Pickled Cucumbers in Vinegar, My Mother’s Recipe – Crisp and Naturally Preserved
Crisp and flavorful pickled cucumbers in vinegar, made according to my mother’s recipe. A simple recipe with no added preservatives, using salt, sugar, vinegar, and spices.
Pickled Cucumbers in Vinegar
Course: SidesCuisine: RomanianDifficulty: Easy5
kg30
minutes30
minutes34
kcal1
hourThese are the kind of recipes I never learned from a cookbook… I simply watched them being made dozens of times in the kitchen, picked them up along the way, and every time I prepare them, I feel like I’m stepping back into childhood for a little while.
Pickled cucumbers in vinegar are one of those recipes. This is how my mother used to make them, and although the method is very simple, the result is one of the best: crisp, slightly sweet and tangy, beautifully seasoned cucumbers, just waiting to be taken out of the pantry whenever we need something delicious to serve alongside a meal.
What I love most is that this recipe doesn’t require any fancy ingredients or added preservatives. Everything comes down to the right balance of vinegar, salt and sugar, the spices you have on hand and, most importantly, processing the jars in boiling water.
The quantities can easily be adjusted depending on the jars you use and the amount of cucumbers you have. As a general guideline, for an 800 ml jar, I use approximately 1 heaped teaspoon of pickling salt and 4 teaspoons of sugar. If you prefer your pickles a little sweeter, you can use 5 teaspoons of sugar.
This time I prepared approximately 4 kg of cucumbers, but I also used 1-liter jars, so I adjusted the quantities accordingly: between 1 and 1½ teaspoons of salt and approximately 4½ teaspoons of sugar, depending on the size of the jar.
I also added slices of carrot and onion, which I prepared very easily using the Kenwood MultiPro Go Blend food processor. They are not essential, but I really like the way they look in the jars and the extra flavor they add.
And because not all cucumbers are small enough to fit into the jars whole, I also prepared a separate 1.7-liter jar with sliced cucumbers, together with carrot and onion.
And my favorite part? At the end, I’ll show you the cucumbers I made using the same recipe last year. They stayed crisp, delicious, and were just as good as the day they were made.
Let me show you just how simple they are to prepare!
Ingredients
- As a general guideline, for an approximately 800 ml jar, you will need:
1 heaped teaspoon of pickling salt
4 teaspoons of sugar, or 5 if you prefer sweeter pickles
black peppercorns, to taste
mustard seeds, to taste
carrot slices, optional
onion slices, optional
fresh cucumbers, enough to fill the jar
For the pickling liquid, use a ratio of 3 parts water to 1 part white vinegar.
Preparation method
- For this recipe, there is no fixed amount of cucumbers, as the proportions can be adjusted depending on the size and number of jars you are using.
- Preparing the Vegetables
Wash the cucumbers thoroughly and check them to make sure they are firm and in good condition.
If using carrots and onions, peel them and cut them into thin slices. I used the Kenwood MultiPro Go Blend for this step, which made the preparation much quicker and gave me evenly sliced vegetables. - Preparing the Jars
Place a few slices of carrot and onion at the bottom of each jar. Then fill the jars with the cucumbers, arranging them as tightly as possible without pressing them too much. - For the 1-liter jars, I adjusted the amount of salt and sugar according to their volume. Add the salt, sugar, black peppercorns, and mustard seeds over the cucumbers.
- Sliced Pickled Cucumbers
Cucumbers that are too large or too thick to fit whole into the jars don’t have to go to waste.
We can easily turn them into a kind of cucumber salad for the pantry.
Slice the cucumbers into rounds and mix them with sliced carrot and onion. Place the mixture into a larger jar — I used a 1.7-liter jar this time — then add the same combination of salt, sugar, and spices, and fill the jar with the water-and-vinegar mixture. - Preparing the Pickling Liquid
Mix the water and vinegar in a 3:1 ratio. There is no need to boil the liquid separately. Pour it directly into the jars over the cucumbers until they are completely covered. Seal each jar tightly with its lid. - Processing the Jars
Place the jars in a large pot and add enough water to come up around the jars. Bring the water to a boil and, once it starts boiling, process the jars for approximately 30 minutes.
This heat treatment is important for preserving the pickles, so there is no need to add any preservatives. Carefully remove the jars from the water and place them on a protected surface.
Cover them with blankets or thick towels and allow them to cool slowly and completely. - Tips for Crisp Pickled Cucumbers
For this recipe, it is important to choose fresh, firm cucumbers with no soft or bruised spots.
Keep the water-to-vinegar ratio as stated, while the amount of salt and sugar can be adjusted according to the size of the jar and your preferred taste.
Mustard seeds and peppercorns are enough to flavor the cucumbers, but you can also add other spices if you have a favorite combination.
Carrot and onion are optional, but I highly recommend them. Besides adding a lovely flavor, they also make the jars look beautiful.
Do not skip processing the jars in boiling water. This step helps preserve the pickles and, together with the acidity of the vinegar and proper storage, contributes to their stability. - How to Store Them
Once the jars have cooled completely, check the lids and store them in a cool, dark, and dry place, preferably in a pantry.
When prepared and stored properly, the cucumbers will remain crisp and delicious for a long time.
I kept the cucumbers I prepared last year using the same method, and when I opened a jar, I was delighted to see that they were still wonderfully crisp even after a year.
