Crunchy tasty cucumbers all year round - this is possible if, during the season of vegetables, to make harvesting in reasonable quantities. They can be cooked both in salted form and pickled. The method of preparation depends on which vegetables are more popular among family members and how exactly cucumbers will be used - separately or as part of other dishes.
Not everyone realizes that salted vegetables and pickled vegetables are not the same thing. So what are the differences?
Pickles
Traditionally, harvesting of cucumbers is carried out through their pickling. Vinegar is not added to vegetables prepared in this way. And this is the main difference between salted and pickled cucumbers.
Preserve vegetables for the winter by adding salt. Excellent taste of cucumbers is obtained thanks to the greenery, currant and cherry leaves, garlic, pepper, horseradish, mustard. You can also put in vegetables coriander, cumin, cloves. Dozens of recipes for every taste.
For salting cucumbers most suitable large capacity. It is best to prepare wooden (oak) barrels. The procurement process is as follows:
- wash vegetables from dust and dirt;
- the bottom of the barrel is covered with currant leaves;
- place cucumbers and shift them with greens, spices and spices;
- pour water containing about 20% salt;
- cover with a lid.
Before pickling, cucumbers should be divided by grade, size and maturity. More suitable are those vegetables in which the pimples are not white, but dark. If you pickle young cucumbers with thin skin, dense flesh - you get a special delicacy. Vegetables can be in brine from several weeks to six months. Barely salted cucumbers are called salted. After storing the vegetables in brine for several months, they ferment and produce lactic acid.
In modern conditions for salting cucumbers used glass jars with a capacity of from a liter to five.
Pickled Cucumbers
Pickled cucumbers are canned vegetables cooked with acetic acid. That it provides in the process of cooking preservative action. Acid is an essential ingredient. As a rule, pickle cucumbers with marinade, and then pasteurized.
Depending on how concentrated acetic acid is, vegetables are:
- slightly acidic (0, 4%);
- medium acid (0, 6%);
- acidic (0, 61-0, 9%).
In the pickled cucumbers put the same herbs, spices, spices, as in salted. In addition, fall asleep a certain amount of sugar.
The acid that is added to the marinade is small, so there is no harmful effect on the body. In addition, the acidic environment counteracts the formation of calcium salts deposited on the joints and acting as the basis for the development of such a disease as osteochondrosis.
Pickled cucumbers can be stored longer than salted ones.
Benefits of salted vegetables
Many claim that pickled cucumbers are more useful than pickled ones, because:
- When vegetables are pickled by pickling, they are in a special environment that is saturated with enzymes and fungi. But when marinating, all microorganisms die under the influence of acid and high temperature.
- The pasteurized product is able to be stored longer than pickles, but it still has less utility.
- Vinegar is absent in pickles, which is harmful to the gastrointestinal tract in large quantities.
- The flavor properties of vegetables in marinade are considered the best. But high-quality cooked pickles are no worse. Yes, and taste preferences each has its own.
- In many popular recipes, dishes can not do without pickles. These vegetables are an integral part of pickle, solyanka, cabbage soup, and calcium.
So, salted and pickled cucumbers are different:
- taste;
- cooking technology;
- ingredients, the main of which is acetic acid (it is absent in pickles).
A good housewife is stocked with vegetables cooked in various ways. She has proven recipes.
The range of pickled and pickled cucumbers, presented on the shelves of supermarkets, is quite wide. Both local and foreign producers are engaged in canning these vegetables.
But the most delicious cucumbers will be cooked with their own hands. A little work, patience - and home bins will replenish with favorite summer vegetables - pickled cucumbers and pickled.
