The fruits of the squash crop are excellent not only for fresh consumption, but also for preservation for the winter, for example, in a salty form. Thanks to salting, you can easily get an appetizing and vitamin-rich snack, which is in no way inferior to cucumbers prepared in this way. Recipes and features of the preparation of salted zucchini will be considered in the article.
How to choose and prepare zucchini
Zucchini is one of the most popular vegetables available throughout the summer season. Due to their low calorie content, they are also a frequent part of the diet of those people who suffer from excess weight and cellulite. In addition, their use has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the body as a whole, and in particular on the activity of the kidneys and liver, and the nervous system. These vegetables are recommended for high blood pressure, diabetes.
However, the summer months are not the only time to enjoy these wonderful garden fruits. Today pickles, preserves, frosts, caviar and even jam from the summer squash harvest are becoming more and more popular. Thus, this vegetable acts as a biologically active vitamin supplement.
A practical way to preserve zucchini in winter is to place them in jars for salting, which makes it possible to store them in this form even at room temperature.
Those vegetables that do not exceed a length of 7–8 cm are subject to salting, while the rest (up to 20 cm in length, up to 400–500 g in weight) are best cut into circles, while maintaining a thickness of each about 1–2 cm.
The main criteria in the selection of fruits suitable for salting are their integrity and density, as well as incomplete ripeness (the absence of formed and already hardened grains): the young age of the vegetable will ensure its elasticity and a pleasant crunch at the end of salting. On the skin of the fruit, there should be no dents, scratches or other damage, as well as external signs of staleness (spots, etc.). Whole vegetables are preferably pierced in several places with a toothpick or fork.
In order to improve the taste characteristics of the snack, a variety of spices, herbs and leaves are used. All ingredients must be thoroughly washed, and, according to specific recipes, crushed. The stalks of zucchini must be removed before salting.
How delicious to pickle zucchini for the winter in jars
The very salting of this type of pumpkin does not require too much work and time. For salting zucchini, different dishes are used, depending on the recipe: from ordinary plastic bags and glass jars to wooden barrels. The main nuance in preparing the container for subsequent salting is pre-treatment with boiling water or sterilization (of course, this does not apply to packages). Next, we will look at the most popular recipes for making homemade salted zucchini.
In a simple and fast way in a package
This salting method provides for a very quick preparation of salted fruits, thanks to which it is possible to taste the results of your culinary work after 3-4 hours.
Did you know? The historical homeland of zucchini is Mexico, where for many years these vegetables were used only for the purpose of obtaining grains. Even after moving to Europe in the XNUMXth century, they were still not eaten for a long time, but were grown in botanical gardens exclusively as ornamental plants with large bright flowers.
Video recipe
garlic5 cloves
Wash vegetables, cut them into slices.
Grind the herbs.
In a separate bowl, mix zucchini and dill.
Cut the garlic into medium-sized slices.
Add salt and garlic to the above ingredients, mix and move it all into a bag.
Carefully release the air from the container, tightly tie the bag, place in a pan, plate or bowl of a suitable size and put in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours to infuse.Video: Salting zucchini in a bag
Without sterilization “Crunchy”
Very unusual in taste, and most importantly – pleasantly crispy, zucchini is obtained by salting them in liter jars according to a recipe that does not provide for sterilization.
Did you know? In the world there are very interesting varieties of zucchini, having the shape of a fruit and the color of the peel, very different from those familiar to us. For example, these are round “Tatume”, golden “Crockneck”, as well as spotted in color and with a ribbed surface “Costa Romanesco”.
1 per 1 liter
Steps
9 ingredients
Video recipe
- zucchini
3 small or 1,5 large
vinegar essence 70%1 tsp.
granulated sugar6 2 tbsp. l.
black pea pepper5 piece.
allspice peas5 piece.
garlic2 denticles
Cut the fruit into slices 1,5 cm wide, and cut the bunch of dill into 3 parts.
Rinse liter jars first, put dill greens in each of the containers; if the latter is not available, you can replace it with umbrellas or even plant branches.
Cut garlic cloves into slices, place in vessels.
It is also necessary to add spices in the form of peas (black and allspice), as well as cloves, to the contents of the jars.
Next, chopped zucchini is laid, on top of which you can also add dill.
All the ingredients placed in the jars must be poured with boiling water and cover each with a lid to further warm the vegetables.
In the meantime, you can prepare the marinade, for which add salt and sugar to hot water (based on 1 liter of water) in the amount indicated in the list of ingredients. Put the saucepan with the contents on the fire and bring the liquid to a boil.
From already warmed fruits, it is necessary to drain the water through special lids with holes. Add one teaspoon of vinegar to each of the jars and pour the vegetables with brine.
Close the containers with screw caps, check the tightness of each of them, carefully turn the lid down in the direction “away from you”, cover with something warm (down jacket, blanket, towel) and leave to cool completely.
If you do not have a pantry or cellar, you can store such a blank all winter at room temperature, but in a dark place.Video: Zucchini without sterilization “Crunchy”
Cold way under a nylon cover
In addition to the above, there is an excellent recipe for cooking zucchini using the cold method of lightly salted vegetables under a nylon lid, which you can try in a few hours.
Important! If in this recipe we take crystallized products in equal quantities to prepare the salt mixture, then the vegetables will turn out lightly salted. For saltier vegetables, the proportion of salt and sugar will be 2:1 (0,75:0,25 cups).
