Delicious recipes for rescuing exploded cucumbers in jars

Preserving various vegetables for the winter has become something of a tradition in every family. Every homemaker puts heart, effort, and time into it. That's why it's incredibly frustrating when jars explode, but even experienced homemakers can encounter this problem. Therefore, it's important to always monitor the condition of containers containing cucumbers, as due to their unique structure, canned cucumbers are much more likely to explode than tomatoes.

Why do jars of cucumbers become cloudy and explode?

It's quite common for canned food to become cloudy, develop a distinctive odor, and even explode. This reaction can be caused by carelessness or poor-quality containers. Clouding occurs due to several factors:

1. Contamination of the jar – often, poor sterilization and poorly washed vegetables are the cause of jars becoming cloudy and bursting. This occurs because bacteria begin to develop inside the jars, releasing gas. Over time, this gas will accumulate until the pressure forces the lid open. To prevent this, soak ripe, small, and unrotted cucumbers in cool water for about 4 hours and then rinse with a brush.
2. Accidental air infiltration – this can occur if the lids aren't sealed properly, meaning oxygen can enter the jar if the lids aren't tightly sealed. Therefore, after canning, turn the jar upside down and place it on paper; this way, you'll easily notice any leaks.
3. Incorrect recipe – failure to follow the recipe's instructions can result in a specific flavor and the formation of a fermentation process. Therefore, to avoid damaging your preserves, it's important to use everything in the correct ratio.
4. Salad cucumbers come in a variety of varieties. Short, medium-sized, dark-colored cucumbers with black spines are excellent for canning. However, salad cucumbers should be avoided for canning, as they will be soft and flavorless. This variety is typically covered in white spines.
5. Incorrect sterilization – for liter jars, the time is about 15 minutes, for two-liter jars – 20, for three-liter jars – 25. You can skip sterilizing the jar altogether; simply pour the brine into the container and let it sit for 20 minutes, then drain, bring to a boil, pour it back into the jar, and seal. However, the lids should always be boiled. Sterilization should be done for at least the time specified in the recipe.

If you can't prevent the contents from turning cloudy, inspect the cucumbers. If they've turned white, they should not be eaten. If they have a light coating, you can refill them with fresh brine and re-roll them.

What to do if jars of cucumbers explode the next day

If jars explode, you must act immediately, otherwise it will be difficult to save them. You can begin to remedy the situation if a maximum of three days have passed since the jars were sealed; if longer, it's best to throw them out. If there's a smell of fermentation or the cucumbers have become soft, it's best to discard them. Once the cucumbers are healthy, they can be reprocessed. There are three ways to do this:

1. First, rinse all the cucumbers under cool water. You can also soak them in a saline solution. Discard any remaining contents.
2. Leave them in cold water for about 20 minutes.
3. Bring the brine from the jar to a boil. Wash and sterilize the jar. Then pour the marinade into it.
4. After 20 minutes, drain and bring to a boil again.

5. Next, place the cucumbers in jars and cover them with brine. Add vinegar essence and seal.
6. To be absolutely sure everything is sealed, turn the container upside down. If everything is done correctly, you can wrap it in a warm blanket.

It's important to use half the amount of sugar, salt, and vinegar. However, this method of re-rolling cucumbers makes them taste more like pickled cucumbers than marinated ones. If you don't like the taste, there's another option:

1. The second method also involves discarding the contents of the jars, leaving only the cucumbers. These need to be washed and sterilized.
2. Pour boiling water into the jar for about 3-4 minutes. Add sugar and salt to a separate pan, but use half as much as you used for the first canning, and drain the water. Bring to a boil and pour back into the jar.
3. Place 1-2 aspirin tablets in the vegetables. Roll them up and turn them upside down, covering them with a warm cloth.
4. Pour hot water into the jars for about 4 minutes. Then pour into a saucepan and add salt and sugar, but use half as much as you used for the first jarring. Bring to a boil and pour back into the jar.
5. Place 1-2 aspirin tablets in the cucumbers. Roll them up and turn them upside down, covering them with a cloth.

Using this method, the taste won't be too different from other preserves, and the jars will definitely not explode. If you don't want to preserve cucumbers again, you can use a simpler method.

1. Remove all contents from the spoiled jar.
2. Slice the cucumbers and place them in a bowl to simmer for 7-9 minutes.
3. Place in containers, bags or small jars.

This method makes an excellent winter preparation for rassolnik or solyanka. No need to add salt or spices. In all these methods, the most important thing is to keep all the utensils sterile.

Prevention to prevent cans from exploding

Not every type of cucumber is suitable for canning. To ensure the best preservation of your preserves, you need to choose the right variety and follow all instructions precisely. Special tips and tricks can help.

• It's best to choose cucumbers that are not bitter, medium-sized, not wilted, and not bent. The best option is to pick only cucumbers with black spines;
• Wash all vegetables and greens thoroughly to remove all dirt and chemicals.
• To keep cucumbers firm, dense and crispy, leave them in cold water for a couple of hours before canning;
• For the brine, you need to use filtered water, store-bought water will do;
• sterilize absolutely all lids and jars;
• If the lid does bulge, sprinkle some salt on it to prevent an explosion. After a while, the salt will become wet, and the lid itself will return to its normal state.
• The necks of the jars must be free of any defects. The lid must be tightly sealed, otherwise air will enter the jar and cause swelling. To check for leaks, turn the jar upside down and let it sit for a while;
• Don't put everything in the pantry or cellar immediately after canning; wrap it in a warm blanket and leave it to pasteurize. This usually takes about a day. After that, you can take it to its permanent location.
• To prevent jars from exploding, you can add aspirin, citric acid, and spices.

