It’s no secret that to get tasty and aromatic canned cucumbers, it’s not enough to choose a successful recipe. To ensure that the cucumbers come out crispy, firm, and rich in flavor, it is important to choose them correctly. The best varieties for pickling cucumbers are today impressive list and are not limited, as before, to the famous “Nezhinsky”, “Muromsky” and “Rodnichok”. More experienced housewives can name varieties such as “Era”, “Nezhinka”, “Nosovsky”, “Etap” among their favorites for preparations.
Among the long-known varieties for pickling, “Vodoley”, “Anulka F1”, “Nightingale”, “Vodograi”, “Bochkovoy F1”, “Ratibor”, etc. have proven themselves well. For pickling with vinegar, gherkins and cucumbers of medium length (not more than 8 cm), which can be obtained from seeds of the varieties “Othello F1”, “Liliput F1”, “Philipok F1”, “Children’s F1”, “Brownie F1”, “Angel”, etc.
Among modern varieties that have recently appeared on the market, the following varieties can be distinguished:
- "Karnak F1";
- "Zakuson F1";
- "Semcross F1";
- "Gypsy F1";
- "Ira F1";
- "Parisian gherkin"
- "Hermann";
- "Mama's Favorite F1";
- "Barrel pickling F1";
- "Courage F1".
The fruits of these varieties are small, elastic, with prickly pimples and soft, juicy pulp.
Among the varieties Dutch selection The varieties “Octopuss F1”, “Passalimo F1” and “Ekol F1” are especially notable for their taste. These varieties are preferable for pickling, they are ideal for both barrel pickling and glass containers. “Dolomite F1” and “Bettina F1” are also good. These varieties are resistant to diseases and produce excellent harvests.
IN middle lane Among the popular varieties for pickling, the leaders are “old friends”: “Zozulya”, “Altai”, “Great”, “Primadonna”, “Champion”. “Crane”, “Bush” and the bee-pollinated “Crunchy” are also not far behind.
How to choose cucumbers for pickling
Despite such variety, in order to choose the right cucumbers, you should not only be guided by their names, but also be able to identify the fruits suitable for pickling by eye. To do this, we carefully study:
- Size. For pickling, we choose medium-sized cucumbers, while small gherkins are more suitable for pickling with vinegar;
- Color. Of course, we don’t even look at the yellowish fruits. They usually have a rough skin and hard, large seeds. Light green cucumbers are good, especially with a white side (varieties “Zozulya”, “Anulka F1”, etc.);
- Peel. In order for the brine to easily penetrate inside the cucumber, it should not be prevented by too thick peel. When choosing a cucumber, press it down lightly with your fingernail. If the skin gives in easily, then it will be easy for the marinade to evenly saturate the entire fruit;
- Pimples. They are necessarily present on all pickled cucumbers, but they can also decorate fruits for salad. In order not to get confused, you need to look closely directly at the tips of the spikes. If they have black specks, you can safely roll them into jars, but if they are white, it’s better not to risk it.
There is one more interesting way determine the ideal cucumbers depending on the cooking method - by their “shirt”. There are three main ones:
1. “Slavic shirt” - cucumbers for pickling have it. The pimples on them are quite large, but 
rarely located. This will allow the marinade to slowly penetrate inside, which increases elasticity and provides that crunch in the future.
2. “German shirt” is worn by cucumbers for pickling. Almost the entire surface of the cucumber is dotted with small small pimples. Thanks to this, the brine quickly penetrates inside. This property also allows you to get delicious lightly salted cucumbers in a short time.
3. And finally, the “Asian shirt” is smooth, without thorns or pimples. We enjoy these cucumbers only as components of summer salads. They are not suitable for blanks.
Naturally, these are not all the best varieties of cucumbers for pickling - every year the selection is replenished with new species that are not inferior, and sometimes even superior to the “oldies” in their taste properties. We will monitor the young shoots and note all the advantages and disadvantages of the new varieties.
What varieties of cucumbers for pickling
Many varieties of cucumbers were specially bred by breeders as pickling varieties. When purchasing seeds, be sure to pay attention to the marks on the seed bags: for canning and pickling. But even if you use such varieties for winter preparations, no one can guarantee you the wonderful taste of a strong, crispy pickled cucumber if you do not follow some rules of agricultural cultivation and pickling technology. So how to grow cucumbers for pickling?
What varieties of cucumbers to pickle
The fruits of pickling varieties and hybrids differ in morphology and cell structure. Puberty of the ovary is one of the most important varietal characteristics of pickling cucumbers. Thorns and spines (they look like hairs on the ovaries) are white, black or brown, simple or complex. Basically, they serve as organs for plants that regulate the release of moisture, performing an evaporative function. At the same time, holes in the epidermis of fruits facilitate faster penetration of brine when pickling or canning them.
The quality of pickling cucumbers is closely related to the spines, their size and color. Fruits with large tubercles and black thorns have high pickling qualities. The blackening of the spines (black spine) occurs due to the fact that moisture evaporates through them, along with which the pigment, flovone, appears on the surface of the tubercle. Its accumulation occurs gradually. The liquid, colored with pigment, dries out, first becomes brown, then black. As a result of this process, we see black spikes on the tops of the tubercles.
In some pickling varieties, such as, for example, Vyaznikovsky 37, the pubescence may consist of densely located simple (sitting directly on the surface) and complex spines, which are smaller in size and more sparsely located.
The crunch of the pulp of pickled cucumbers depends on the special structure of the cells and the space between them. The fact is that cells stop dividing already at the ovary stage. A cucumber grows not by increasing the number of cells, but by stretching them.
So, gherkins and pickles have practically no space between the cells. The cells adhere tightly to each other. This is why gherkins and pickles never have voids when salted. All their varieties are pickling.
I will introduce you to new varieties with pickling qualities that can be grown in open ground or greenhouse.
A good variety for pickling Mama's favorite F1. Fruits with black thorns. It grows well and bears fruit abundantly, both in a greenhouse and in open ground.
Separately, I would like to say about the new variety Garland F1. This is a unique hybrid on which from 30 to 40 fruits are simultaneously set and ripened. During greatest strength He is like a Christmas tree hung with cucumbers.
Hybrid Barrel pickling - intended for barrel fermentation without preservatives (vinegar).
Hybrid Liliput F1 has the smallest fruits measuring 6-8 cm. This hybrid is suitable for summer residents who rarely come to their plots. Cucumbers grow slowly; even during a week-long absence from the dacha, their length will not increase. Well, perhaps they will become a little thicker, but even the rate of thickening of the fruits of this hybrid is minimal.
Hybrids Avance F1, Khazbulat F1, Cappuccino F1 were specially created for the canning industry. Grown in a country house or personal plot, great for pickling. Feature - cucumbers do not outgrow and have slow growth.
Currently created hybrid varieties with excellent pickling qualities, which, when grown, tolerate shading well. It's hard to find a better one for these purposes than the F1 Athlete. This is the most shade-tolerant hybrid. It can also be safely recommended to grow it in winter on a windowsill or balcony.
Hybrids have good shade tolerance - Berendey F1, Kurazh F1, Razgulay F1, Valdai F1.
Courage F1 is generally a unique hybrid with high pickling qualities and a classic cucumber strong aroma. It is good for gardeners because it requires minimal attention when growing. I must say, this is a very “tenacious” hybrid. I read that in one of the farms they mistakenly treated him with a weed killer - Roundup, but he not only survived, but gave excellent harvest.
Agricultural technology for growing cucumbers for pickling
The quality of cucumbers for pickling depends on the growing technology. With infrequent watering, emptiness often appears inside the fruits, they can become bitter. The quality of the harvest is significantly reduced.
Cucumbers grown with regular, even watering have much higher fruit quality. It is very important to maintain air and soil humidity within 80%. In hot weather, refreshing watering is useful. Try not to pour water under the root. Firstly, with such watering, the roots are exposed, and secondly, the plants can develop root rot.
