Eggplant and cucumber salad for the winter

Eggplant with cucumbers for the winter is a well-known appetizer that came to us from the southern regions. This tasty and aromatic dish will become a pleasant reminder of the hot summer and generous autumn harvest on the table. It is prepared simply and available for execution even by beginners.

Features of cooking eggplant with cucumbers

Eggplant is extremely healthy due to its rich composition. They contain:

• B vitamins;
• folic acid;
• macronutrients (copper, magnesium, potassium);
• phytomenadione.

Eating eggplant can help strengthen heart muscle, lower cholesterol, and control blood pressure. Vegetable juice dulls appetite, and low calorie content allows you to include it in the diet.

The main feature of eggplant is the need to prepare it before use. Since the fresh pulp is bitter, after cutting it into pieces, it is soaked in cold salted water for 30-40 minutes. After that, the bitterness goes away, the water is drained, the vegetable slices are washed well and used in recipes.

Cucumbers are also popular. They are well known for their cleansing properties. This type of vegetable is able to remove toxins from the body, salts from joints, cholesterol from blood vessels and free radicals from the bloodstream. Cucumber is also a source of fiber, potassium, manganese, copper, magnesium, and folate.

When choosing eggplants for winter preparations, you should pay attention to their appearance. The skin should be smooth and shiny, and the stalk strong and greenish. These are undeniable signs of the freshness of the product. Cucumbers are chosen based on color (it should be uniform) and elasticity. The most intense taste is in medium-sized specimens (10-15 cm) with dark tubercles. It is from them that the best preservation for the winter is obtained. Before use, the tips of cucumbers are cut off, since it is in them that bitterness most often accumulates.

Before harvesting, eggplants should be soaked for 40 minutes to remove bitterness.

The combination of these two types of vegetables makes the dish very healthy. The main thing is to know how to cook them correctly.

Eggplant, cucumber and pepper salad

The recipe for a salad with eggplants and cucumbers for the winter allows several variations that can significantly enrich its taste.

Would need:

• eggplant - 2.8 kg;
• tomato juice (freshly squeezed) - 1.7 l;
• cucumbers - 1.4 kg;
• sweet pepper - 1.4 kg;
• onions - 600 g;
• salt - 40 g;
• sugar - 180 g;
• vegetable oil - 400 ml;
• vinegar (9%) - 140 ml.

The salad can be consumed 2-3 months after seaming.

Cooking steps:

1. Wash the eggplants, peel (optional), cut into slices, salt and send under the press for 1.5-2 hours. Then wash and squeeze.
2. Cut cucumbers and peppers in the same way.
3. Pour tomato juice into a saucepan, put on medium heat and bring to a boil.
4. Chop the onion into half rings, send it to the juice.
5. After 5 minutes add eggplant, pepper and cucumber.
6. Bring to a boil again and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
7. Add sugar, salt, oil, vinegar to the mixture and simmer for another 5-7 minutes.
8. Arrange the salad in pre-sterilized jars and roll up the lids.

Eggplant and pepper blanks for the winter should cool upside down.

This dish can be consumed 2-3 months after canning. During this period, the eggplants will infuse and become much richer in taste.

Pickled cucumbers with eggplant and garlic

This type of preparation for the winter has a pleasant garlic aroma and will be a good addition to appetizers on the dinner table. If desired, you can add any greens and dry herbs to the recipe.

You will need:

• cucumbers - 8 pcs.;
• eggplant - 2 pcs.;
• dill - 50 g;
• garlic - 2 heads;
• laurel leaves - 6 pcs.;
• pepper (peas) - 14 pcs.;
• sugar - 80 g;
• vinegar (9%) - 20 ml;
• salt - 20 g.

Mustard seeds and coriander add a spicy flavor

Cooking steps:

1. Prepare eggplants, cut into rings (soak in cold salted water or press).
2. Peel the garlic, wash the cucumbers well.
3. Sterilize the jars and leave to dry.
4. Put dill and garlic in glass containers (3-4 cloves).
5. Cut the cucumbers into quarters (vertically) and put in jars, alternating with herbs.
6. Top with a few eggplant rings and 2-3 garlic cloves.
7. Boil water and pour it into a container with vegetables. Leave on for 20-25 minutes.
8. Pour the resulting broth into a saucepan, turn on medium heat, add salt, sugar, bay leaf and pepper.
9. As soon as the marinade boils, pour in the vinegar.
10. Pour everything back into the jars, roll up the lids and leave to cool completely.

Salad with cucumbers, eggplants and tomatoes for the winter

Preparations for the winter with cucumbers, eggplants and tomatoes are appreciated due to the juiciness that tomatoes provide in the recipe. They are a good addition to meat dishes. Hot peppers add spice, and the combination of vinegar and sugar gives a pleasant sweet and sour aftertaste.

You will need:

• tomatoes - 1.6 kg;
• eggplant - 700 g;
• cucumbers - 700 g;
• vegetable oil - 100 ml;
• sugar - 90 g;
• vinegar (9%) - 70 ml;
• pepper (hot) - 1 pc.;
• garlic - 1 head;
• provencal herbs - 1 pinch;
• salt - 20 g.

Thanks to tomatoes, the harvest is very juicy.

Cooking steps:

1. Cut the eggplants into cubes, soak in salted water for 40-50 minutes, wash and squeeze lightly.
2. Rinse the cucumbers, remove the tips and chop in the same way.
3. Peel the garlic, cut the stalk and seeds from the pepper.
4. Twist the tomatoes, garlic and hot peppers through a meat grinder.
5. Add oil to a saucepan, heating, add a pinch of dry herbs.
6. Send the tomato-garlic mixture, sugar, salt there, bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes.
7. Add eggplants and cucumbers to a saucepan and simmer over low heat for another 25 minutes.
8. Add vinegar.
9. Put the salad in hot sterilized jars and roll up the lids.

Storage terms and rules

After cooling, the eggplant and cucumber blanks are stored for the winter in the basement, pantry or on the balcony, depending on where you live.

The best storage option is a basement. It maintains the required temperature regime, as well as the level of humidity. Before being sent for storage, the basement must be cleaned, checked for the presence of mold and mildew, and, if found, treated with fungicides. The presence of air exchange will help to avoid these troubles in the future.

In the apartment, blanks for the winter are stored in a special storage room (if provided by the layout) or on the balcony. When equipping a pantry, you need to make sure that there are no heating devices in it that increase the temperature in a small closed room.

As for the balcony, it is also prepared for the storage function. To do this, the windows are shaded in the place where the preservation will be stored for the winter or a closed cabinet is assembled to protect the workpieces from direct sunlight. The temperature on the balcony should not drop below 0 ° C, moreover, it must be regularly ventilated to maintain the required humidity level.

Another way of storage on a balcony or loggia is a thermobox. It consists of 2 boxes (large and slightly smaller). At the bottom of the first, a layer of foam is laid, thus forming a thermal cushion, then a small box is placed inside and the remaining gaps are filled with sawdust or polyurethane foam.

Conclusion

Eggplant with cucumbers for the winter is a simple but very tasty appetizer that goes well with both meat and fish dishes. It's easy to prepare, and the variety of recipes allows you to experiment with spices, seasonings and additional ingredients.

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