Steps
8 ingredients
salt0,5 or 0,75 cups
sugar0,5 or 0,25 cups
spicesdry cilantro, basil and fennel – to taste
dillfew branches
garlica few cloves
Bay leaf2-3 items
hot red peppera couple of pinches
- Rinse and dry the zucchini, cut them into thick circles (about 3 cm each).
- In one bowl, mix the spices with salt and sugar, pour a little running water into another to dip the vegetables.
- After dipping the zucchini in water, roll it in spices, and then place it on the bottom of a pre-prepared dry jar.
- You need to place the vegetables in such a way that it is possible to put greens, chopped garlic and chili peppers between their layers, but the container is filled to the top.
- Next, you need to tightly close the jar with a nylon lid and remove it for infusion in the refrigerator. The more they are saturated with additives, the better, but it is possible to serve the dish to the table on the same day after some time.
In Polish
Did you know? For some countries and peoples, flowers from the zucchini plant are considered edible: in Greece, for example, one of the most popular dishes is zucchini flowers baked in tomato sauce, previously stuffed with rice, or deep-fried inflorescences.
Steps
8 ingredients
granulated sugar1 tsp.
garlic3-4 cloves
coriander seed seasoning15 g
black pepper1 pinch
allspice1 pinch
Bay leaf2–3 pcs.
- Wash young zucchini, peel them, cut into thick (3 cm) circles.
- Put the chopped fruits in an enameled bowl or saucepan in layers, and between them – garlic passed through a garlic press.
- In the meantime, you can prepare the marinade, for which seasonings are thrown into the water along with salt and granulated sugar, bring the mixture to a boil, and then keep it on a minimum heat for about 15 minutes.
- It is necessary to pour the vegetables with the already cooled marinade, so you can do these steps after some time.
- Covering the workpiece with a plate with oppression, transfer the container to some warm place for infusion for 3-4 days.
- After complete fermentation of vegetables by salting, it is advisable to move the workpiece into a glass jar and cover with a nylon lid. This dish must be stored in the refrigerator.
Ukrainian style with garlic
Zucchini in Ukrainian is a very tasty spicy garlic snack for the winter.
Important! Loose and old zucchini are categorically not suitable for these recipes.
3 by 400 ml
Steps
7 ingredients
- young squash
1,5 kg
vegetable oil for frying and marinade6 tablespoons
garlic4-5 cloves
parsley1 beam
ksus 9%3–4 st. l.
Rinse fresh zucchini thoroughly in cold water, remove the stalks and cut circles of approximately 2-2,5 cm thick from vegetables. To achieve the most delicious result, the diameter of the fruit should not exceed 5-6 cm.
Next, the prepared pieces must be fried in very hot vegetable oil on both sides until they are covered with a golden crust (a couple of minutes on each side).
Grind the peeled garlic in a mortar or pass through a garlic press.
Rinse greens with cold running water, dry and finely chop.
Next, the vegetables are carefully laid out in layers on the bottom of clean and dry pre-prepared jars, however, on top of vegetable oil, vinegar liquid, salt, herbs and garlic. There should be a gap of at least 2 cm between the zucchini and the lid.
Boil the lacquered lids, cover the jars with them without twisting, and in the meantime heat the water in a deep and wide saucepan to 60 ° C.
Place the jars on a wooden grate in the above container so that the water does not reach the lids by 1,5–2 centimeters, heat the water for sterilization to 100 ° C. Depending on the volume of dishes in which the zucchini is located, the sterilization process lasts 20-25 minutes (half-liter jar), or 40 minutes (liter vessel).
After completing the final procedure for processing salted fried zucchini, the jars must be tightly rolled up, carefully turned upside down and wrapped until completely cooled.
helpful hints
No matter how healthy and delicious the above recipes are, there are some general recommendations for preparing, storing and eating salted zucchini that will improve the taste and quality of the cooked product:
- if you decide to salt the zucchini not in jars, but in barrels, then it would be advisable to choose a product made of natural wood, for example, oak, which, due to its unique aroma, will give the workpiece a unique elegant taste;
- salted zucchini goes well with cucumbers and squash;
- during the cooking process, be careful with the addition of bay leaf – it tends to interrupt the natural taste of pickled zucchini if placed in a large amount in a container;
Important! Salted zucchini pairs well with spices such as basil, cloves, cilantro, and fennel. Also, in the process of preparing winter preparations with these vegetables, horseradish, currant, and laurel leaves are often used.
- it is necessary to store fresh zucchini before salting only in the lower compartment of the refrigerator and no more than 2-3 days after purchase (if you know that they were plucked a couple of days before the sale);
- metal lids for seaming vegetables are required only if there is no cold place for their safety;
- in order to protect yourself from possible disruption of the lids, you can add acetylsalicylic acid to the jars – 1 tablet per 1 liter;
- zucchini salt out twice as fast as other vegetables, so it is not recommended to store them for a long time;
- fruits that did not lend themselves to heat treatment must be stored in a cold place;
- salted squash snacks are stored in the refrigerator for no more than 7 days.
- In addition to their amazing taste, zucchini also brings health benefits:
- strengthening the heart and blood vessels;
- improving the functioning of the immune and digestive systems;
- having a beneficial effect on the condition of the epidermis, hairline and nails;
- removing excess fluid from the body and eliminating swelling.
The summer season, thanks to which each person receives a lot of vitamins, can be extended for the winter by processing zucchini in the above ways, since this vegetable retains its properties well even with prolonged storage. Salted zucchini are no less tasty than pickled cucumbers – for this reason, such an appetizer is becoming more and more popular.
