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Soaking cucumbers before pickling is common in most canning recipes. This is done so that the fruits, even after standing for a long time, remain dense, elastic and crispy. At the time of soaking, the vegetables are saturated with water and look like they were just removed from the bush.
Do I need to soak cucumbers before pickling and pickling
As a rule, fresh gherkins, which are just harvested from the garden, do not need to be soaked. You can start preserving them immediately after washing. But the fruits that have already lain down for several hours or days must be soaked before pickling. Cucumbers thus absorb the missing moisture and gain their former elasticity. It is also necessary to hold gherkins bought at the market or in the store in water. To be sure that in winter you will not have to feast on hollow and soft fruits.
In general, soaking cucumbers in preparation for canning is optional, but helpful.
Cucumbers pre-soaked before pickling are more tasty
How long to soak cucumbers before pickling
How long you need to soak cucumbers before pickling is impossible to say for sure. Here everything is individual.
The average duration of the preparation process is 4 hours, but depending on the specific situation, this time can be increased. The longer the vegetables have lain after harvest, the more time it is desirable to soak them.
Only the collected fruits can be used immediately, but those brought from the store are subject to soaking without fail. If they are dense, it is enough to soak them in a tank of water for 5-6 hours. So they will not only acquire a good look and taste, but also get rid of nitrates and harmful substances that enter during the growing period. It has been proven that during soaking, up to 15% of nitric acid salts come out of the vegetable crop.
It is necessary to soak the cucumbers before salting for the night if they have already lain down for a long time, their tail has dried up, and the surface has become pale.
What cucumbers to choose for pickling
The key to successful preservation is the right choice of the main ingredient. The ideal option would be small (up to 13 cm), even, elastic, bright green fruits with tubercles. With such cucumbers, the preparation turns out to be especially tasty, and the jars almost never explode.
Also pay attention to the peel. It should be thick, so that it is difficult to pierce it with a fingernail.
It’s good to have the opportunity to taste vegetables. Bitter fruits with voids for salting are definitely not suitable, or they will have to be soaked for a day.
Cucumber varieties are ideal for canning:
- Nezhinsky.
- Far Eastern.
- Vyaznikovsky.
- Hermann.
- Aquarius.
- Brother-in-law F1.
- The hit F1 season.
As for early ripe fruits, they are best consumed fresh, and not canned. They have a delicate and thin skin, contain more harmful elements that cannot be completely eliminated, even if cucumbers are soaked in salt water.
It is better to take an enameled container for the procedure.
In what water are cucumbers soaked before pickling
It is better to soak the vegetable in water from a well or spring. If it is not possible to get it, then it is allowed to use the usual one, from the tap. But in this case, it is advisable to pre-hold it in the refrigerator (ideally 10 hours), pass through the filter, insist on silver or boil, and then cool. Bottled water is also suitable for soaking, but if the volume of vegetables is large, it will be very expensive.
How to soak cucumbers before pickling
There are three main rules for soaking cucumbers:
- Wash vegetables before and after the procedure.
- Change water every 1,5-2 hours.
- Use enamelware.
If cucumbers are soaked for a day before salting, then the last time the water is changed as late as possible. Better if it is ice cold.
Some housewives recommend cutting off the tails from the cucumbers before the procedure. In their opinion, this part contains the maximum amount of harmful substances. However, experts in the field of preparations note that if the integrity of cucumbers is violated, the taste quality decreases. They do not turn out as elastic and crispy as they could be.
Also, do not pierce vegetables with a fork or a toothpick, this manipulation is usually performed at the time of pickling tomatoes, not cucumbers.
Cutting off the tails of vegetables before soaking is pointless
Conclusion
To soak cucumbers before pickling or not, each housewife decides for herself. Although, according to experienced chefs, it is better not to neglect this procedure. It is good to wash pre-soaked fruits, they acquire elasticity, bitterness leaves them. With proper processing of cucumbers before canning, the finished pickling will have excellent taste and will be a great addition to both everyday and festive tables.
