Pickled Cucumbers in an Autoclave
An autoclave is a special hermetic device for performing operations that require strong heating and higher pressure compared to atmospheric. In such conditions, it is possible to achieve an accelerated reaction. With the help of the device, it is especially convenient and practical to make preparations for the winter: tomatoes, peppers, etc. But pickled cucumbers turn out especially well.
Cucumbers in an Autoclave: Popular Recipes
There are quite a few recipes for preparing cucumbers in this device. You can make several at once or choose the most interesting option. Most of them do not require any exotic ingredients, so they do not cause much difficulty in the cooking process.
Recipe No. 1
Before you start pickling, you need to prepare all the ingredients:
- cucumbers;
- table salt;
- garlic;
- black peppercorns;
- greens (usually dill);
- horseradish;
- bay leaf;
- black currant leaves;
- fresh pepper (red);
- vinegar;
- water.
For preparing a simple recipe, it is recommended to choose only fresh, firm medium-sized cucumbers. Soft, dried, or overripe vegetables are not suitable for winter preparations. It is best that the cucumbers are picked from the stem within the last day; otherwise, they may not be tasty enough.
The preparation is carried out as follows:
- The selected fruits must be thoroughly washed under running water. Then they need to be soaked in a deep container (you can use a basin or pot) for 60–65 minutes.
- The preparation of the marinade strongly depends on how tightly the cucumbers are placed in the jar. Usually, about 300–400 g per liter jar is needed. To get the marinade necessary for pickling, dissolve 100 g of table salt and 50 g of sugar in two liters of water. Then the water is thoroughly mixed and gradually heated until boiling.
- Next, the jars need to be assembled. To do this, the pre-prepared ingredients are distributed among the jars. The horseradish stem is cut into 5 cm (+/- 1 cm) pieces and placed one on the bottom of each jar. A dill umbrella also needs to be placed in each container. Then add a currant leaf and bay leaf, 2 allspice peas, and a few black peppercorns. You need 3 or 4 cloves of garlic.
- Vegetables are laid gradually, horseradish is added in parallel.
- Sliced hot pepper is placed on top of the cucumbers in the jar.
Cucumbers are laid tightly, but they should not be tamped. The final stage is pouring the prepared jar with boiled marinade. It is necessary to leave a small (2–3 cm) space filled with air. It will also be necessary to add 2 tablespoons of 9% vinegar. Before screwing on the lids, you need to check the temperature in one of the jars.
The next step is preservation using the autoclave. The temperature measurement was necessary because, with prolonged exposure to high temperature, cucumbers in the jar are boiled and become unsuitable for food. To avoid the unwanted transformation of cucumbers into "mash," the heating duration of the autoclave should be reduced, as well as the preservation procedure maximally accelerated.
For the autoclave to quickly prepare pickled cucumbers, you need to pour water of the same temperature as in the jar into it. After installing them in special cassettes and loading them into the autoclave, you need to cover it with a lid and turn on the heating.
When the temperature in the device reaches:
- If the thermometer is at the top of the container – cook for 5 minutes at 90 degrees.
- If the thermometer is at the bottom of the container – cook for 5 minutes at 100 degrees.
The preparation will be finished when the pressure in the device reaches zero.
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Recipe No. 2
Another simple recipe, which in general resembles the first option, but there are some differences.
For preparation you will need:
- half a kilogram of selected cucumbers;
- celery (leaves);
- horseradish;
- parsley;
- dill;
- garlic;
- black pepper (ground and whole);
- bay leaf;
- red bell pepper.
Half of the prepared ingredients should be placed in a sterilized jar. Then the thoroughly washed cucumbers are placed there. When placing, you need to try to make the vegetables as close to each other as possible. But it is not allowed to tamp them in the jar, as this can spoil their appearance and soft "bedsores" will appear.
