avg —
Nizhin Cucumber Salad for Winter
Instructions
I get all the ingredients ready for the Nizhin cucumber salad for winter.
Cucumbers are usually soaked for a couple of hours before canning. For this preserve you can skip that step and start straight away. I cut the cucumbers into 5 mm rounds.
I shred the onion into long, thin feathers.
I chop the herbs.
I transfer the chopped ingredients to a pot.
I season everything with the salt and sugar.
Here I also pour in the oil.
Now the cucumber mixture needs to be stirred thoroughly for 2-3 minutes, after which its volume decreases a little. I cover the contents with a lid and leave it like that for 4 hours.
Once the time is up, the cucumbers release a lot of juice and settle even more. I get the canning jars ready, sterilising them in any way that suits me.
I put the pot over the heat and, the moment it comes to the boil, pour in a spoonful of vinegar and stir the mixture.
I cook it for 5 minutes, all the while swapping the bottom and top layers. I switch off the stove and fill the jars with salad right up to the neck.
After sealing with screw caps or a canning machine, I turn the jars upside down and then wrap them in a thick towel. But, so that the cucumbers do not turn out too soft, as if boiled, I keep them in this thermal bath for only 2 hours.
You can store the Nizhin cucumber salad for winter in a heated room, just not next to a heat source. In the room it will keep until the next harvest. And if you have a cool cellar, that is even more reliable, although no preserves are recommended to be kept for more than a year. A crunchy snack like this brightens up even the most ordinary side dish, so do give it a try.
Tips
- 1
Any cucumbers – the "secret" to thrift. Crooked, overripe, twisted – they all work. It is ideal for the "not-for-show" cucumbers from the garden.
- 2
The 4-hour rest – the "secret" to juice. In this time the cucumbers release their juice, settle and noticeably shrink in volume.
- 3
2 hours under a blanket – the "secret" to crunch. Any longer and the cucumbers turn out "boiled". Exactly 2 hours and they stay crunchy.
- 4
Vinegar as it comes to the boil – the "secret" to aroma. Added earlier, it evaporates. Added right before the 5-minute cooking, it gives a bright tang. The same principle works in other kinds of cucumber salads for winter.
Video
FAQ
Which cucumbers should you choose? +
Ideally, pickling varieties (Nizhinsky, Parisian Gherkin, Rodnichok) – they have a brighter flavour. Alternatives: bumpy greenhouse cucumbers or smooth salad ones. A size of 8-15 cm is best. Fresh ones are firm, dark green and free of spots. Seed brands such as "Gavrish", "Poisk" and "Semko" are reliable. A special feature of this recipe is that any cucumbers will do (even crooked and overripe ones). Not suitable: any with obvious mould or rot. Soak fresh cucumbers in cold water for 1-2 hours before slicing and they will stay crunchy. Trim off the ends, as they often taste bitter. Do not peel them, as the skin adds crunch. For a "premium" version, use farm-grown garden cucumbers.
What can you use instead of onion? +
Alternatives: sweet red onion (150 g – milder and prettier), sweet white "Exhibition" onion (150 g – "premium"), yellow onion (150 g – the "classic"), shallots (150 g – more delicate). Fresh, firm onion is the "premium" choice. Do not use: sprouted onion with green shoots (it tastes bitter) or stale onion with spots. For a "spicy" salad, increase it to 200 g and add 1 garlic clove. For a "mild" one, reduce it to 100 g. Seed brands such as "Gavrish", "Aelita" and "Poisk" are reliable. For a "premium" version, use farm-grown Yalta red onion.
How long does the salad keep? +
In sterile, sealed jars at room temperature – up to 1 year. In a cool cellar – up to 1.5 years. Once opened, in the refrigerator – 5-7 days. Write the canning date on the jars. If a lid bulges, do not open it – throw it away. Do not store it in the sun, or the colour will "fade". Ideally use it within the first 8-10 months. Can it in 0.5-0.7 l jars, as they are easier to open. Before serving, take it out 15-20 minutes ahead (cold "mutes" the flavours). Without the 2 hours under a blanket, cut the keeping time to 6 months. Do not leave an open jar at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
What do you serve the salad with? +
A snack in its own right – with a hot meat dish. With fried or boiled potatoes. With steak, shashlik or lamb ribs – a "manly" serving. With pelmeni and varenyky – a "winter" one. With a shot of cold vodka – a "Russian" one. With a rice or buckwheat side. With pilaf or fried rice. With boiled chicken or turkey. With fried fish. With light beer – a "bar" serving. For a "family lunch" – with mash and meat. With cheese and olives – a "Mediterranean" serving. With a bowl of borscht as a starter. With meat pies. A versatile lightly salted snack for winter meals.
- Comment
or post as a guest
Be the first to comment.
