Vegetable preparations may not always be successful. Diligent housewives often wonder why canned cucumbers turn out to be soft, with emptiness inside, and the taste of such vegetables is unpleasant. Now let's try to figure out how you can avoid this situation.
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Several reasons for softening pickles in jars
There are several circumstances that pickles lose their firmness and do not crackle when they eat. Errors can occur at different stages: during canning, storage, and even during cultivation in a greenhouse. So that such cases do not arise again, you need to familiarize yourself with various tricks, secrets and use only proven recipes.
Canned vegetables soften for several reasons:
- During the salting period, an insufficiently clean container was used. According to the old tradition, it is best to use oak barrels or tubs, which are thoroughly washed before use and, in addition, poured over with boiling water. This method is considered the most suitable, but now housewives use enamel, glass and even aluminum containers. But whatever the dish, it must be thoroughly rinsed with soda and sterilized with steam or in the oven.
- The larger the container, the more cucumbers it will fit. In this case, the vegetables on the bottom of the pan will be soft, because the top will crush them.
- The taste is influenced by the quality of the water. If the liquid is soft, then the firmness of vegetables decreases, and hard water gives them a metallic taste. In this regard, it is best to use spring or clean water from a well for salting.
- The cucumbers for the blanks were chosen incorrectly. Overgrown and yellowish fruits should not be used. They should be small to medium in size, and the flesh inside should be firm and firm. And the sugar content should be at least 2%.
- Stale vegetables. Fruits should not be stored for more than a day before salting.
- Lack of desire to use spices that are used not only for taste and aroma, but also to eliminate harmful substances.
- Inappropriate ratios of cucumbers and liquid brine in the dishes.
- A small dose of salt. If the saline solution is not salty enough, then mucus may appear in it, which softens the fruit.
- The lid on the container is not rolled up tightly. If the tightness is broken, air enters the jar, and the vegetables cannot be stored for a long time.
- Storing canned cucumbers in a warm room. The best storage place is in the basement.
- Long-term conservation of conservation for several years.
A few tricks and secrets when preserving cucumbers
In order for vegetables to be well salted, not to lose their density and have an excellent taste, it is necessary to follow some simple rules:
- when preserving, use table salt - clean, coarse and not necessarily iodized;
- cucumbers must be thoroughly washed before canning and kept for some time (3-4 hours) in cold liquid;
- wash spices and spices before use;
- so that mold does not form on the surface of the brine, add finely chopped horseradish or mustard powder to it;
- place the cucumbers in the container as tightly as possible;
- fruits must be selected of the same size;
- vegetables should be 3-4 cm covered with brine;
- as soon as you pour the brine into the jars, cover the containers with vegetables with a clean towel, boiled in advance, put a wooden circle on it and press down with a heavy load;
- you can also add alcohol or vodka (50 g) per 3 liters to the brine.
Follow all the recommendations, and then the cucumbers will turn out to be crispy and very tasty.
Do you know why canned cucumbers are soft?
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