They’re rubbery and bland. Mistakes when pickling cucumbers

Pickling cucumbers has long been a tradition in many households. It’s no wonder, since cucumbers are among the most commonly grown vegetables of all. Homemade, crunchy pickles are well worth the effort and, unfortunately, can’t be compared to store-bought ones packed with flavor enhancers and other additives. However, if we make some basic mistakes at home, we can be sure we’ll end up with a result nobody wants. So what are the most common mistakes?

Buying poor-quality cucumbers

Of course, I have to start with shopping. Pickling cucumbers from supermarkets generally aren’t worth much. You need to take that into account. They’ve usually been sitting on the shelf for quite a while, and their texture reflects that. They’re simply rubbery. You can easily tell just by looking at them and feeling them. If you’re heading to the market to shop, be sure to go in the morning. By the afternoon, the cucumbers may not be very good either. They’ll also be limp, which would become even more apparent during the pickling process, and the result would be disappointing.

Photo: Radek Stepan

Incorrect ratio of ingredients in the brine

Vinegar, sugar, and salt must balance well in the brine. Of course, it’s worth noting that everyone uses a different brine. Some people like their cucumbers sweeter, others prefer them more sour. But if the proportions aren’t quite right, the cucumbers can end up either bland or too salty, sweet, or sour. Nobody wants that. We use the following ratio of ingredients:

– 2 liters of water,

– 6 deciliters of vinegar,

– 8 dkg of salt,

– 22.5 dkg of granulated sugar.

When you forget the spices…

You must also add the right spices to the pickles. Typical spices include mustard seeds, allspice, and pepper. You definitely can’t make pickles without dill. These ingredients give homemade pickles the perfect flavor.

Long preserving at high temperatures

We preserve at 80 degrees Celsius for just 10 minutes. A slightly longer time is often recommended. However, if we leave the cucumbers at a high temperature for too long, we can be sure they’ll overcook and turn into mush rather than anything else. You can forget about any crunch.

Sources: Author

Photo and photogalllery: Radek Stepan