Pickled Cucumbers for Winter in Jars

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   Gather the ingredients from the list. For this recipe, use fresh, nice-looking young cucumbers. Sort through them, discard any that are spoiled, and wash them well under running water. Put them in a deep container, cover with cold water, and let them soak for 4 hours. Then rinse the cucumbers again and let them drain completely. Trim the ends off both sides of each cucumber.

2. Step 2:

   

   Meanwhile, prepare the jars. Wash them with baking soda and cold water and sterilize them any way you trust — over a water bath, in the microwave, or in the oven. I like the oven method, which preps a lot of jars quickly. You can sterilize the washed metal lids in the oven along with the jars.

3. Step 3:

   

   Wash and dry the aromatics for pickling: horseradish leaf, blackcurrant and cherry leaves, and a dill flower head.

4. Step 4:

   

   The amounts given make two 1-quart (1 L) jars or one 3-quart (3 L) jar. Into the bottom of the sterile jars, put the leaves, two garlic cloves each, a bay leaf, a couple of cloves, and a couple of peppercorns. For extra flavor, you can add a piece of peeled horseradish root.

5. Step 5:

   

   Pack the cucumbers in tightly on top — standing them upright looks nicer and fits more in the jar. Fill up to the shoulder of the jar and tuck the remaining garlic cloves on top. Boil water in a kettle or pot and pour it over the cucumbers until they're fully covered.

6. Step 6:

   

   To keep the jars from cracking, pour the boiling water in a thin stream aimed at the center, not the glass. Set the lids on and let the jars sit for 20 minutes. Then pour the water back into a pot, add the sugar and salt, and bring it to a boil, stirring until they fully dissolve. Pour in the vinegar, bring it back to a boil, and turn off the heat.

7. Step 7:

   

   Pour the hot marinade over the cucumbers in the jars. Seal the jars, turn them upside down, wrap them in a warm blanket, and leave them overnight at room temperature. After that, store the jars in a cool spot or at room temperature. Enjoy!