Cucumber salad with mustard for the winter – you’ll lick your fingers

Preparations for the winter

This winter cucumber salad recipe with mustard, garlic, and vinegar is called "Finger-Lickin' Good." And rightfully so—it's so delicious, you can't resist asking for more. It's not difficult to prepare, but keep in mind that the salad will need time to steep—the cucumbers are mixed with spices and release juice, which is then sterilized.

Ingredients for the salad:

2 kg of cucumbers;
90 g sugar;
1.5 tablespoons of salt;
90 g vinegar 9%;
50 g vegetable oil;
3 cloves of garlic;
0.5 teaspoon of ground black pepper;
dill umbrellas - half per jar.

How to make cucumber salad for the winter

The ingredients listed make 5 half-liter jars of salad. However, you may end up with slightly more (100-50 ml) if you sliced the cucumbers too large or didn't pack them too tightly into the jars.

Wash the cucumbers thoroughly, trim the ends, and soak them in cold water for 3-4 hours. If the cucumbers are freshly picked, you don't need to soak them.

Cut the cucumbers into 3-4 cm long pieces. Larger ones can be cut in half lengthwise and then into shorter pieces. For this salad, it's best to choose cucumbers with small, unripe seeds (otherwise, you'll be able to feel the seeds, and the salad's appearance will deteriorate).

Place the cucumbers in a suitable container, add all the spices and seasonings except for the dill umbrella, add salt, sugar, pressed garlic, pour in vegetable oil and vinegar.

Stir and cover. Set aside for 2-3 hours. Gently stir the cucumbers every hour.

During the steeping period, the cucumbers will release juice.

Place dill at the bottom of pre-sterilized jars.

Then, arrange the cucumbers, trying to fill as much space as possible. Spread the resulting juice evenly among the jars. The juice won't completely cover the cucumbers, but that's okay.

Place the jars in a large, convenient saucepan for sterilization. Be sure to place a jar stand or line the bottom with a thin towel so the jars don't touch the pan directly. This prevents them from bursting. Sterilize 0.5-liter jars for 15 minutes (liter jars for 20 minutes) after the water in the saucepan comes to a boil.

Once the sterilization time is complete, remove the jars and seal them tightly, or screw them on tightly if you're using jars with screw-on lids. In either case, turn them upside down and leave them there until they cool.

This salad should be stored in a dark place, or at room temperature.