What kind of cucumbers are good for pickling cucumbers? Is it better to pickle water cucumbers or dry cucumbers?

We all know that there are many ways to cook cucumbers, and pickled cucumbers are one of the more common ways. Many people pickle cucumbers at home, especially in summer. There are also certain requirements for the method of pickling cucumbers, especially the choice of ingredients for pickling cucumbers. So what kind of cucumbers are good for pickling cucumbers? Let's take a closer look!

What kind of cucumbers are good for pickling cucumbers

The quality of raw materials is also an important factor in making pickled cucumbers. Cucumbers are fresh and have few seeds, so the pickled cucumbers will be crisp. How to choose cucumbers? Pay attention to the following points:

Look at the shape

Choose cucumbers that are more uniform. If the belly is too big, there will be many seeds, which will not only affect the taste but also reduce the utilization rate.

pinch old and young

Pinching cucumbers is the simplest and most crude way to tell whether a cucumber is old or tender. If the cucumber can be easily pinched by your fingernail, it means it is tender; if the cucumber cannot be pinched by your fingernail, it means it is old.

Look at the top flowers

For fresh cucumbers, the flowers on the top have not completely fallen off. When you buy them, the cucumbers with flowers on the top will be tenderer.

Touch the small thorn

There are many small thorns on the surface of cucumber, but the more thorns there are does not mean the more tender the cucumber is. If you rub the cucumber with your hand, the small thorns will fall off easily, which proves that the cucumber is rich in moisture, crispy and tender.

How to make pickled cucumbers

Prepare ingredients: cucumber, salt, soy sauce, oil, pepper, aniseed, garlic, ginger, dried chili pepper, hot pepper

Preparation: Wash the cucumbers and peppers, sprinkle with salt, rub to remove water, and then dry them in the sun until you can’t squeeze out any water. Add peppercorns, star anise, and other ingredients to the soy sauce and bring to a boil over high heat and let cool. Bring cooking oil to a boil and let cool for later use. Slice the garlic and ginger.

Production process: Prepare a clean container without oil or water, put a handful of garlic slices, ginger and dried chili peppers on the bottom, sprinkle a handful of pickled cucumbers and hot peppers, and add a small handful of salt. Repeat this step, add all the ingredients, pour in the cooled soy sauce, the soy sauce must be higher than the ingredients, and then add cooking oil (the main function of cooking oil is to prevent air from entering the pickled vegetables, and it is very fragrant). Marinate at room temperature for 2 days before eating.

You may not be able to buy such tender cucumbers in the market now, but you can make it with common cucumbers. The steps are the same as shared above, but the larger cucumbers need to be cut into cucumber strips in advance. If you have time, you might as well try it. Homemade pickles are delicious, safe and hygienic.

What are the special requirements for pickled cucumbers?

⒈ Before adding salt, be sure to dry the water on the surface of the cucumber first, so that the water inside the cucumber can be completely squeezed out. Otherwise, if there is water in the salt, it will be partially diluted, and it will be difficult to preserve when mixed with raw water.

⒉ Be sure to choose glass or ceramic containers for pickling, do not use plastic to prevent the release of toxic substances. Also, do not use stainless steel containers to pickle kimchi easily, as salt can easily cause the containers to break.

⒊ The whole pickled cucumber is very convenient to store after pickling, as long as it can be refrigerated. When eating, be sure to soak it thoroughly in boiling water, and then add seasonings. No need to fry it.

⒋ If you add rice vinegar to pickled cucumbers, the effect will be better. If you don’t have rice vinegar, you can also use the balsamic vinegar you usually use for cooking.