What should be done so that cucumber banks do not explode

What should be done so that cucumber banks do not explode

How nice it is to put a plate with cucumbers on his own in the winter on the table!

But not all housewives cucumbers safely live to the cold. If canned tomatoes, peppers and even lecho are stored well, cans of cucumbers often await trouble in the form of “bombarding” lids or cloudiness of the brine. Of course, the use of such canned food is out of the question.

Why do such failures occur?

Proper preparation of cucumbers for canning

Not every variety of cucumber can be canned. There are cucumbers that are suitable only for salads. They have smooth skin, they are watery and less dense, so they become soft when canned.

For pickling you need to take cucumbers with pimples grown in open ground. They should not be overripe, with green skin. The optimal length of cucumbers for canning is 7-12 cm.

They should be smooth, without damage, not lethargic. The fact is that cucumbers quickly lose moisture, so freshly picked fruits must be preserved.

Rule One: Soak

Many housewives buy cucumbers on the market, and they have already lost some moisture. Therefore, before canning, cucumbers must be soaked for several hours in cold water. During this time, the former elasticity returns to them.

If this is not done, the cucumbers will incorporate a portion of the marinade, and the vacated space will be filled with air. And he is a direct enemy of canned products. Lactic fermentation will start in the bank, carbon dioxide will look for a way out, and as a result, banks with cucumbers will explode. Now many farms process cucumbers with various reagents to protect the crop from pests and diseases. In the process of soaking harmful substances for the body pass into the water. As practice shows, cucumbers treated with chemical reagents are poorly stored, they are often subjected to "bombing."

Rule two: thorough washing of vegetables

Cucumbers before canning should be thoroughly washed to get rid of not only the dirt on the surface of the fruit, but also from toxic chemicals, which are sometimes watered cucumbers. Especially pay attention to cucumbers with pimples. It is on the surface of such cucumbers that dirt can remain, and microbes trapped in a jar will begin to multiply vigorously, which will cause fermentation.

Some housewives, having thoroughly washed the cucumbers, are less demanding of greens and spices. They simply rinse greens, and spices do not wash at all. But with greens in the banks can also get dirt.

Therefore, first pick herbs, removing the yellowed and rotted stems, cut off the twisted tips of the twigs, wash in the pelvis, changing the water several times. Then rinse under running water. Spices (bay leaf, peppercorns, cloves) pour over boiling water.

Rule Three: Washing and Sterilizing Cans and Lids

Carefully washed and sterilized jars greatly reduce the spoilage of canned products.

Before sterilizing the jar, wash in a warm solution of baking soda. For 1 liter of water you need to take 1 teaspoon of soda. Then rinse the jars with hot water or boiling water. Before sterilization, leave them upside down on a towel.

Cucumbers can be preserved in banks of 1-3 liters. But you need to pre-select the method of sterilization cans. Liter cans conveniently sterilized in the oven. They are set bottom up in a cold oven, then turn on the oven at 150 ° C. Heat in the oven for 20 minutes.

Three-liter jars are sterilized over steam, placed on a kettle without a lid with boiling water. Sterilize large cans for at least 15 minutes.

In addition to cans, you need to pay attention to the covers. Each lid has a rubber ring, which must be removed before washing. Then cover and ring thoroughly with soda, rinse, then boil, folding into a saucepan with water.

Fourth Rule: Acid Usage

Acid (acetic acid, citric acid) is a powerful preservative. Therefore, it is always added when canning vegetables. Especially it can not be neglected, preparing for the future cucumbers.

Cucumbers are deprived of their own acid, rather bland, that is why they are most often susceptible to spoilage.

To banks with cucumbers do not explode, you need to add acetic acid to the marinade. The sharpness of the marinade depends on its quantity. The more acetic acid is added, the better the pickled cucumbers will be stored. With a minimum amount of essences cucumber storage period will be less.

The optimal amount of acetic acid for canning cucumbers is 6--7 ml per 1 l of water or 9-10 ml of essence per 1 three-liter jar.

Acetic essence can be replaced by citric acid.

Some housewives instead of vinegar put in a jar of aspirin. Acetylsalicylic acid is also a powerful preservative and prevents the development of putrefactive bacteria in the marinade. Still, this is a medicine, so you should not put this method “at the forefront”.

Cans of cucumbers are well kept and never explode if canned cucumbers along with tomatoes, because tomatoes have enough of their own acid, which prevents “bombardment”.

Fifth Rule: Sterilization of cucumber jars

Cucumbers put in jars whole or cut across into several pieces. Put vegetables as tightly as possible, distributing greens and spices between them.

There are two main ways to sterilize cucumbers.

Option one. Marinade prepare for the selected recipe, adding salt, sugar and spices to the water. Boil it for 5 minutes. Pour them cucumbers in banks.

Put the jars in a wide saucepan, pour hot water to the coat hanger. Soak in boiling water for 7 to 17 minutes, depending on the volume of the jar.

Pour vinegar into heated jars of cucumbers, pour boiling water over the edge, and immediately close the lids.

It is better to use this option of sterilization if banks of small volume. They are easily placed in a pan, the marinade is quickly brought to a boil.

Option two. Pour boiling water into a jar filled with cucumbers, cover with a lid and soak for 15 minutes. Then pour the water into the pan, add sugar and salt according to the recipe. Boil. Pour cucumbers with boiling marinade a second time. Pour in the essence. As in the first embodiment, the marinade should overflow over the edge of the can so that there is no room for air in it. Immediately seal her caps.

This option is convenient when canning cucumbers in large jars. The water in them remains hot for a long time, cucumbers at this time undergo additional sterilization. For greater confidence, you can apply a threefold fill.

Rule Six: Airtight Packing

All the work done above will be a mess if you carelessly treat the can closure.

The neck of the cans should be in perfect condition: without chipping, cracks and chips. The slightest deformation of the neck will be to blame for a loosely fitting cap. Because of this, air will leak into the jar, which will cause fermentation of the pickle and the cucumbers themselves. The lid will swell up and it will fly off. If during the seaming process the lid deforms, it must be replaced, without forgetting to wash and sterilize the new lid. Therefore, it is always necessary to procure several covers more than is required.

After you have closed the jar, wipe it dry, turn it down with your neck to make sure that the canned food is tight. And only then put in a secluded place.

Rule Seven: Cooling

Corked jars are not enough just to take to the pantry or put in the cellar and forget before winter.

They are left upside down, be sure to carefully wrap a blanket or something warm. Inside this “fur coat” cucumbers will be hot for about a day or more. During this time, pasteurization will continue inside the cans, which will increase the safety of the finished product.

And only when the banks are completely cooled, they can be removed to a permanent place of storage.

Mistress of the note

By following all these simple rules, you will avoid such a big trouble as the “bombarding” of cans. And your banks of cucumbers will remain in excellent condition until the next harvest.

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