Cucumbers do not like cold water. Warm water (not lower than 20-22 degrees) from a barrel standing in the sun is what is needed for this heat-loving vegetable.
The cucumber crop has a peculiarity: the more often you pick them, the higher the harvest. When collecting, try not to turn over the cucumber vines - they are very fragile, can easily break, and infection gets into the wounds and cracks.
It's best to pick cucumbers in the morning before they warm up. And with frequent watering and feeding it is necessary more often. The root system of cucumbers is characterized by low removal of nutrients from the soil, but high intensity of their consumption.
Cucumber plants cannot withstand high concentrations of soil solution, and they should be fed in small doses every 10-12 days. Pickling varieties, as well as salad varieties, also respond well to organic fertilizers: mullein solution (1:5), chicken manure (1:10). It would not be superfluous to add an ash solution to these solutions - 1 glass of ash (100-150 g) per bucket.
How to prepare cucumbers for pickling
In addition to agricultural technology, the quality of pickled cucumbers depends on the correct preparation for pickling.
Firstly, the day before picking fruits for pickling, it is recommended to water them well. Secondly, it is better to collect them early in the morning, before they get hot in the sun. In this case, the cucumbers can be pickled or salted immediately. If it doesn’t work out right away, then they need to be kept for 2-3 hours. cold water. The fruits will be refreshed, become firm, and will not wrinkle when pickled. Then sort them by size: large, medium, small. It is better to pour each batch separately.
The skin of fruits of pickled varieties contains more fat-like substances, which, when salted, absorb essential oils of spices. Spices and seasonings give pickles taste, aroma, and crunch. All seasonings (currant leaves, cherries, sprigs of parsley or dill) must be freshly picked. Only in this case will they transfer their strong bactericidal properties to the brine. Garlic, horseradish leaf, and tarragon will protect cucumbers from softening.
When you fill cucumbers in jars, barrels or pans with brine, it must be cold. Warm or hot brine increases the rate of fermentation. This leads to the formation of emptiness in the pickles, in addition, they can shrink. Sometimes there is mucus in the brine due to the development of mucus-forming bacteria. The optimal concentration of table salt is 5-6%.
Water for pickling cucumbers
Of course, the water quality is very important factor. It is better to use hard water, such as spring water. It contains calcium salts. If you use tap water, you need to at least let it sit to reduce the chlorine content. Soft water is also not suitable for salting. Do not use iodized or fluoridated salt for salting.
Soft water can be improved artificially. Experiences from the Ukrainian Research Institute of Vegetable and Melon Growing have proven that adding calcium chloride to water (it is sold in ampoules in pharmacies) improves the quality of pickling products. Calcium chloride is added to the brine - 5-7 drops per three-liter jar.
Useful:
- Fertilizing cucumbers in a greenhouse or open ground with fertilizers - mineral and organic
Varieties of cucumbers for pickling: the opinion of residents of the Moscow region
What varieties of cucumbers do residents of the Moscow region grow?
The taste preferences of summer residents and their family members influence which variety of cucumbers they choose for planting. Residents of the Moscow region prefer to grow vegetables for salads and those that will be eaten. They believe that all varieties of pickling cucumbers must grow actively in open ground, otherwise “explosions” in the cellar or pantry cannot be avoided when the lids for seaming cannot withstand the pressure of gases inside the glass jar. The greenhouse pimply friend for salads is good on the table, but not in a transparent “packaging”.
What determines the pickling qualities of vegetables?
First of all, on the variety of cucumbers for pickling. Some amateurs believe that the black “spikes” of the vegetable indicate its excellent qualities for canning. They are wrong, since the thickness of the skin and the density of the pulp are the main indicators that the barrel can be cooked. Sugar and pectin substances also play an important role when processing cucumbers, but this indicator is unlikely to be measured by an ordinary summer resident.
What varieties of cucumbers are ideal for pickling?
Those with thin skin. Cut the cucumber crosswise and you will see for yourself. Although in Lately sell universal varieties, which is not a sin to have dinner with, and to douse with hot brine. The packaging with seeds must indicate what kind of processing the cucumber grown from them is subject to. When purchasing cucumber seeds for pickling, be sure to ask the seller which ones are for greenhouses and which ones are for open ground.
What do owners of private houses in the Moscow region plant in their garden beds?
Naturally, hybrid varieties of cucumbers for pickling, and even the rating was based on them:
- Masha comes first. It manages to ripen not only in 36 days, but has a small-sized fruit in the form of a regular cylinder, with pronounced tubercles, with minimal bitterness. Goes great in pickling.
- Murashka confidently holds second place. It was created by breeders from the Gavrosh agricultural company. After 45 days, you can prepare jars, since one bush produces at least seven kilograms of green fruits, which are easy to preserve. Its thorns are truly black, so in winter the family will enjoy not only the excellent taste of pickled cucumbers, but also feel how they tingle the tongue.
- Two hybrids took third place: Zyatek and Herman. The second variety has rather large tubercles, but in a barrel or bucket this variety looks great with a length of no more than 7 cm. Zyatek let us down a little. Its spines are whitish, so it is suitable not for storage in canned form, but as a lightly salted option. You can’t find a better complement to young potatoes and streaky lard than a crispy “relative”.
What varieties of pickling cucumbers are in the top ten?
- In fourth place is Rodnichok. Suitable for salads and under the lid. This variety would have been happily cooked in honey by the cooks of Peter I, who knew a lot about delicacies of the 18th century.
- The fifth level of honor goes to Libella. This vegetable arrived in Russia from Germany and firmly established itself in the garden beds, like the famous Kukuyskaya Settlement in boyar Moscow.
- The remaining places were taken by Izyashny, Nezhinsky, Konkurent, Muromsky and Monastyrsky. These are the best varieties of Russian pickling cucumbers, although their rating is not as high as those mentioned above. Unfortunately, their yield depends on weather conditions, which constantly surprise us.
Cucumber seeds are the best varieties for open ground.
Cucumbers are heat-loving plants, so they yield only in protected (insulated) soil. Growing them is not particularly difficult. It is important to choose the right variety and choose a place for planting.
Cucumbers are divided into ground and greenhouse. Ground cucumbers, as a rule, are grown in open ground under a film, and greenhouse cucumbers ripen well in greenhouses various designs. Cucumbers grown in a greenhouse are more productive and suffer less disease. However, not everyone has the opportunity to grow cucumbers in greenhouses, but you can easily create a high, warm bed and cover it with polyethylene, film or any other covering material during cold periods!
- early-ripening and late-ripening (be sure to take into account the timing of ripening of vegetables);
- large, salad for eating and small, for pickling;
- When choosing replacement cucumbers, pay attention to the fact that they are self-pollinated or parthenocapic, then the fruits will set, even if there are no bees flying in your garden.
- be sure to buy zoned varieties and hybrids of cucumbers for open ground.
Which cucumbers are best planted in open ground?
The obligatory planting list should include early-ripening salad cucumbers. Classic varieties April F1 and Zozulya. They ripen early, their fruits are large, enough for the whole family, the seeds are small, and the skin is not rough. They grow well both in open ground and in a greenhouse. These are salad cucumbers, they are planted for food, for salads.
Cucumbers for open ground are bee-pollinated varieties and hybrids. Of the bee-pollinated hybrids, we recommend Libelle. He always gives consistently good results. It is also good for pickling.
April
Early ripening fruitful hybrids of cucumbers for open ground and film shelters:
- Boborik F1 is a very early ripening hybrid,
- Bidretta F1 is an early ripening bee-pollinated hybrid,
- Vladimir F1 - early ripening,
- Annika F1 - mid-season.
Early varieties of cucumbers:
- The early triple hybrids Suomi, Valaamsky, Sarovsky are distinguished by their rapid yield, and they have bouquet fruiting, that is, several cucumbers grow at once from each leaf axil. They have shortened ones side shoots, which end with a bouquet of flowers, and then, naturally, cucumbers. These hybrids are especially interesting for residents of the North-West, as they set fruit in low temperatures and insufficient light.
