Spicy and tangy Korean-style cucumbers for the winter
Canning often takes a lot of time, but not in this case. Korean-style cucumbers are very easy to prepare for the winter, and they turn out delicious—just the right amount of spicy, piquant, and savory.
This recipe is good for more than just canning. We recommend making a little more salad than you plan to can and serving a portion of the pickled cucumbers today. The dish will be ready to eat in just 4 hours.
Prepare the salad in a large glass bowl or enamel basin. The container should be large enough to allow easy mixing of the vegetables. It's best to avoid aluminum containers, as they will darken from the vinegar and release harmful oxidation.
The best cucumbers for this appetizer are young, firm cucumbers. Ripe cucumbers should be seeded and checked for bitterness.
If the Korean carrot seasoning already contains salt, add it to taste, after tasting the brine first.
Cooking time: 1 hour. Makes 5 0.5-liter jars.
Ingredients:
- cucumbers – 2 kg;
- carrots – 500-600 g;
- refined sunflower oil – 110 ml;
- garlic – 5-6 cloves;
- sugar – 0.25 cups;
- Korean carrot seasoning mix – 1 tbsp;
- salt – 1 teaspoon;
- hot pepper – a pinch.
How to cook Korean-style cucumbers
Wash the cucumbers, trim the ends, and cut into small strips, as shown in the photo. Peel and seed ripe cucumbers first. Place the vegetables in a saucepan or bowl.
Grate the carrots into long strips using a Korean carrot grater. Add to the cucumbers and shake well.
Prepare the marinade: mix the oil and vinegar in a separate bowl. Add sugar, spices, and sliced garlic. It adds more spiciness than heat to the vegetables, bringing out the flavors of the spices more fully.
Add more salt to the marinade only when the sugar has completely dissolved. Pour the prepared marinade over the vegetables and leave them under pressure for 4 hours. Shake or stir the salad every 30 minutes.
Wash glass jars thoroughly and rinse with boiling water. Place the prepared salad, along with any juices, into dry, sterilized jars and place in a large saucepan to sterilize. Boil half-liter jars for 10 minutes, and liter jars for 15 minutes.
Roll the sterilized salad with boiled iron lids and turn them upside down. Cover with a thick blanket and let the jars cool for at least 24 hours. Then store in a basement or other cool place away from sunlight.