Recipes to help save cucumbers

To prevent canned food from exploding, it's important to know how to prepare it properly and efficiently. Experienced home cooks use their own time-tested recipes. Each has its own tricks, subtleties, and flavor secrets. The basic recipe uses horseradish, dill, peppercorns, and currant leaves instead of spices. However, there are several other ingredients that help prevent jars from exploding.

A special recipe for preserving cucumbers in a three-liter jar

Delicious spicy cucumbers are easy to prepare, and the taste is excellent.

Ingredients:

• cucumbers - 1.5-2 kg;
• garlic - 2-3 cloves;
• carrots – 1 pc.;
• salt – 2.5-3 tbsp;
• sugar – 1-1.5 tbsp. l.;
• citric acid – 0.5-1 tsp;
• allspice peas;
• spices.

Cooking time: 1 hour.

Preparation:

1. First, wash all the fruits thoroughly and soak them for a while.
2. Next, sterilize the jars and lids. Add sliced ​​carrots, herbs, and spices.
3. Then remove the cucumbers from the cold water, place them in a jar, and cover with hot water. Let sit for 30 minutes.
4. When the time has passed, drain the cooled water from the container into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add salt and sugar during the process.
5. Pour the resulting marinade back into the cucumbers, add citric acid on top, and seal the lids tightly. Then, turn them over, place them on the lid, and cover with a blanket.

A classic recipe for cucumbers straight from a barrel

To achieve the true flavor of barrel-cured cucumbers, you need to devote a little more time to this than with a regular marinade, as the vegetables are first left to marinate for a couple of days. The preserves prepared this way will not only be delicious but will also last all winter.

Ingredients:

• cucumbers – 1.5-2 kg;
• filtered water – 2-2.5 l.;
• rock salt – 3-4 tbsp;
• spices;
• hot pepper.

Preparation:

1. First, wash all the ingredients and leave the cucumbers in cool water overnight.
2. To prepare lightly salted cucumbers, take a large saucepan. First add the herbs and spices, then the cucumbers themselves, and continue in a circular motion until the container is filled. Cover with leaves.
3. To make the brine, you'll need ice-cold water. Add salt and stir until dissolved. Pour the resulting brine into a saucepan and place something heavy on top to keep the cucumbers from floating. The time they need to sit depends on the temperature; the hotter the temperature, the faster they'll be salted. Typically, it takes about 2-4 days.
4. When the time is up, pour the brine into a separate bowl and bring to a boil, rinse the cucumbers and containers, and discard everything else.
5. Place the fruit in the jar and pour boiling water over it for about 7-9 minutes. Then repeat the entire process and seal tightly. Turn it over and wrap it in a blanket.

Pickled cucumbers without sterilization

If you don't want to sterilize the jars, there is another way to prepare them so that the cucumbers stay whole until next season.

Ingredients:

• cucumbers – 1-2 kg;
• sugar – 1.5-2 tbsp. l.;
• salt – 1.5-2 tbsp;
• garlic – 2-3 cloves;
• vinegar essence – 1 spoon;
• dried dill in umbrellas.

Preparation:

1. Wash fresh cucumbers with a sponge and soak them in ice water for a couple of hours. Wash the jars thoroughly with a special cleaning solution. Then place them on a towel and let them dry. They must be completely dry during the canning process.
2. You will need two pans – one for the marinade and the other for boiling the lids.
3. Wash all remaining ingredients, peel the garlic and place in a separate bowl.
4. Add sugar and salt to the brine. Add garlic to dry jars, and steam the horseradish and dill over boiling water for about 1 minute. You can do this using a colander. Then add them immediately to the garlic.
5. Next, take a certain number of cucumbers for each jar and drop them into boiling water for 1 minute. They will become more elastic and can be easily packed into the jars.
6. Pour the boiling brine over the cucumbers and add vinegar essence. Then, roll up the jar, turn it upside down, and cover with a blanket.

Adviсe

From generation to generation, certain techniques and subtleties are passed down that help housewives prepare delicious lightly salted cucumbers.

1. The varieties Rodnichok, German, Zasolochny and Vesyolye Rebyata are excellent for canning.
2. Fermentation begins due to a lack of citric or acetic acid.
3. When preserving, it is better to add table salt rather than iodized salt.
4. If you're canning again, reduce the amount of salt, vinegar, and sugar. Otherwise, the cucumbers will become oversaturated.
5. To prevent the growth of harmful substances, you can add hot peppers and horseradish leaves.
6. Bulging lids can be caused by bacteria growing in the jars. Eating such a fruit can easily lead to food poisoning. Therefore, it's best to throw out all the cucumbers.
7. To better infuse the cucumbers with aromas, you can leave them in the herbs for about an hour.
8. If you don't have vinegar, mustard or essence will work just fine.
9. You should adhere to the correct arrangement of cucumbers - first place the large ones, then the small ones.
10. To prevent the container from cracking during the sterilization process, you can place a folded cloth or a wooden stand underneath it.

Reviews

Natalia

Sometimes, canned cucumbers explode. Of course, you can take them out and eat them, or re-can them if they haven't been around long enough. In my experience, these cucumbers have a strange, unpleasant odor, and they become soft and sour. So if this happens, I usually let them sit for a couple of days, eat them, and then throw them away.

Olya

When this happens, we make rassolnik (a soup made with pickles). It's a shame to waste so much food, and it's actually made with lightly salted pickled cucumbers. To prevent them from exploding, we add about a tablespoon of vodka to the pickle. You can also try re-canning the cucumbers or just throw them out; there's nothing you can do about it.

Pickled cucumbers are notorious for frequently exploding and becoming cloudy, even when prepared by experienced home cooks. To prevent this, follow the recipe and simple rules, and your pickled cucumbers will stay in excellent condition until next season.