- Parthenocapic hybrids Spring Caprice, Emerald Flow, Quartet and Orlik are distinguished by early and friendly fruiting, bearing fruit in a bunch.
- Of the gherkins, it is better to plant the hybrids Alex, Alekseich, Friendly Family, Konrad, Pyzhik, Charodey and Shchedrik.
Cucumbers for covering soil (at night we cover the beds with film or covering material, remove them during the day):
- Vyatsky, Valdai, Understudy, Stuntman, Kominsky.
The best varieties of cucumbers for open ground:
- Hybrids Eliseevsky (bee-pollinated), Novgorodets, Arkhangelsiky, Kai, Leader, Molodets, Pososhok, Razgulay, Tvixie, Uhazher, Gypsy, Mikhalych.
A new bee-pollinated cucumber, Advance, has appeared for open ground, but it is not suitable for pickling. Of the pickling plants, Svyatoslav performed well.
There are many varieties and hybrids of cucumbers, there is plenty to choose from. But here’s what you need to pay attention to - whether the chosen variety is suitable for growing in open, covered (protected) soil or in a greenhouse. Many people do not take this into account and suffer greatly in terms of productivity. After all, sometimes cucumbers intended for growing in a greenhouse are sown in open ground and naturally do not receive the promised harvest.
Feedback from a gardener on choosing a cucumber variety for planting: “I choose cucumber varieties and hybrids solely by name and description; whatever I like at the moment, I take. I bought the Cornichons variety of cucumbers, but for some reason they grew not small and thin, as I wanted, but pot-bellied and plump. There are special varieties for planting cucumbers in barrels. The Emerald Stream shows itself well.
To better understand and figure out which varieties of cucumbers are best to plant in the garden, I have Galina Kizima’s book “Tips for Gardeners and Gardeners” and began to follow her recommendations when buying seeds.”
To main
Cucumber is the most common and varied vegetable in appearance and taste. Cucumbers are consumed when the fruits have undeveloped seeds; they taste crispy, juicy and pleasant to the taste.
And although the cucumber consists of 97% water, it still remains the most popular and consumed vegetable in the human diet. Even the small presence of fats, carbohydrates, organic acids and essential oils creates a unique taste, smell, feeling of freshness, everything that makes us love cucumber so much.
Cucumber is a source of minerals. It contains potassium, calcium, phosphorus, in addition there are magnesium, sodium, sulfur and iron and other important elements.
Cucumber juice has an alkaline taste. Vitamins are also present in cucumber fruits, these are B1, C, B2, also biotin, carotene (A).
All these complex combinations of organic components related to cucumber subtly play a large role in the human body in metabolism. Vitamins are mainly found in the peel.
Low calorie content, and especially high cellulose content plus various mineral composition They make cucumbers a dietary product for people prone to obesity. There are a lot of varieties of cucumbers, they are zoned and new varieties of cucumbers appear every year.
Expert's comments
Cucumber is a plant that is pollinated by bees and other insects. But today modern hybrids have been created, they are so-called parthenocarpic hybrids, i.e. self-pollinating. Namely, capable of setting cucumber fruits without pollination. This quality of the resulting varieties is useful during periods of unfavorable weather.
Agricultural technology
Optimal temperature for the germination of cucumber seeds is 25-300 C; development requires +22-28 C during the day and +18-20 C at night. Cucumber is demanding on air and soil humidity. It is advisable to water only warm water, at the root. The soils are light, fertile, loose, with neutral acidity.
Varieties of cucumbers for greenhouses, open and closed ground
Masha F1
The cucumber variety Masha is a self-pollinating, parthenocarpic, productive, and the earliest (ripening period 37-39 days) hybrid. The fruits are highly uniform, without bitterness, cylindrical in shape, weight 90-100 grams, 8-11 cm long.
It is distinguished by a predominantly female type of flowering, the crop ripens together, has small seed chambers, and a beautiful dark green appearance. Tasty both fresh and pickled. The hybrid is highly resistant to cucumber mosaic virus, cucumber olive spot, and powdery mildew.
Advantages: early ripening, versatility of use, plasticity. Has a good ability to recover after harvest. Transportable, retains its presentation. To obtain early products, they are grown in greenhouses. In open ground, planting cucumbers of the Masha variety and further cultivation carried out both vertically and horizontally.
Marinda F1
Marinda cucumbers are good enough for any canning. Parthenocarpic - self-pollinating, mid-early hybrid is used for growing this variety both indoors and outdoors. The fruits are small, dense and very crispy, with large pimples, without being hot. Differences: Mainly high yield, highly resistant to various cucumber diseases and stressful conditions.
Naf-fanto F1
A special feature is that cucumbers of the Naf-fanto variety are void-free, both when pickling and when canning. Cucumbers of this variety are grown both in open ground and indoors.
Mid-early productive, bee-pollinated hybrid. A powerful plant with predominantly female flowers. The fruits are small, tuberculate, 8-12 cm in size, and have no bitterness. Suitable for pickling and long-term storage remaining a quality product.
Aquarius
The Aquarius variety of early-ripening cucumbers, bee-pollinated, grown in open ground. Quite productive with small fruits, classic size 8-12 cm. This variety is genetically created without bitterness. It has a universal purpose. Cucumbers are delicious both fresh in salads and canned. The variety is resistant to powdery mildew, as well as olive and brown spot. The yield of cucumbers of the Aquarius variety can be up to 7 kg per 1 m2.
Zozulya F1
An early ripening hybrid, cucumbers of the Zozulya variety are parthenocarpic, self-pollinating. Fruiting of cucumbers begins early, 40-45 days after germination. It has predominantly female flowers. Growing mainly in spring greenhouses, in film tunnels. The fruits are slightly tuberculate, weighing 150-300g, white-thorned, cucumber size 14-23 cm. The harvest ripens uniformly and in a large mass. It is resistant to cucumber diseases.
Russian emerald F1
Mid-season hybrid, cucumber with a beautiful emerald-rich color. Tasty when pickled. Self-pollinating, ripens from germination to the appearance of the first fruits in 45-55 days. The variety has dark, cylindrical, coarsely tuberous greens, without a neck, 14-16 cm long. Suitable for growing in film greenhouses, as well as in open ground. Good taste of both fresh and salted fruits.
Ginga F1
The variety is early ripening, grows in 43-45 days, it is a self-pollinating parthenocarpic hybrid. It is used when growing both in open ground and in greenhouses, under film in greenhouses. Plants with predominantly female flower types. As a rule, 2-3 fruits are formed in each node of the plant.
The fruits of the variety "Ginga F1" - these gherkins look very beautiful, have a classic size of 8-10 cm, with small tubercles in appearance. The variety was created genetically to have no bitterness. It tastes good both fresh and canned. Resistant to cucumber diseases, downy mildew, and cucumber mosaic virus.
Zyatek F1
The Zyatek variety is a parthenocarpic hybrid, with early ripening, 45-48 days from germination to harvest. Flowering type is female. It is used for growing fruits both in open ground and in film greenhouses. Sowing seeds for seedlings is carried out in the 3rd decade of April, planting seedlings in the ground in the phase of 3-5 leaves at the beginning of June or at the end of May, depending on weather conditions. Planting pattern 50x50 cm.
Cucumber greens are white-thorned, without bitterness, weigh up to 100 grams, length - 10-12 cm, diameter up to 3.5 cm. The color of the skin is dark green with light stripes. The use of cucumbers of this variety is universal, the yield is good, from 5 to 7 kg per plant.
Ira F1
A variety with an early ripening type, bee-pollinated, productive hybrid.
The Ira variety has mainly female flowers. The fruits are small cucumbers, grow about 10-12 cm long, they are rarely tuberculate, and weigh about 80-150 g.
The Ira variety has excellent taste, suitable fresh and for preparing pickled and canned cucumbers.
