Fresh and pickled cucumbers: useful and not so good properties. The benefits and harm of pickled cucumbers

The most popular vegetables on our table for many years remain cucumbers. Salted and salted, pickled and cask - they are present at each festive event. Like all products, they have different effects on the body. The benefits and harm of cucumbers depends not so much on the composition, as on the method of preparing a fragrant snack.

Salted cucumbers are the unchanging dish of all hospitable tables.

Pickled cucumbers - a source of nutrients

The benefits of cucumbers are due to the presence of beneficial trace elements and prebiotics in the product. The most valuable part of cucumbers is the presence of easily assimilated iodine compounds. Therefore, lovers of eating salted cucumbers are much less susceptible to thyroid disease. The presence of fiber prevents the appearance of tumors, so the use of pickles is undeniable.

Antioxidants, forming calcium, magnesium and iron, bring great benefits to salted cucumbers in the body. Lightly salted cucumbers contain more vitamins than salted or pickled. Salted cucumbers contain beneficial bacteria that control the appearance of various microbes in the intestines. Lactic acid, which appears in the fermentation process, reduces the level of fat in the blood, improves blood circulation in general and reduces pressure.

Salted cucumbers: the benefits or harm

The undeniable advantage of canned cucumbers is the convenience and durability of storing a tasty product. But the flowers of cucumbers, placed in banks, can be useful for the body. “What is the use of cucumbers that have been heat treated?” - many will ask. It turns out that all cucumbers have salutary properties, salted ones are not an exception. The advantages of snacks include:

the preservation of certain trace elements and vitamins;
high level of fluid saturates the body with oxygen;
acid boosts digestion and increases appetite;
pickled cucumbers have a mild laxative effect;
pickles neutralize the harmful effects of alcohol on the body.

Pickled cucumbers: benefits or harm to the body

What do pickled cucumbers carry - benefit or harm? It is impossible to say unequivocally, since each organism is individual.

The harm of pickles consists in the following points:

damage to pickled cucumbers of tooth enamel due to the presence of high levels of acetic acid;
the ability to increase appetite is dangerous for people who are prone to fullness
diseases of the liver, gastrointestinal tract, kidney and cardiovascular system are direct contraindications to the use of pickled cucumbers;
pregnant women also should not eat pickled cucumbers. Salty products significantly increase the secretion of the pancreas, which is undesirable.

It is worth noting that the harm of cucumbers is manifested only when uncontrolled eating of canned vegetables. Minor amounts of "prohibited" product for a group of contraindications do not harm the body.

Salted cucumbers in cosmetology

Many women know about the benefits of cucumber for the face. But for cosmetic purposes, only fresh cucumbers are suitable. The benefits of overlaying pickled cucumbers over the eyes are zero.

Calorie pickled cucumber

Girls and women who control their weight through diet are interested in the calorie content in pickles. Given the fact that cucumbers are 95% water, it is safe to say that the calorie content of the product, even taking into account the addition of sugar from the brine, does not exceed the level of 11 kilocaloriums per 100 grams. Therefore, most nutritionists can eat 1 cucumber before each meal during the day. But after 18-00 patients can eat only cucumbers.

It is believed that a diet on pickles can be a panacea for many diseases of mankind, but the duration of the diet should not be less than 5 days. In addition, pickled cucumbers are one of the components of the popular “Six petals” diet, consisting of 6 stages. Such a diet allows you to lose about 5 kg, normalize metabolism, cleanse the body of toxins and improve skin condition.

Probably no one feast, especially winter, does not happen without such a tasty delicacy as pickles. People use this product as a separate dish or add it to other tasty dishes, such as, for example, Olivier, vinaigrette, pickle, etc. You can buy ready-made pickles, but it is more pleasant to cook them yourself, because you need very little time and cost. .

Recipes for pickling a lot of cucumbers. Some of them are more complex, requiring more time and effort, others are quite simple. Below at the House of Knowledge, I will share one of the simplest recipes for salting delicious cucumbers, which I use every year. In this way, pickled cucumbers do not need to add vinegar harmful to humans, and they will be ready for use as salted in 2-3 days. If they stand a few more days, they will be salty.

Ingredients for pickling cucumbers.

Ingredients that will be needed for salting one 3L jar of cucumbers in this recipe:

Cucumbers - 1.6-1.7 kg
Salt - 3 liters jar (1.5 liters of water) - incomplete 100g glass or 90g (at the rate of 60g per 1l of water)
Chilli pepper - slice
Garlic - 1 clove
Horseradish leaves - 1pcs medium size
Black Currant Leaves - 3 pcs
Tarragon (tarragon) - 1 sprig
Cherry leaves - 3 pcs
Water (spring or peeled) - up to 1.5 l (for 3 l cans) or how much is required for full coverage of cucumbers
Dill seeds - 1 dess. spoon of seeds or ripe inflorescences (2-3pcs)

See also: Salted tomatoes.

Recipe for pickling cucumbers.

Before you start putting the ingredients in a jar (or other container), they must be thoroughly rinsed with running water. Cucumbers also need to remove dried flowers and tails (if any).

Brine for pickling cucumbers.

For brine, dissolve 90g of salt in 1l of water, then pour it into a jar filled with cucumbers and other spicy ingredients. If the brine is small, and it does not completely cover the cucumbers, then add clean water without salt. Remember that pickle pickles must be covered completely, and those that remain on the surface will spoil.

Then add a small portion of pure water.

And at the end add the second part of the brine (0.5 liters).

Salty pickle should completely cover the cucumbers and horseradish leaf placed on top.

