How to preserve your cucumbers

Which speaks for pickled mustard pickles

The taste of mustard pickles goes well with many meals, but they are also delicious as a pure snack in between. If you always have a pickle jar close at hand, you can always pull a few pieces out of it if necessary. This is also possible with purchased mustard cucumbers, but homemade they taste better and are also healthier.

Industrially manufactured goods usually contain a number of additives. These should keep the cucumbers fresh, crisp and with a beautiful green color for longer. There are also artificial flavors to enhance the taste. You can do without this with homemade mustard pickles without the result suffering from it. When making the recipe, make sure that only natural ingredients are used. And of course only as many as absolutely necessary.

Mustard cucumbers are made from cucumbers

Large cucumbers are used for this type of pickled cucumber. Often these are allowed to stay on the plant for a long time and are only harvested when ripe and processed into mustard cucumbers. Then they also increased in thickness and developed abundant large nuclei inside. The shell has changed from green to yellow. In this state of maturity, the cucumber meat has the optimum consistency. The small, hard pickled cucumbers are not suitable for mustard cucumbers.

The shell and kernel have to give way

Mustard cucumbers are made from pure cucumber pulp. So before the cucumbers go into the jar, they must first be washed and then peeled. The peeled cucumber is halved lengthways and then all seeds are scraped out with a spoon. Depending on the recipe, the pulp is divided into coarse or fine pieces.

Mustard seeds bring the typical taste

Mustard cucumbers do not get their typical taste from the mustard tube.
It is the small yellow grains that give off their fine aroma in the cucumber stock and ultimately also reach the cucumber pieces. There is also vinegar, which, thanks to its acidity, makes the cucumbers last longer. Salt and sugar complete the taste. In addition, other ingredients may be used for the mustard pickles, as long as the typical taste is only enriched but not masked.

Other possible ingredients

• onion
• horseradish
• fresh dill
• Bay leaves
• Peppercorns
• garlic
• chili
• and other spices and herbs

Pay attention not only to freshness with cucumbers, dill and Co. should also not come out of the freezer or can. You can only achieve a good flavor composition with the best ingredients.

Clean and sterilize pickle jars beforehand

You are welcome to use old pickle jars for mustard pickles. However, these should be cleaned thoroughly and then made sterile at high temperatures. Boiling water is hot enough to kill harmful germs on the glasses after 10 minutes. Alternatively, the glasses can be heated in the oven for 10 minutes at 140 degrees Celsius.

Mustard pickle recipe

Below is a recipe for approx. 8 to 10 medium sized glasses. Once inserted, provisions are made for the whole winter. Allow some time for the preparation, because you cannot do without cooking.

• 5 kg of snake cucumbers
• 8 tbsp mustard seeds
• 2 tbsp peppercorns
• 4 bay leaves
• 4 tbsp salt
• 8 tbsp sugar
• 2 liters of white vinegar
• 2 liters of water

If the specified quantities exceed your requirements, you are welcome to deviate from them and halve them.

Preparing the mustard pickles

1. Cut the peeled and pitted cucumbers into pieces about 5 cm in size.
2. Place the pieces in a large bowl and sprinkle with salt.
3. Pour in water until the cucumber pieces are completely covered.
4. Put the mixture in the refrigerator for 24 hours, where the cucumbers can steep.
5. After that, pour off the liquid and rinse the cucumbers thoroughly under running water.
6. Bring the remaining ingredients to the boil and add the cucumbers.
7. Cook the cucumbers in it for a few minutes, but they should still retain some bite.
8. Fill everything into jars, which you immediately close airtight.

durability

If stored in a cool place, cucumbers can be kept for several weeks in tightly closed jars.

Conclusion for quick readers:

• Advantages: Even pickled mustard cucumbers taste better and are free of unnecessary preservatives and artificial flavors
• Suitable cucumbers: cucumbers are used for mustard cucumbers; preferably ripe, yellow specimens
• Preparation: Cucumbers are peeled and pitted and cut into coarse or fine pieces, depending on the recipe
• Tip: Green and unripe cucumbers have hardly formed any seeds, they do not necessarily have to be pitted
• Mustard seeds: They are used in abundance and give the mustard cucumbers their typical taste
• Basic ingredients: vinegar gives the cucumbers a long shelf life; Salt and sugar refine the taste
• Other ingredients: onions, horseradish, fresh dill, bay leaves, peppercorns, garlic, chilli and Co.
• Pickle jars: old pickle jars can be reused; must be cleaned and sterilized beforehand
• Recipe for 8 to 10 jars: 5 kg of cucumber, 2 liters of water, 2 liters of vinegar, 8 tablespoons of mustard seeds, 2 tablespoons of peppercorns
• Recipe for 8 to 10 glasses: 4 bay leaves, 4 tablespoons salt, 8 tablespoons sugar
• Variation: The recipe quantity is sufficient for the winter supply; but can be adapted to individual needs
• Step 1: Cut the peeled and pitted cucumber into 5 cm pieces; put in a large bowl
• Step 2: sprinkle cucumbers with salt and cover with water; Let it steep in the refrigerator for 24 hours
• Step 3: Drain the water and rinse the cucumber pieces with water
• Step 4: bring the rest of the ingredients to the boil; Add the cucumber and cook until al dente; Pour the mixture into the glasses
• Step 5: Close the jars airtight and put them in a cool place
• Shelf life: Pickled cucumbers keep for several weeks