Othello F1
An early-ripening, productive (10 kg/m2) variety, fruit ripening in 41-45 days, Othello is a hybrid pollinated by bees. The fruits have cylindrical shape- 8-10 cm, finely tuberculate in structure, the variety was created genetically without bitterness. Mostly grown in open ground. Othello variety cucumbers are suitable fresh, both for pickling and canning. Resistant to cucumber diseases, powdery mildew, as well as cucumber mosaic virus.
Moscow delicacy F1
Parthenocarpic self-pollinating, early ripening, hybrid, fruit ripening in 42 days. The Moscow Delicacy variety is a medium-climbing plant, the ovaries grow in a bunch of 2-3 fruits.
Cucumbers of the Moscow Delicacy variety have beautiful cylindrical fruits, small, finely tuberculate, genetically grown to have no bitterness, the peculiarity is that they do not outgrow.
Cucumbers are consumed fresh, canned and pickled. They are grown both in open and protected ground.
High-yielding variety, resistant to diseases - powdery mildew, downy mildew.
Moravian gherkin F1
Cucumbers are tasty, crispy, good in salads and pickles. The variety is mid-season, the fruit ripening time is 50-54 days. This is a bee-pollinated, productive hybrid, suitable for open ground and also film greenhouses.
Zelentsy are 8-10 cm long and have no bitterness. The Moravian gherkin variety has excellent taste and is used both fresh and for canning.
Monastic
Early ripening variety cucumbers, suitable for growing in open ground. An ancient variety, pollinated by bees, high-yielding. The fruits are elongated, small, medium-tubercular in shape. First of all, this variety is good for pickling and canning.
What varieties of cucumbers can be used for pickling for the winter?
Aleso
For pickling and canning, you need to choose medium-sized fruits, lumpy, with black thorns.
But these varieties of cucumbers are just suitable for pickling:
Muromsky, Nezhinsky, Stage, Nosovsky, Era, Altai, Voronezhsky, Altai, Beregovoy.
Hybrid cucumber varieties are also very good for pickling:
Salting F1, Nightingale F1, Gypsy F1, Liliput F1, Voronezh F1.
All these varieties of cucumbers differ from each other in taste and properties, especially when canned, and they turn out tasty and crunchy, and cucumbers of non-hybrid varieties provide good seed material.
If you harvest cucumbers every day, the formation of new ovaries will increase, and the cucumber bushes will begin to actively grow, and then there will be more harvest.
dolfanika
Any cucumbers can be used for pickling, but not salad cucumbers and early varieties. Those will be guaranteed to explode.
You can buy cucumbers of the “Siberian pickling” F1 variety, the variety recently appeared on the market, the cucumbers are early ripening. The size of the cucumbers is small, from 6 to 8 centimeters. Cucumbers of this variety are pickled. Its advantage is that the variety ripens early, tolerates bad weather well, and the cucumbers are delicious.
And the Nezhinsky 12 variety is very good for pickling. The weight of one cucumber is about ten centimeters, and the length is from 10 to 12 centimeters.
Large cucumbers should not be preserved, because if there are empty spaces, then the jars with such preservation will not last long.
Lorelei
It is believed that the most delicious pickles can be obtained from the fruits of bee-pollinated hybrids - these are the hybrids True Friends, Farmer, Lord, Captain, Teremok, Acorn. The greens of these cucumbers accumulate a lot of sugars and do not contain rough tissue.
Greens of parthenocarpic hybrids are also good for pickling - bunched gherkins (Ant, Grasshopper, Maryina Roshcha, Hit of the season, Chistye Prudy) and medium-fruited hybrids (Moscow evenings, Junior Lieutenant, Virenta, Cheetah).
It should be taken into account that it is better to pickle cucumbers for the winter at the end of the growing season, that is, closer to autumn.
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Varieties of cucumbers for canning and pickling
It has long been a tradition in Rus' to pickle cucumbers. Previously, they did this in barrels and tubs, but today they mainly do it in glass jars. Pickles are an indispensable folk snack, primarily for meat and potato main courses. Pieces of pickled cucumbers are an important component of vinaigrette, Olivier (some people prefer fresh cucumbers) and some other dishes.
All cucumbers can be divided into 3 types: salad cucumbers, intended for canning, and universal cucumbers.
Salt cucumbers are better, satisfying the following general criteria:
- They do not have significant internal voids.
- The skin should be thin and at the same time quite dense.
- How less seeds in cucumber, so much the better.
- It is advisable to pickle small and medium-sized cucumbers, the size of which does not exceed 13-15 cm. Very small cucumbers (less than 8 cm) are better to pickle.
- The flesh should be firm and crispy.
- Pay attention to the surface. It should contain a large number of tubercles necessarily covered with dark-colored spines.
The following varieties are well suited for pickling:
- "Altai"
- "Coastal"
- "Fabulous"
- "Voronezh"
- "Vyaznikovsky"
- "Bush"
- "Muromsky"
- "Nezhinka"
- "Nezhinsky"
- "Nosovsky"
- "Crisp"
- "Era"
- "Stage"
Among the hybrids we can distinguish:
- "Vanguard F1"
- "Adam F1"
- "Cupid F1"
- "Business F1"
- "Barrel pickling F1"
- "Funny guys F1"
- "F1 Look"
- "Aquarius F1"
- "Herman F1"
- "Darling F1"
- "Pickling F1"
- "Zozulya F1"
- "Katyusha F1"
- "Courage F1"
- "Levina F1"
- "Liliput F1"
- "Mama's Favorite F1"
- "Goosebumps F1"
- "Othello F1"
- "Finger F1"
- "Parisian Gherkin F1"
- "Pasadena F1"
- "Raznosol F1"
- "Regina F1"
- "Springhead F1"
- "Semcross F1"
- "Nightingale F1"
- "Gypsy F1"
Compared to conventional varieties, hybrids have better taste and external qualities, are less likely to get sick and allow you to harvest a more abundant harvest.
Of course, the article does not list all the varieties and hybrids of cucumbers that are best suited for pickling. If you think that the list is not complete, add it in the comments.
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The best varieties of cucumbers for pickling and canning
Housewives taking their first steps in canning often encounter the fact that cucumbers in one jar turn out crispy, juicy, tasty, while in another they turn out soft and watery.
And it seemed like they were doing everything according to the same recipe, using the same seasonings and spices, but the result was disappointing.
Experienced housewives know that, in addition to a proven recipe, it is necessary to choose the right variety of cucumbers, because not all are suitable for preservation.
Remember which varieties of cucumbers cannot be preserved - salad cucumbers.
They are excellent only fresh and lightly salted.
City dwellers who do not have land plot, you have to be content with purchased cucumbers at a vegetable base or market, where you rarely see information about the variety on the price tag.
Those who have their own plot of land are in a more advantageous position; they themselves decide what to plant and when, growing the right vegetables, which are suitable for canning, which can be grown both in open ground and in a greenhouse (in this article you can read about cucumbers for a greenhouse, their best varieties).
So what varieties of cucumbers are suitable for canning and pickling?
First of all, these are pickling and universal varieties. But when canning the latter, be prepared that you may not get crispy cucumbers.
Pickling varieties are distinguished by dense pulp, good ability to pass salt, they ripen together and produce fruits that are basically the same in length. For salting, it is better to choose late varieties of medium-sized cucumbers, without mechanical damage and emptiness inside.
Late varieties of pickling cucumbers are distinguished by the fact that they bear fruit for a longer period of time. Cucumbers ripen more than 50 days after planting the seeds.
On the market, cucumbers suitable for pickling can be identified by appearance- the color and thickness of the skin, the presence of spines and size.
Cucumbers should be dark green in color with medium-thick skin. Fruits with very thin skins are not suitable for preservation; try piercing them with your fingernail; if this is difficult, then you have ideal candidates for pickling.
Fruits with black thorns are considered the most suitable for canning. Optimal size 6-9 cm. They fit perfectly in jars and look beautiful on a dish.
An example of such cucumbers is the high-yielding early ripening variety Gypsy F1, the harvest of which can be harvested just a month and a half after sowing. The fruits are small, weighing on average 60-70 grams.
And be sure to taste them before processing vegetables; they should not be bitter.