In parallel with the preparation of the jars, it is necessary to make the brine. In one liter of water, you need to dissolve 50 grams of ordinary table salt. Then bring it to a boil, after which strain it using gauze.
Sterilization of jars is carried out by keeping them in hot water for a quarter of an hour. The recipe assumes that instead of brine, you can use a special marinade, for the preparation of which you need:
- 50 grams of table salt;
- 50 grams of sugar;
- spices and herbs to taste;
- 9% vinegar.
It, like the brine, must be boiled for a quarter of an hour. Then the marinade is poured into the prepared jars, which after that need to be sealed.
Next, you need to place the prepared jars in the autoclave to quickly preserve them. The principle is similar to the previous recipe. The main thing is not to overexpose the cucumbers so that they do not soften.
Recipe No. 3
As in previous cases, first of all you need to choose the optimal cucumbers. Small fruits, ripe and firm, are best. If you soak them in water at room temperature for about 60 minutes, they will become crisper. They should be dried naturally.
Before using the autoclave, you need to check the operability of the device: make sure that the lid is intact and that there is a special sealing ring. It should lie evenly and tightly; otherwise, the cooking process may be disrupted.
If the device does not provide for the presence of cassettes, which compensate for the difference in pressure between the jars and the device, then you should use a pump through the nipple to pump oxygen into the autoclave tank. This will prevent the jars from bursting during cooking and heating.
Then the device should be allowed to cool to about 30 degrees. Then, again using the nipple, gradually reduce the pressure level. Heating or cooling with jerks, sudden pressure drop or increase is also not recommended, as this may cause the jars to open.
Before opening the lid, it is necessary to turn the pressure relief valve once more for control. This action will make sure that the internal and external pressure is equalized. If there are no changes, it is allowed to open the autoclave lid.
Before preserving cucumbers with the device, you need to prepare a marinade and pour it over cucumbers and other ingredients. Empty jars must be well washed and sterilized. About 300–400 grams of marinade will be needed per 1-liter jar. Recipe for preparing a jar of cucumbers:
- In two liters of water, dilute 100 grams of table salt + 50 grams of sugar. The resulting mixture is thoroughly mixed and placed on low heat until it boils. Then you need to cook the solution for another five minutes.
- In parallel with the preparation of the marinade, the necessary components are placed in empty jars. Horseradish stems need to be cut into 5–6 cm pieces. Then add greens (dill, parsley, cilantro) to taste. Next, add currant and bay leaves, a couple of peppercorns, and a few garlic cloves.
- Then cucumbers are tightly placed in the jar, after which pour with brine or marinade. Do not forget about the air gap (2–3 cm), which will prevent the jars from opening. Also, you should add vinegar (9%) and seal the lids.
Vegetable jars are placed into the autoclave, which should be turned off beforehand. This will prevent cucumbers from being under high temperature for too long. The marinade is recommended to be poured slightly cooled.
The device is heated:
- If the thermometer is at the top of the container – cook for 10 minutes at 90 degrees.
- If the thermometer is at the bottom of the container – cook for 10 minutes at 100 degrees.
Then the heating stops. When the pressure drops to zero, you can open the lid and take out the preserved jars.
Do not open the autoclave lid when it is under pressure. Do not start the device when it contains water. It is strictly forbidden to exceed the permissible pressure value specified in the user manual. It is strongly recommended not to use containers with labels for sterilization.
Buy an autoclave with suitable characteristics on our website. The catalog of the company "UKRPROMTEKH-special steel" presents a wide selection of models of various volumes, costs, and power. If necessary, you can choose a universal or gas device. We also present models of industrial autoclaves for canning, for the production of long-term storage products on a large scale. We work all over Ukraine.
The specialists of our company are always ready to help in choosing the optimal autoclave by properties, answer any questions of interest, or place an order for the purchase of the device. To get a free consultation with a manager, call (067) 370-27-22 or (050) 376-60-86. To buy your chosen model, just add it to the cart on the website and pay in a convenient way.
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