Cucumber is the favorite vegetable of most summer residents and gardeners, therefore it is always annoying if the crop suddenly appears with a bitter aftertaste. The reason for this phenomenon may be climate change, unstable weather conditions or poor-quality seed (bitterness is a hereditary sign and the seeds of bitter cucumbers will give the same new crop). But even if it was not possible to crunch with fresh sweet green stuff, there are ways to make tasty preservation even from bitter fruits.
Features pickling cucumbers with bitterness
The bitterness of cucumbers gives a specific substance called cucurbitacin, the most concentrated in the peel. It is useful and improves the work of the digestive tract, but in any case it is not recommended to use it in large quantities.
Here are the main activities that will help to avoid the bitter aftertaste in pickled cucumbers:Did you know? Homeland cucumber - tropical rainforests of India. The climate there is stable, so cucumbers are not bitter in the Indian tropics.
- The day before preservation, you can soak the vegetables in cold water for 12 hours. Before this procedure, you do not need to cut off the buttocks and peel, this is done already before preservation. In jars, it is good to put a teaspoon of dry mustard and a couple of horseradish slices (if any).
- A quicker way to rid the fruits of bitterness is to soak for 40 minutes in salt water. The salt concentration is 1 tbsp. l to 2 liters of water.
- Bitterness goes away during heat treatment, so hot canning is suitable.
Selection and preparation of ingredients
Pickles should be about the same size (7-12 cm). For salting, small-sized fruits up to 9 cm are suitable, which still have tender, watery seeds. The color should be dark green, without yellow spots.
Thin-skinned vegetables are ideal for winter harvesting. Bitter cucumbers can be completely removed from the skin, if necessary.
Important! If the cucumbers are a bit lethargic, do not worry: soaking from bitterness nourishes them with moisture and makes them elastic again.
Pickled Bitter Cucumber Recipe
Kitchen utensils for cooking:
soaking bowl (or bath), table, stove, cutting board, saucepan for 3-5 liters, deep saucepan for 5-10 liters, kitchen knife, measuring cup, tablespoon and teaspoon, three-liter jars, metal lids, seaming key.
30 minutes
garlic
2 medium-sized cloves
sweet green pepper
1 pod
black currant
5 sheets
black pepper
10 large peas
Nutritional value per 100 g:
- Cucumbers are preliminarily prepared by one of the methods described in paragraph 1, and are thoroughly washed.
- Cans are steam sterilized in a water bath.
- Sweet pepper must be cleaned from seeds and cut into smaller ones.
- Garlic and horseradish root are cut into rings, the onion into half rings.
- The bottom of the cans is covered with currant and horseradish leaves, as well as dill “umbrellas”.
- Then the greens are placed very tightly in the jars and poured on top with prepared onions, garlic, sweet pepper and horseradish root.
- Banks are poured with boiling water and left for 5 minutes.
- Pour boiling water from cans into a saucepan for cooking brine, add salt, sugar, black pepper and vinegar and bring to a boil again. The brine does not need to be boiled, immediately after boiling it is ready and it is poured into banks.
- Spicy cucumbers are ready. Banks must be closed, turned on the lids, covered with a towel and left alone until completely cooled.
Features of storage of blanks
Jars with winter preparations of pickled cucumbers are best stored in a cool room - a pantry, a cellar, or at least on a glazed loggia. 
If you observe all the conditions for proper preservation (sterilization of cans, careful selection of fruits for salting, etc.), then even in room conditions nothing threatens your blanks.
Important! An open jar of cucumbers should not be stored for longer than one to two weeks. In extreme cases, the remaining copies can be frozen and used for cooking.
How to prevent the appearance of bitterness in cucumbers during cultivation?
In order not to have to bother so much with bitter green stuff afterwards, here are some tips:
- Make a watering schedule and stick to it. Irregular moisture, as well as an excess of moisture, can cause bitterness in cucumbers.
- Lack of sunlight and direct sunlight are two factors that can lead to an excess of cucurbitacin. Choose a spot with diffused light.
- Do not forget about nitrogen-potassium top dressing.
- Harvest carefully, avoiding damage to the lash of plants.