Breeders strive to make life easier for housewives, so they have bred a large number of varieties and hybrids that are intended specifically for pickling. The most popular of them, which have proven themselves in the field of winter preparations, are considered.
It’s no secret that to get tasty and aromatic canned cucumbers, it’s not enough to choose a successful recipe. To ensure that the cucumbers come out crispy, firm, and rich in flavor, it is important to choose them correctly. The best varieties for pickling cucumbers today make up an impressive list and are not limited, as before, to the famous “Nezhinsky”, “Muromsky” and “Rodnichko”. More experienced housewives can name varieties such as “Era”, “Nezhinka”, “Nosovsky”, “Etap” among their favorites for preparations.
Among the long-known varieties for pickling, “Vodoley”, “Anulka F1”, “Nightingale”, “Vodograi”, “Bochkovoy F1”, “Ratibor”, etc. have proven themselves well. For pickling with vinegar, gherkins and cucumbers of medium length (not more than 8 cm), which can be obtained from seeds of the varieties “Othello F1”, “Liliput F1”, “Philipok F1”, “Children’s F1”, “Brownie F1”, “Angel”, etc.
Among modern varieties that have recently appeared on the market, the following varieties can be distinguished:
- "Karnak F1";
- "Zakuson F1";
- "Semcross F1";
- "Gypsy F1";
- "Ira F1";
- "Parisian gherkin"
- "Hermann";
- "Mama's Favorite F1";
- "Barrel pickling F1";
- "Courage F1".
The fruits of these varieties are small, elastic, with prickly pimples and soft, juicy pulp.
Among the varieties of Dutch selection, the Octopuss F1, Passalimo F1 and Ecole F1 varieties stand out for their taste. These varieties are preferable for pickling; they are ideal for both pickling in barrels and for glass containers. “Dolomite F1” and “Bettina F1” are also good. These varieties are resistant to diseases and produce excellent harvests.
In the middle zone, among the people’s favorite pickling varieties, the leaders are “old acquaintances”: “Zozulya”, “Altai”, “Magnificent”, “Primadonna”, “Champion”. “Crane”, “Bush” and the bee-pollinated “Crunchy” are also not far behind.
How to choose cucumbers for pickling
Despite such diversity, in order to choose the right cucumbers, you should not only be guided by their names, but also be able to identify the fruits suitable for pickling by eye. To do this, we carefully study:
- Size. For pickling, we choose medium-sized cucumbers, while small gherkins are more suitable for pickling with vinegar;
- Color. Of course, we don’t even look at the yellowish fruits. They usually have a rough skin and hard, large seeds. Light green cucumbers are good, especially with a white side (varieties “Zozulya”, “Anulka F1”, etc.);
- Peel. In order for the brine to easily penetrate inside the cucumber, it should not be prevented by too thick peel. When choosing a cucumber, press it down lightly with your fingernail. If the skin gives in easily, then it will be easy for the marinade to evenly saturate the entire fruit;
- Pimples. They are necessarily present on all pickled cucumbers, but they can also decorate fruits for salad. In order not to get confused, you need to look closely directly at the tips of the spikes. If they have black specks, you can safely roll them into jars, but if they are white, it’s better not to risk it.
There is another interesting way to determine the ideal cucumbers depending on the cooking method - by their “shirt”. There are three main ones:
1. “Slavic shirt” - pickled cucumbers have it. The pimples on them are quite large, but 
rarely located. This will allow the marinade to slowly penetrate inside, which increases elasticity and provides that crunch in the future.
2. “German shirt” is worn by cucumbers for pickling. Almost the entire surface of the cucumber is dotted with small small pimples. Thanks to this, the brine quickly penetrates inside. This property also allows you to get delicious lightly salted cucumbers in a short time.
3. And finally, the “Asian Shirt” is smooth, without thorns or pimples. We enjoy these cucumbers only as components of summer salads. They are not suitable for blanks.
Naturally, these are not all the best varieties of cucumbers for pickling - every year the selection is replenished with new species that are not inferior, and sometimes even superior to the “oldies” in their taste properties. We will monitor the young shoots and note all the advantages and disadvantages of the new varieties.
Crispy and aromatic canned cucumbers are suitable for a winter feast or family dinner. But to prepare them, it is not enough to use a special recipe that has been proven over the years. Here you will need the best variety of cucumbers, which will retain their quality when canned.
What should be the “correct” cucumbers for canning?
It’s easy to select greens for preservation; you just need to know their characteristics. Cucumbers for pickling should be small, without bitterness or voids, with thin skin. Their color is rich green or dark, with black spikes or pimples visible on the surface.
There are varieties suitable for preservation and fresh consumption, so to speak universal. Their skin is lighter, the surface is covered with tubercles, and the shape of the greens is spindle-shaped.
It is better not to use cucumbers for salad purposes for pickling at all. They are good as lightly salted, but during long-term storage they lose color and taste.
Characteristics and description of the best universal varieties of cucumbers for preservation
Universal varieties are gaining popularity, which is not surprising. They retain their presentation for a long time, do not outgrow and are quite suitable for pickling. The following varieties are widely known among them:
· Bush;
The “Malysh” variety is an early ripening variety; the first greens can be obtained 40 days after germination. The bush is compact, not fussy to grow, and rarely gets sick. Zelentsy are different small in size and good taste. Cucumbers are harvested when they reach 9 cm in length. The average fruit weight is about 70 grams. Cucumbers are dark in color, tuberous, slightly pubescent.
No less good variety"Bush". When pickled, greens turn out tasty and crispy. They are distinguished by their dark color and elongated shape. The average size is about 10 cm. They are stored fresh for a long time.
The Altai variety is suitable for growing in greenhouses and garden beds. Tolerates temperature fluctuations well and produces stable yields. It is often used in risky farming areas. Medium sized bushes, well leafy, disease resistant. The greens are elongated, their length reaches 11 cm. The average weight of the fruit is about 80 grams. The color is uniform, homogeneous, and is not lost after preservation.
Time-tested varieties of cucumbers are the best for canning
The old Russian varieties, which have been used for preservation and preparation for more than one year, also deserve attention. The most popular are:
· Coastal;
· Parisian gherkin;
· Crispy;
· Non-feminine;
· Voronezh.
Here are the characteristics and detailed description favorite varieties.
The Beregovoy variety belongs to the early high-yielding varieties. Zelentsy are picked 50 days after germination. The yield of the bush reaches 4 kg per 1 sq. m. beds. However, the plant is demanding regarding the composition of the soil, regular watering and warmth. Disease resistance is average, but powdery mildew is rarely affected. The ovaries are predominantly of the fascicle type. The fruits have an even green color, their skin is tuberous, and their shape is cylindrical. The taste is good, without bitterness. The average weight of greens is 120 grams, and the length reaches 12 cm.
The “Parisian Gherkin” variety is notable not only for its early fruit ripening, but also for its small size. They reach only 8-10 cm, average weight about 70 gr. The cucumbers are covered with small pimples, without bitterness, the skin is tender. The aroma and crunch of the fruit is preserved in preservation. The variety is suitable for open and protected ground, resistant to many diseases. Bears fruit consistently regardless of weather changes.
“Crispy” cucumbers are self-pollinating varieties and are suitable for greenhouses and greenhouses. By ripening period – mid-season. The first greens are picked after 60 days. The fruits are dark green in color with pronounced tubercles, the flesh is dense, without voids.
The proven variety “Nezhensky” consistently bears fruit in greenhouses and in the garden. Gives high yields during drought, but requires garter. Resistant to many diseases. The fruits are distinguished by black spines, a bumpy surface and rich color. Their average weight reaches 130 grams. They do not keep fresh for long.
Voronezh cucumbers are notable for their even shape and early ripening period. The skin is tuberous, green with yellow stripes. The pulp is dense, without bitterness.
The best modern hybrid varieties of cucumbers for pickling and canning
New hybrid varieties not only produce consistently high yields, but are also excellent for canning. Let's look at the most popular varieties that have good taste.
