Bulgarian-style pickled cucumbers in jars

Name: Bulgarian-style pickled cucumbers in jars
Ingredients: 5 kg cucumbers; 5 l water; 5 tablespoons coarse non-iodized salt; 2.5 tablespoons coarse non-iodized salt; 500 ml 9% wine vinegar; 100 g sugar; 2 tablespoons peppercorns; 2 tablespoons mustard seeds; 2 red onions (300 g); 2 carrots (150 g); 1 small celery root (300 g); 100 g horseradish; 1 head of garlic (50 g); 11 bay leaves; 15 g dried dill; 10 g dried thyme; 2.5 l water

Pickles - Bulgarian-style pickled cucumbers in jars by Giorgiana M. - Recipia

Bulgarian-style pickled cucumbers are put up for winter in jars with brine and vinegar, and are usually served alongside roast meat. After two overnight soaks, they have a sweet-and-sour taste, with carrot, onion, celery, horseradish and garlic tucked among them. I serve them alongside hot dishes, cut into thick slices. Prep: 60 minutes. Cooking: 75 minutes. Rest: 48 hours. Total time: 50 hours and 15 minutes. Servings: 55 (approx. 100 g). Approximately 25 kcal and 1 g protein per serving.

Ingredients

5 kg cucumbers
5 l water
5 tablespoons coarse non-iodized salt
2.5 tablespoons coarse non-iodized salt
500 ml 9% wine vinegar
100 g sugar
2 tablespoons peppercorns
2 tablespoons mustard seeds
2 red onions (300 g)
2 carrots (150 g)
1 small celery root (300 g)
100 g horseradish
1 head of garlic (50 g)
11 bay leaves
15 g dried dill
10 g dried thyme
2.5 l water

Preparation

1. Wash the cucumbers and trim the ends. Bring 5 l of water with 5 tablespoons of salt to a boil, about 15 minutes, then pour the brine over the cucumbers and leave them in it for 24 hours. 2. Drain the brine, bring it to a boil again for about 15 minutes and pour it over the cucumbers. Leave them for another 24 hours. 3. Wash the jars well with dish soap and rinse them thoroughly. Boil the lids for 10 minutes. 4. Peel the onion, carrots, celery and horseradish, then cut them into slices. Separate the head of garlic into cloves and peel them. 5. Bring 2.5 l of water with 2.5 tablespoons of salt, the vinegar, sugar, peppercorns, mustard seeds, dried dill and dried thyme to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes, until the sugar dissolves. 6. Put a sprig of thyme and a sprig of dill in each jar, then pack in the cucumbers. Tuck slices of carrot, onion and horseradish among them, along with one garlic clove and one bay leaf. 7. Pour the boiling liquid over the cucumbers and seal the jars. Set them in a tray of water and process in the oven at 150°C for 30 minutes.

Notes

Serve alongside roast meat or dishes with sauce, where their tangy taste goes well with the juices on the plate. Once cooled, keep the jars in a cool pantry, on the balcony or in the cellar. Choose firm cucumbers with smooth skins and no soft spots for pickling. Very large ones have more developed seeds and may soften more easily than small ones. Sometimes one end is bitter; trim a little more off that end before the first brining. If you’re making them for a particular meal, allow for the two days in brine before putting them in jars. When making a larger batch, keep the proportion of one tablespoon of salt to one litre of water for the first brine. The red onion can be replaced with two yellow onions of the same size.