How lightly salted cucumbers are made with mineral water for restaurants. Ready in 3 hours

I tried amazing lightly salted cucumbers at a restaurant: green, aromatic, with a pronounced taste of fresh spices. Moreover, they are elastic, as if fresh from the garden. But this is a restaurant! The chefs there have such techniques that I never dreamed of. So I decided: there is no way I can cook such a delicious dish at home.

And last week, a neighbor treated me to cucumbers. I tried it and was stunned: the same taste!

It turns out that the neighbor once worked as a cook in a restaurant and stole the recipe from there. No professional super-vacuumers are required for such cucumbers.

The composition of the products is very simple

For 1 kg of lightly salted cucumbers you will need:

• 1-1.5 liters of mineral water;
• 2 tbsp. l. salt;
• dill, better with umbrellas;
• 1 tsp. mustard seeds;
• 5-6 cloves of garlic.

Choose mineral water without a “chemical” taste and smell. If the water smells of hospital, iodine or chlorine, the same taste will appear in cucumbers. I take regular clean water with gas.

Let's start cooking

Rinse the cucumbers thoroughly to remove all dust. Trim the noses and butts. This is necessary so that the brine quickly penetrates the fruit.

1. Cut the garlic into slices. Remember the dill a little - just “shake” it with your hands or beat it with a spoon. It is necessary that the leaves flatten a little and begin to release juice - this will make the marinade much more flavorful.
2. Choose a suitable container. You can use a jar, food container, small saucepan.
3. Place some of the spices on the bottom.
4. Place cucumbers tightly on top in a couple of layers.
5. Then the next portion of spices.
6. And again cucumbers. Repeat until the fruit is gone. The top layer in the container should be spices.
7. Dissolve salt in mineral water and pour cucumbers so that they are completely covered with brine.

The liquid level should rise above the fruit by at least 1 cm. The cucumbers will absorb part of the brine. If there is not enough liquid, the top layer of the fruit will dry out, become wrinkled and flabby.

Leave the snack for an hour at room temperature. Then put it in the refrigerator overnight or for a day. During this time, the cucumbers will absorb the brine and become salty, spicy and very fragrant. If you like a milder taste, remove the appetizer from the marinade after 3 hours.

This is how it was distributed in our family. The children eat the cucumbers after 3 hours, I eat them the next morning, and my husband eats them in the evening, when they are thoroughly salted and saturated with garlic and mustard.

When I don't have time to wait, I use a different recipe.

Lightly salted cucumbers in an hour

This appetizer is prepared much faster. But the cucumbers will not be whole, but slices, and not so crispy.

For 1 kg of cucumbers it will cost:

• 1 tbsp. l. salt;
• 1 tsp. Sahara;
• a bunch of dill;
• 4 cloves of garlic.

It is better to add a couple of umbrellas or at least dried dill seeds to fresh dill. They will give a specific aroma of pickled cucumbers.

An appetizer is easier to prepare than a salad.

Before you start cooking, grab two strong, clean plastic bags. An unusual “ingredient”, but you can’t do without it.

1. Cut the cucumbers into quarters, if they are very plump, then into octagons.
2. Finely chop the dill.
3. Cut the garlic into thin slices.
4. Place the cucumbers in a bowl, add salt, sugar and seasonings. Mix everything well.
5. Place the cucumbers in a bag and tie tightly.
6. Shake the bag well so that the spices are distributed evenly throughout the cucumbers. Don't worry, you won't crush the vegetables.

Place the bags one inside the other. If the appetizer starts to leak, a second layer of polyethylene will protect your refrigerator from spreading puddles of marinade. Tie the second bag tightly too.

Leave the cucumbers on the table for 20 minutes to begin the emergency pickling process. Then put it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. And you're done! You can put real lightly salted cucumbers on the table.

Tip: choose dense, small fruits with small seeds. If you take overripe cucumbers, large hard seeds will “spread” throughout the bag during the pickling process. This will not affect the taste, but the snack will turn out untidy.

Instant cucumbers Korean style

Hot, spicy, fragrant, the taste is very similar to Korean pickles.

This appetizer is ready in 20 minutes.

For 1 kg of cucumbers you will need:

• 0.5 tbsp. l salt;
• 7-8 cloves of garlic;
• 5 tbsp. l. fragrant sesame oil;
• set of spices for Korean carrots.

If you don't have sesame oil, use whatever you like. Koreans generally season their pickles with refined sunflower – and that’s okay, it turns out great. But it tastes better with sesame seeds - the dish acquires a characteristic “Chinese” flavor.

Seasonings for Korean carrots can be spicy or mild. You can use any - they smell exactly the same, the only difference is the presence or absence of hot pepper.

Cooking couldn't be easier

If the cucumbers are small, cut them into quarters. If large, cut into circles about 0.5 cm thick. Place the vegetables in a bowl and add salt. If half a spoonful of salt is too much for you, add less – it’s not critical.

Squeeze or finely grate the garlic and place in a small bowl. Pour the oil there and add the seasoning.

Pour the sauce over the cucumbers and leave to stand for a while. If desired, you can eat it right away like a regular salad. But if the vegetables are soaked in the sauce and release the juice, it will be much tastier.