The “Goosebump” hybrid is an early ripening hybrid with a fascicular ovary type. The fruits have the following characteristics:
· short length;
· dark color;
· pronounced tuberosity.
Suitable for protected soil, flowers are predominantly female. The productivity is high, up to 7 kg of cucumbers are harvested from one bush. The variety is resistant to diseases.
Hybrid "Zozulya" is intended for conservation and preparation. Fruit early date mature, elongated, reach 20 cm in length, average weight up to 200 g. The taste is good, there is no bitterness, the skin is thin. The bush is demanding on soil and care, and is resistant to some diseases.
“Masha” cucumbers belong to very early hybrids. The harvest is given 1.5 months after germination. The fruits are gherkin-type, without bitterness, the skin is covered with pimples. Fruiting is long and undulating. The bushes are medium-sized, the flowers are predominantly female. They are grown both in greenhouses and open ground.
The hybrid variety "Courage" requires minimal attention when growing. Does not require pollination and produces early harvest. Gherkin-type greens with good taste.
Siberian pickled cucumbers are suitable for risky farming zones. They have all the necessary qualities:
· do not require pollination;
· yield the harvest early;
· rarely get sick;
· withstand temperature changes.
Greens grow in bunches, which allows for a high yield. The fruits are of the gherkin type; their length rarely exceeds 7 cm and their weight is 55 g. The taste is excellent and is preserved during preservation.
The hybrid variety “Zyatek” can also be grown everywhere. This is a self-pollinating bush, suitable for greenhouses and open ground, and easily adapts to any weather conditions. Gives a stable harvest of sweetish greens. The length of the cucumbers reaches 12 cm, and the weight is about 100 grams.
The gherkin “Boy Thumb” is one of the new hybrids. Gives stable yields, despite the vagaries of the weather. Up to 7 kg of fruits are collected from one bush. Cucumbers are the same size, beautiful and tasty. The average length is 10 cm. The pulp is juicy, dense, without bitterness, aromatic. The skin of greens is covered with large tubercles. The variety has no disadvantages.
There are still a lot of cucumbers for pickling; choosing the right ones is not always easy. Use the recommendations and start with proven varieties that have been used for pickling for years. Grow and preserve new hybrid varieties with them. Then there will always be crispy cucumbers on your table.
Before you start preparing vegetables for the winter, you need to know what the best varieties of cucumbers for pickling. After all, pickles have long been firmly established in our diet (and not only in winter). Traditionally, this vegetable is grown on their plots by amateur gardeners and gardeners; and, of course, they try to preserve harvested. Many people know that pickling is the most convenient and reliable way to preserve vegetables. But, unfortunately, not all varieties of cucumbers are suitable for this. Therefore, you need to figure out, so that your work does not go to waste, what varieties of cucumbers you need to take for pickling.
All existing varieties of cucumbers can be divided into three groups:
1) pickling - those from which we; they are optimally suited for pickling and are perfectly stored in salted form throughout the winter;
2) salad - they are best consumed exclusively fresh and for preparing salads;
3) gherkins - these cucumbers are universal; They are suitable for winter pickling or light salting, as well as for pickling or preparing fresh salads.
Therefore, even before planting cucumbers, you should select the right varieties.
The best varieties for pickling Ukraine- a region that is famous for its pickles - considers Avangard, Business, Aquarius, Vzglyad, Fingers, Favorit, Voronezh, Altai, Era, Nezhinsky, Murom, Vyaznikovsky, etc. These cucumbers belong to the category of simple pickling varieties and are characterized by high yield, lack of bitterness in the fruits and early ripening. It is also worth highlighting hybrid cucumbers of the first generation (F1) and new generations for pickling: Katyusha, Regina, Kurazh, Buyan, Zozulya, Anyuta, Murashka, Siberian pickling, Gypsy, Carolina, Rodnichok, etc. And from universal varieties: Aist, Dachny , Marinda, Farmer, Crane, Nightingale, Squadron and other types of gherkins.
When choosing varieties of cucumbers for pickling, you should not forget about their taste. For example, greenhouse options are more productive; but cucumbers grown in open ground are more aromatic and tasty. For this reason, if you buy cucumbers for pickling, you must clarify this detail.
Pickling varieties of cucumbers can be identified by the following characteristics. They are quite pimply (lumpy), with small sharp black spines that are easily removed when fully ripe. They have fewer seeds, and the flesh is denser, crispier, without internal voids. Pickling cucumbers are no more than 15 cm in length. The peel of pickling cucumbers is dark green and dense; after salting, it will not lose its beautiful rich shade, and the cucumbers themselves will remain elastic and crispy. Universal new varieties of cucumbers for pickling, which have come into use relatively recently, are also perfectly salted; albeit small in size (about 8 cm in length). The smallest ones - gherkins - about 3-4 cm long, are salted with spices or dill. This is exactly what you can do with them.
In addition to the above and recommended “ Cucumbers. Varieties for pickling", there are many other varieties. And every year there are more and more of them, and the choice is more diverse. But the main condition for preparing delicious pickled cucumbers is to choose the right one suitable variety according to him taste qualities and by fruit size.
Having figured out how varieties of cucumbers are selected for pickling, due attention should be paid to choosing a recipe. In principle, any classic recipe can be remade to suit individual tastes. For example, hot peppers or an abundance of aromatic ingredients are added to cucumbers. herbs, all kinds of spices and herbs. Or, on the contrary, pickle cucumbers with a minimum set of spices. Consider a recipe that is a classic basis for cold pickling cucumbers in jars.
Recipe “How to cold pickle cucumbers” (in jars)
To prepare pickles for one three-liter jar you will need:
- 1.5-2 kg of cucumbers,
- 1.5 liters of water,
- 3 cloves of garlic,
- 3 tbsp. (90 g) salt,
- several inflorescences (umbrellas) of dill,
- 2 leaves of horseradish,
- 7 pcs. cherry, black currant and oak leaves.
What type of cucumbers for pickling select as described above. And now the selected cucumbers are poured into a basin or bowl, washed under running water, are filled cold water and leave for 5-6 hours. Then the tails are cut off from both sides of the vegetables. Leaves are prepared: leaves of cherry, black currant, oak and horseradish; dill inflorescences, and also peel the garlic cloves. Glass jars thoroughly washed and dried; Additionally, they can be calcined in the oven or in a steam bath. Part of the prepared set of leaves and garlic are placed at the bottom of the jars. Afterwards, the cucumbers are laid vertically, with layers of leaves and herbs spread between them. And thus to the top of the container. The last cucumbers should cover the same leaves.
Brine for cucumbers is prepared in this way. The required volume of water is measured and salt is added to it at the rate of 1.5 liters of water - 90 g of salt. The brine is stirred wooden spoon and left to settle for 2 minutes so that all foreign impurities settle to the bottom. The brine needs to be filtered and poured clean into jars for cucumbers. Nylon lids for sealing jars (or special polyethylene ones for preservation) are lowered into hot water for a couple of minutes, and then they are taken out and immediately put on the jars before they cool down. This ends. All that remains is to transfer the jars of cucumbers to a cool place, and in one month they will be salted and ready for use.
Pickling cucumbers at home is old tradition, which is present in almost every family. And each has its own – special – recipes for salting these vegetables. But, as it turned out, it’s not enough to have the secrets of the technology for making winter pickles! You also need to choose the right cucumbers for this! And you probably learned how to do this by reading all the above instructions and recommendations. Happy pickling!
Each owner of a household plot or plot of land plans in advance: what kind of vegetables and fruits he will grow; which of them will be consumed fresh, and which will be used for homemade preparations. Experienced housewives know that the key to success in winter preparations is not only strict adherence to the recipe, but also the quality of the raw materials. At first glance, all cucumbers are similar, but this impression is deceptive, because the varieties of this vegetable are divided into salad varieties (intended for fresh consumption) and those intended for pickling and canning. If you plan to preserve cucumbers for the winter, it is better to immediately plant varieties suitable for this in the garden.
