there should be a designation “for pickling, preservation” or “universal cucumbers”.
2. It is better to give preference to bee-pollinated varieties and hybrids, they retain their taste more fully.
3. For conservation, it is recommended to use medium and late varieties grown in open ground. Early greenhouse cucumbers are preferred for salads.
4. The size of the cucumber should be small or medium – 6-15 cm.
5. Cucumbers for preservation should be chosen in the correct cylindrical shape, so it is more convenient to put them in jars.
6. The green peel should be dense without damage, have black spikes and large pimples.
7. It is better to cut the cucumber and see what is inside it. There should be no voids, seeds inside pickled cucumbers are welcome, but in small quantities.
8. For conservation, you need tasty, crispy cucumbers without bitterness.

Based on the above, a variety is selected.

“Nezhinskiy”

One of the most famous, and oldest, pickling varieties is Nezhinsky. This is a mid-season bee-pollinated cucumber for open ground. The first cucumbers in the southern regions appear on the 50th day after planting, in the northern latitudes it will be necessary to wait for the harvest even longer – up to 60 days.

The fruits have absolutely no bitterness, perfectly retain their taste and “crunchiness” after salting or marinade.

This variety belongs to the high ones – the lashes of the Nezhinsky cucumber must be tied to the trellis.

“Murom”

The variety belongs to superearly ones, however, this does not affect its pickling qualities in any way. Ripe cucumbers appear on the 35th day after planting the seeds in the ground. Zelentsy are small – 6-8 cm, their shape is elliptical. The peel of the fruit is dark green with white veins.

The variety is resistant to low temperatures. The fruits are crispy, without voids, with a pronounced taste and aroma.

“Voronezh”

Fruits of an equal cylindrical form with small edges. The mass of the average greens is 100 grams. The peel of these cucumbers is dark green with small pimples and thorns. Bushes of the Voronezh variety are medium in size, with large and dense leaves. The plant tolerates drought and short cold very well.

“Bush”

One of the representatives of universal cucumbers (suitable for both salad and pickling) is the Bush variety. Cucumbers grow in small bushes, densely hung with fruits. The variety belongs to mid-season – the first greens appear on the 48th day.

The cucumbers themselves are dark green, oblong in shape, with numerous black spikes. The size of the greens is small – up to 10 cm. The advantage of the “Kustovoy” variety is the good “keeping quality” of the fruit. Cucumbers retain their presentation for a long time and remain juicy and crispy.

“Spring F1”

Not only varietal cucumbers are good for pickling, there are a lot of hybrids suitable for this. One of the best is “Rodnichok F1”. It belongs to mid-season – it bears fruit on the 50th day after planting. Productivity is high, resistance to diseases is excellent.

Conclusions and summary

It cannot be said unequivocally that certain types and varieties of cucumbers are more suitable for pickling. Both among hybrids and in greenhouse varieties there are many vegetables that lend themselves well to conservation. The main rule is to read what is written on the package with seeds. If the inscription says that the variety is universal or varieties of cucumbers for pickling and canning, such seeds can be safely taken.