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Crispy Pickled Zucchini for Winter in One-Liter Jars
Instructions
Prepare all the ingredients according to the list above. Choose young zucchini (750 g) with thin skin and small seeds inside – old "woody" zucchini make a tough, unappetising preserve. Wash them well with a brush, trim off the stalk and tip, but do not peel them (the young skin is tender and gives a "cucumber" crunch). If the zucchini are large, scoop out the big seeds with a spoon.
Wash a glass litre jar and the lid thoroughly in a hot soda solution (1 tbsp of soda per 1 litre of water) and rinse with boiling water. Sterilise the jar with steam over a kettle for 5 minutes (neck down), in the oven at 100°C for 10 minutes, or in the microwave with 2 tbsp of water for 3 minutes at 800 W. Boil the lid separately for 5 minutes. Sterilisation is an essential condition for keeping the preserve safe until spring.
Put a "bouquet" of spices on the bottom of the sterile jar: a clove of garlic (cut into 2–3 pieces for better aroma), 1 bay leaf, 5 black peppercorns, 2 dill umbrellas with stems and 2 sprigs of parsley. If you like, add 1–2 clove buds for a spicy aroma. The garlic gives a "marinade" note, the dill the classic cucumber aroma. Then peel a piece of horseradish root (3–5 cm) and cut it into small 5 mm sticks, or grate it on a coarse grater. If you have no root, use 1 fresh horseradish leaf torn into 2–3 pieces. Horseradish is the "secret of the crunch" of pickled vegetables; without it the zucchini turn out limp. Place the horseradish on top of the spices.
Cut the zucchini into rounds 5–7 mm thick – thin slices soak up the marinade well and are easy to eat with a fork. Cut large rounds in half or into quarters so that they fit into the litre jar and leave no big gaps. Thin slicing is the "secret" of quick soaking and a juicy finished snack.
Pack the sliced zucchini tightly into the jar, leaving as little empty space as possible between the slices. Put the larger rounds at the bottom near the spices and the smaller ones on top to use the volume efficiently. Don't press them in too tightly – the marinade should flow freely between the slices. Leave 1–2 cm from the neck for the marinade.
Pour water (500 ml) into a pot and add rock salt (25 g) and sugar (25 g). Rock salt gives the "right" taste and contains no iodine (iodised salt softens the vegetables). Bring to a boil and stir thoroughly until the salt and sugar are completely dissolved – the marinade should become clear, as cloudiness means undissolved crystals. Then pour in the 9% table vinegar (38 ml) and bring the marinade back to a boil. Add the vinegar right at the end – with long boiling it evaporates and loses its "pickling" power. The ratio of 25 g salt + 25 g sugar + 38 ml of 9% vinegar is a proven classic for zucchini.
Pour the boiling marinade into the jar with the zucchini, filling it right up to the top (to the shoulders of the jar). The air bubbles come out on their own – gently tap the jar against a towel. Cover with a sterile lid (do not seal it yet!) and put the jar into a pot for sterilising, with a folded towel on the bottom to stop it from cracking.
Fill the pot with hot water (60–70°C) up to the shoulders of the jar – a sharp change in temperature will break the glass. Bring the water to a boil and sterilise the zucchini for 20 minutes over low heat. Sterilisation destroys micro-organisms and keeps the preserve for up to a year in the cellar. Count the time from the moment the water in the pot boils.
Carefully take the jar out of the boiling water with special tongs (it's hot!) and seal it tightly with a sterile lid using a key, or with a twist-off lid. Turn the jar upside down and check that it is airtight – the marinade should not leak. If it does, tighten it further or replace the lid. Wrap the upside-down jar snugly in a thick blanket or towel for 12 hours, until it has cooled completely. This is an "extra sterilisation" by the steam of its own marinade and extends the shelf life. Once cooled, store the jar in a cool, dark cellar or pantry at 5–15°C for up to a year. The pickled zucchini for winter are ready! Serve them as an appetiser with meat, potatoes or a glass of vodka.
Tips
- 1
Be sure to add horseradish (root or leaf) – this is the "secret" of crispy pickled zucchini. Without horseradish they turn out limp.
- 2
Use only young zucchini with thin skin – old "woody" ones will give a tough, unappetising preserve.
- 3
Add the vinegar to the marinade right at the very end – with long boiling it evaporates and loses its "pickling" power. I make pickled cucumbers for winter on a similar principle.
- 4
Use rock salt without iodine – iodised salt softens the vegetables and the zucchini lose their crunch.
Video
FAQ
Can I pickle them together with other vegetables in one jar? +
Yes, a mix gives interesting combinations: zucchini + cucumbers (the classic summer pairing), zucchini + cherry tomatoes (colourful), zucchini + carrot rounds (a sweet note), zucchini + cauliflower florets (a crunchy mix), zucchini + strips of bell pepper (for a winter salad), zucchini + onion rings (piquant). Keep the same marinade proportions. The sterilising time does not change (20 minutes for a litre jar). The main thing is that all the vegetables are cut to roughly the same size for even soaking.
What can replace horseradish in the recipe? +
Suitable alternatives are: oak or cherry leaves (5–6 leaves, they provide tannins for crunch), blackcurrant leaves (3–4 pcs, a fresh aroma), horseradish leaves (1–2 pcs, if you have no root), mustard seeds (1 tsp, a sharp note), dry mustard powder (½ tsp, an economical option), 2 cloves of garlic instead of horseradish (sharper zucchini), or dill with seeds (2 tbsp). Horseradish is the "classic" thanks to its natural compounds that keep the crunch. Oak and cherry leaves are the "grandmother's" option from the country garden.
How long does the finished preserve keep? +
A properly sterilised and sealed preserve keeps in a cool, dark cellar at 5–15°C for up to a year. After a year it is still edible, but the zucchini lose their crunch and start to fall apart. On a flat balcony (without temperature swings) it also keeps for up to a year, but avoid frost (the jars will burst!). Keep an opened jar in the fridge under the lid for up to 5 days. Signs of spoilage are a bulging lid, a cloudy marinade and an unpleasant "yeasty" smell – throw such zucchini away, as they are dangerous to eat.
What to serve pickled zucchini with? +
They are perfect as a winter appetiser with strong drinks (vodka, moonshine, whisky) – the hearty "Russian" option. With meat: fried pork, shashlik, cutlets, boiled beef. With fish: fried pike-perch, smoked mackerel, herring with onion. With potatoes: boiled with butter, mashed, home-fried, or potato pancakes. For a festive table, serve them as an assortment with pickled cucumbers, tomatoes and mushrooms. For a family dinner, pair them with compote, fruit drink, kvass or light beer. An indispensable snack on the winter holiday table.
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