The article gives useful tips about how to external signs select the most suitable varieties of cucumbers for canning, and also talks about modern and classic varieties suitable for pickling. Fans of home gardens will also be able to find useful information about the correct choice of cucumber seeds for planting for preservation. In this article you will also find useful information on selecting cucumbers for canning, as well as photos and descriptions of the best varieties. In addition, we will provide several simple but tried-and-true recipes that will help keep vegetables tasty and crisp throughout the winter.
Cucumbers for canning: varieties
When buying cucumbers in a retail chain or on the market, it can be quite difficult to determine by their appearance which specimens are suitable for canning. Therefore, you need to know that all cucumbers are conventionally divided into salad, pickling and universal.
Note: Salad cucumbers are used only fresh or for making salads. When marinated, they become too soft and lose their taste. They are easy to recognize by their absolutely smooth thick skin and small white spines.
The peel of pickling cucumbers is somewhat harsh, and they themselves, as a rule, are small in size. Try them to the touch - they should be very lumpy due to large quantity dark thorns. Pickling varieties of cucumbers are used for cold pickling and canning for the winter (Figure 1). Cucumbers of universal varieties are suitable for consumption both fresh and for pickling. These cucumbers are also covered with dark-colored thorns. If you have the opportunity to look at a cucumber in cross-section, pay attention to the density of the pulp. The denser it is, the better the pickling qualities of greens.
So, summarizing the above, when choosing cucumbers for canning, pay attention to the following points:
- Cucumbers should have an even cylindrical shape (a slight bend is possible), and their optimal length should be about 15 cm.
- The dark green skin should be quite dense, but when pressed with a fingernail it should be easy to pierce and show no signs of damage.
- The skin must have dark thorns.
- The greens should be dense and elastic to the touch.
- There are no voids in the cut, the flesh is dense and crisp, the number of seeds is minimal.
- The taste is sweet, without bitterness.
Figure 1. External features of pickling cucumbers If you are going to grow cucumbers on home garden, when purchasing seeds, carefully read the description of the variety on the package to make the right choice.
The best varieties of cucumbers for canning
Pickling and universal varieties of cucumbers, which have tuberous skin with black thorns, are recognized as the best for canning. Among them there are the old, proven, classic varieties that are familiar to us (“Nezhinsky”, “Muromsky”) and modern ones, bred in the selection process (F1 varieties). Unlike modern hybrids, from which seeds cannot be collected, the old variety “Nezhinsky” is still widespread due to its high yield, excellent taste and drought resistance (Figure 2).
Note: On its basis, such modern varieties as “Nezhinsky 12”, “Nosovsky”, “Nezhinka” have been bred, which are also ideal for pickling and provide seed material.
The old bee-pollinated variety “Muromsky”, resistant to low temperatures, is ultra-early ripening. Its fruits are small, have a characteristic aroma and wonderful taste. When canned, cucumbers remain firm and crispy. The only drawback of this variety is the rapid overripening of the fruits.
Figure 2. The best pickling varieties: 1 - Nezhinsky, 2 - Muromsky, 3 - Altai, 4 - Competitor Among the popular varieties one can also name “Altai”, “Beregovoy”, “Voronezhsky”, “Crunchy”, “Zasolochny”, “Parisian Gherkin”, “Competitor”. The Altai variety has become widespread due to its unpretentiousness in care, resistance to weather changes and many known diseases of cucumbers. Its fruits are small (about 9-10 cm), which makes it possible to roll them into small jars. The best hybrid varieties are Murashka F1, Rodnichok F1, Zastolny F1, Buran F1, Natasha F1. Among them, “Murashka” is self-pollinating, “Rodnichok” and “Zastolny” are pollinated by bees, and “Buran” can be grown even indoors.
The right choice of seeds for planting for conservation
If you prefer to harvest vegetables grown in your own garden for the winter, be responsible when choosing seed material. First of all, pay attention to the information on the packaging. on her front side As a rule, there is a photo of ripe fruits. Take a closer look at what type of cucumber the appearance data refers to. Do not forget that the image does not always correspond to reality and may be embellished. Therefore, take the time to carefully read the information printed on back side package, or consult the seller.
In this case, pay attention to the following nuances:
- Resistance to bad weather conditions and diseases;
- Shade tolerance;
- Lack of bitter taste due to lack of moisture;
- Early ripening (mid-season and late varieties are best suited for canning);
- Massive yield.
Give preference to varieties that are most adapted to your area of residence, and, of course, take into account your own wishes. Thus, lovers of small canned cucumbers can purchase gherkin seeds, the fruits of which do not outgrow. And those who do not have their own garden can grow pickling cucumbers with bunched ovaries in an apartment. In cold regions of Russia, there is a high risk of losing the cucumber harvest due to weather conditions, which do not always allow bees to fly out in search of nectar and pollinate flowers. Therefore, in such conditions, self-pollinating varieties of cucumbers suitable for pickling are most often used: “Cupid”, “White Angel”, “Chipmunk”, “Herman”, “Kroshka Enot”, “Crispina”, “Boy with a Thumb” (Figure 3) . The above varieties are F1 hybrids, so seeds collected from them do not bear fruit.
Figure 3. The best varieties for preservation: 1 - Amur, 2 - German, 3 - Crispina, 4 - Thumb Boy If all the listed characteristics satisfy you, pay attention to the expiration date and integrity of the packaging. The package must be intact and dry, and the expiration date must not be too close to the time of purchase. As a rule, there are no problems with this in specialized stores. The slightest suspicion regarding the quality of the seed should be a signal to refuse such a purchase.
Classic varieties
Despite the constant emergence of new varieties of cucumbers, there are those that for many years have not given up their position in the primacy of canning. This is due to the characteristics that are necessary for high-quality marinating and storage of the product. The main varieties of cucumbers that are perfect for pickling and produce high-quality seeds for future planting are the following: Nezhinsky, Muromsky, Nosovsky, Nezhenka, Era, Etap, Altai, Khrustashchiy, Beregovoy, Voronezhsky, Velikolepny, Kustovoy, Vyaznikovsky. After marinating, all of them retain their crispy flesh and characteristic cucumber taste.
At the same time, the listed varieties also have a number of disadvantages:
- rapid yellowing of fruits;
- uneven ripening;
- low resistance to disease;
- average yield.
Therefore, having planted these varieties in your home garden, be extremely careful when harvesting, which must be collected daily. Otherwise, the fruits begin to turn yellow right on the bushes and become unsuitable for further canning.
Modern varieties
Every year there are more and more new varieties of cucumbers developed as a result of breeding work. Unlike classical varieties, hybrids are pleased with high yield (due to the absence of barren flowers), earlier and more uniform ripening, stability and high quality of the harvest, and the absence of bitterness in the fruits. Pickled cucumbers are crispy and have a rich taste.
Note: The following hybrid varieties are considered the best: Avangard, Business, Vzglyad, Aquarius, Palchik, Favorit, which are distinguished by high pickling properties. They can be grown both outdoors and in closed ground, since these are early and mid-ripening varieties.
Self-pollinating varieties such as “White Angel F1” and “Chipmunk F1”, “Kroshka F1” and “Kroshka Enot F1”, “Aristocrat F1”, and “Mother-in-law F1” are also popular. Lovers of small crispy gherkins can try pickling cucumbers of the “Liliput”, “Parisian Gherkin” or “Tom Thumb” cucumbers, which are distinguished by their high yield and suitability for canning.
Figure 4. Modern varieties of pickling cucumbers: 1 - Emelya, 2 - Zozulya, 3 - Marathon Varieties such as “Emelya”, “Zozulya”, “Marathon” (Figure 4) can be used as salad varieties, as well as for pickling. However, they are not suitable for long-term storage, so they are prepared lightly salted so that prolonged exposure to brine does not change the structure of the fruit and its taste. In addition, it is recommended to use only early fruits for this purpose.
Varieties of cucumbers for canning
Many novice gardeners think that cucumbers for salads and canning have virtually no differences. In fact, there is a certain difference between them, which can be established by careful examination of the fruits (Figure 5).