Cover the future pickles with a plastic lid and leave in the room (for example, in the kitchen) for 2-3 days. At the same time, I recommend placing a plate, a tray or, like me, a trimmed 6-liter oil bottle under the jar. This is necessary so that when souring the cucumbers, the excess liquid does not go to the floor.

After 2-3 days after the start of pickling, cucumbers should be placed in a cold (cool place). After the cucumbers stay warm, they will be slightly salted, and in a few more days - like salted ones.

The end of summer is the traditional time for pickles and preserves. Each experienced housewife has his own proven recipe, and yet there are secrets in pickling cucumbers that few people know about.

Non-dairy cucumbers

For salting choose only suitable for this type of cucumber with a high content of sugars. For example, the most popular pickled cucumbers are Nezhinsky. If they can not be identified by name, then you should choose by type. Salted cucumbers are not salted with a smooth skin and white thorns. It is best to use small cucumbers with pimples and black dots. But vegetables should not be soft and hollow, as well as long and too large. In pickling cucumbers, the skin is usually not very thick and not too dark. And you can not choose cucumbers of different sizes, otherwise they will not salt the same and too large or too small will not taste good.

Iodized salt and soft water

Without which it is impossible to do when salting cucumbers, so it is without water and salt. But you should know that you can not use soft water, so filtered water is excluded. It is best to bring good spring water or well water, clean and tough, or pick up water from the tap and let it stand for several hours for pickling cucumbers. Cucumbers, salted in soft water, and will themselves be soft and disheveled. Those that will be salted in hard and not settled water, will get a metallic taste.

All vegetables are salted only with large table salt. If you use iodized salt, the cucumbers in the banks will first become slimy, covered with gray bloom, and mold will be spread on them. It will happen because iodine, which is a part of such salt, will act on the lactic fermentation of cucumbers as an antiseptic and delay their pickling.

Condiments and Spices

Someone likes spicy pickles and uses sweet peas in peppers, mustard seeds, and garlic. Others adore fragrant cucumbers and put dill branches, various plants in banks. Many when salting add oak leaves or even pieces of oak bark, so that salted vegetables retain their hardness - but you should know that their taste will change. When pickled with oak leaves, the cucumbers become sour. The real taste of pickled cucumbers has minimal sourness. To keep the cucumbers firm, it is better to put currant leaves and cherries in jars.

Cucumbers are bitter, if during salting in the banks add chilli, dried yellow umbrellas of dill or too much garlic, mustard, basil and celery. All herbs, especially garlic, should be put little by little.

Mint and tarragon when salting is added very rarely, the taste of pickled cucumbers with mint is a great lover, and tarragon contains the female sex hormone and should not be consumed.

Vinegar and pills

There are recipes for salting cucumbers with acetic acid, but this is already obtained marinade - when salting the acid is still not required.

Another option is salting cucumbers with the addition of acetylsalicylic acid tablets. Housewives practicing such a recipe, assure that cucumbers are very tasty. However, this drug itself is very dangerous, and when interacting with salt water does not adversely affect the kidneys. Still, when pickling cucumbers, it is better to do without “chemistry”, especially such. But two tablespoons of vodka add to the pickle does not hurt, it will protect the bank from the "explosion" during fermentation. And it is important to salt the vegetables not in a gloomy mood, but with a feeling of joy, then the taste of the resulting products will be excellent.

Lately, I cannot guess with salt, I buy medium grinding, but when I open a pack, there is often fine salt inside. The family loves homemade pickled cucumbers, if I oversalt them, what to do, how to fix the taste, it’s a pity to throw out my cucumbers?

Catherine Maximova asks

Miracle Cook answers

You can fix the taste of salted salted cucumbers in simple and affordable homemade ways. We offer three effective ways to fix salted pickled cucumbers.

Method 1. If salted cucumbers are salted in without brine, then effective salvation will be to cut cucumbers into circles and place in a container in half or in a clean bag.

Pour with a spoonful of sugar, close the container (or tie a bag), shake so that the sugar dissolves and soak the cucumbers.
Add to freshly chopped salted dill cucumbers, add 2 cloves of garlic through the press and mix the contents of the container.
Leave the cucumbers on the table, in 20-30 minutes the extra salt from the salted cucumbers will come out, then they can be eaten or seasoned, like cucumber salad,.

Method 2. What to do if salted cucumbers are too salty? You can fix the taste of slightly salted salted cucumbers.

To do this, remove the cucumbers from the jar with the greens, rinse under the tap, discard the greens and replace with fresh dill, garlic, and currant leaves.
Drain half of the brine into the sink, it will not be needed anymore, put the cucumbers back into the jar and add the greens that are used to make salted cucumbers. Pour water from the tap to the top of the jar.
Put cucumbers for 1-2 days in the fridge so that extra salt came out of them, and you could once again enjoy the slightly salted taste of cucumbers.

Method 3. What can be done if salted cucumbers oversalt? If from turned into, it is advisable to use them in cooking, salad called or from salted cucumbers to cook a tasty, any non-salty dish. But, if the purpose of the hostess was to salt salted cucumbers, and there was a salting, then you can do the following.

With cucumbers completely drain the brine, rinse the fruit.
In a clean jar, add fresh garlic, a set of herbs for salting.
Put the pre-washed cucumbers.
On 1 liter of boiled water, take 1 tbsp of sugar, stir to sugar completely dissolved.
Pour sweet pouring cucumbers and refrigerate for 2 days.

We hope these three ways will help save the situation, and reanimated salted cucumbers will be to your taste.