Cucumbers for salads and canning differ in the following parameters:
- Salad varieties quite large, but at the same time their skin is light and smooth. Such vegetables do not last long, and if you preserve them in jars, the fruits will lose their color and taste. In addition, jars with such cucumbers often explode due to the presence of air gaps in the pulp.
- Varieties intended for pickling and canning usually small or medium. The skin of such vegetables is dark, but quite thin, often covered with tubercles or spines.
- Universal varieties Can be either canned or eaten fresh. The fruits are medium-sized, covered with thin skin and white tubercles with spines.
Using these parameters, you can evaluate cucumbers when purchasing in a store or at the market in order to choose exactly those vegetables that are best suited for preparing winter preparations.
Figure 5. External features of salad, pickling and universal cucumbers (from left to right) In addition, there are a number of other parameters by which cucumbers should be selected for canning. Firstly, the length of the fruit should not exceed 15 cm, and the peel should be uniformly dark and without signs of any mechanical damage. Secondly, it is advisable to choose vegetables with lumpy skin and thorns. To make vegetables look attractive in jars, it is better to choose smooth specimens without bends.
The quality of cucumbers can also be assessed by their taste. The pulp should be firm, without bitterness or voids, and with a minimum number of seeds. In addition, it is desirable that the fruits are firm and elastic to the touch.
Recipes for pickling and canning cucumbers
If you have already chosen cucumbers for canning and brought them home, you will definitely be interested in simple recipes their preparations for the winter. However, before actual cooking, you need to prepare the vegetables themselves.
Note: If you picked cucumbers from own garden bed, it will be enough to simply wash the vegetables and soak them in cold water for two hours. For purchased cucumbers, the preparation will take longer.
If you bought cucumbers at the market or in a store, you must soak them in water. It is advisable to leave them to soak overnight, since you do not know exactly when the cucumbers were picked or how long they were stored before purchasing. Soaking will help saturate the vegetable pulp with liquid, which is necessary to ensure that the fruit remains crisp even after heat treatment.
After soaking, the cucumbers must be washed and sorted by size. In addition, during the sorting process, it is imperative to remove rotten or damaged specimens, since such cucumbers, even if sterilized, can lead to the lid swelling or the jar exploding.
Jars and lids should be prepared separately. Glass containers are thoroughly washed with a stiff brush and soda, rinsed with running water and left to dry on a towel with the neck down. Metal lids should also be rinsed with running water and boiled in water for 15 minutes. After this, the jars must be sterilized in any convenient way. If you will be covering a lot of cucumbers at once, it is better to use a conventional oven for this purpose.
Cold pickling
The method of cold pickling cucumbers is considered the most simple option preparing winter preparations. In this case, vegetables do not undergo heat treatment, and their preservation is ensured by natural fermentation processes that occur in brine (Figure 6).
Note: Despite the simplicity of the method, it should be borne in mind that cold-pickled cucumbers can only be stored in a cool room (in the refrigerator, on the balcony or in the basement). Otherwise, the product may quickly deteriorate.
For pickling you will need 2 kg of cucumbers, 2 dill umbrellas, 5 cherry and currant leaves, 1 large clove of garlic, horseradish leaves and root, several black peppercorns. Separately, you need to prepare the components for the brine. For it you will need two liters of water and 4 heaped tablespoons of salt. It is advisable to take well water, as it makes vegetables more tasty and piquant.
Figure 6. Cold salting steps Now you can proceed directly to salting. To do this, place half the greens and a few slices of garlic on the bottom of sterilized jars, then fill the container with cucumbers and cover the top with greens again. Next, we begin to prepare the brine: take cold water, pour it into a large container and pour in salt. The liquid must be thoroughly mixed so that the salt crystals are completely dissolved. It is advisable to let the brine sit for a while, as sediment may form in it, which is not used for pouring cucumbers.
When the brine is ready, pour it into a jar and cover it with a nylon lid. It is advisable to immediately place the jars in a basin or other large container, since during the fermentation process the brine will begin to flow out of the jar. Leave the cucumbers for three days at room temperature. During this time, part of the brine will leak out, and the liquid itself in the jar will become cloudy. This is an absolutely normal process, but to ensure the quality of the product, you need to open the jar and remove any foam or mold that may have formed on the surface. Next, close the jar again and transfer it to a cool storage place.
If desired, you can add hot pepper or mustard seeds to this preparation, which will add additional piquancy to the appetizer.
The salting process is shown in more detail in the video.
Hot salting
Residents of city apartments find it difficult or almost impossible to constantly keep jars of cucumbers in the cold. But, if you prefer salted rather than pickled cucumbers, you can always use the hot pickling method. Such blanks are quite successfully stored at room temperature, in a regular pantry (Figure 7).
Note: When pickling cucumbers hot, vinegar is used as a preservative, which will not only preserve the vegetables, but also prevent the proliferation of pathogenic microorganisms inside the container.
First of all, you need to rinse and sterilize the jars and lids, and soak the cucumbers for several hours in cold water, and then rinse again. Separately, you should prepare spices that will add piquancy to the appetizer: dill umbrellas, black and allspice peas, horseradish leaves and roots. The amount of spices is determined by personal taste preferences and the number of jars you plan to use.
To prepare the brine, you will need a liter of water and a heaped tablespoon of salt. You need to use regular rock salt, as iodized jars can cause explosions. We first place herbs and spices in clean, sterilized jars, then tightly fill the containers with cucumbers so that there is minimal amount voids.
Figure 7. Hot salting sequence Now let's start preparing the brine. The salt must be dissolved in water at room temperature, and the liquid must be brought to a boil. The amount of brine ingredients given above is basic, and the total amount of liquid is determined individually during the pickling process, depending on the number of jars. While the brine is hot, pour it into jars and seal them plastic lids and leave for three days. After this, the brine needs to be drained, and the cucumbers and herbs themselves should be rinsed several times with running water. This can be done very conveniently using a special lid with holes.
Next, you need to prepare a second brine, thanks to which the workpiece will be successfully stored throughout the winter. To do this, dissolve a teaspoon of salt in a liter of water and mix thoroughly. This will leave a small sediment at the bottom of the container that will not be used. Pour the finished brine into cold jars, and seal the containers themselves with metal lids.
After such pickling, cucumbers can be stored quite successfully at room temperature, but after opening the container, it is better to put the preparation in the refrigerator.
Savory Recipes
You can not only pickle cucumbers for the winter, but also pickle them. Recipes for spicy vegetables that can be used as snacks are especially popular. We have selected the simplest recipe for delicious, spicy cucumbers that can be easily prepared for the winter at home (Figure 8).
To prepare the snack you will need the following ingredients (quantities are based on a 0.7 liter jar): about 10 medium-sized cucumbers, 2 bay leaves, half a sweet bell pepper, 1 clove of garlic, 2 dill umbrellas, a pinch of mustard seeds and 3 tablespoons nine percent vinegar. The recipe also involves preparing brine, for which you will need a liter of water, one and a half tablespoons of rock salt without additives and 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar.
Note: It is better to take sand rather than regular sugar, since it dissolves much faster in water.
A step-by-step recipe for preparing spicy pickled cucumbers is as follows:
- We wash the vegetables, wash the jars and lids and sterilize them. It is better to take small or medium-sized cucumbers. In addition, their tails and noses need to be removed.
- Place bay leaves, mustard seeds and garlic on the bottom of the jars. You also need to add to each jar bell pepper, cut into small cubes, and dill umbrellas.
- Next, tightly pack the cucumbers into the jar and pour in the vinegar.
- Separately, prepare the brine: bring water to a boil, add salt and sugar, boil for several minutes and pour hot into jars.
Figure 8. Features of pickling cucumbers at home At the final stage of preparation, the jars should be covered with lids and sterilized for 15 minutes. After this, we roll up the containers with metal lids, turn them upside down, wrap them up and leave them at room temperature until they cool.
