Home canning possesses a unique coziness. In summer, the kitchen transforms into a small workshop for future winter delights: jars are sterilized, spices fill the air, fresh vegetables lie on the table, and shelves gradually fill with vibrant little jars.
Crispy tarragon cucumbers and marinated basil tomatoes / © Credits
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Summer is the season for preserving, while vegetables are juicy, aromatic, and cheaper than in other seasons. Food blogger Oleksandr Kubitskyi proposed two foolproof options: crispy tarragon cucumbers and marinated basil tomatoes. Both are prepared using the same universal marinade, significantly simplifying the process.
Universal Marinade
Ingredients
Per 1 liter of water, you will need:
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Salt — 2 tbsp
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Sugar — 4 tbsp
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Vinegar 9% — 100 ml
Preparation
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Bring the water to a boil.
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Add salt and sugar, stirring until completely dissolved.
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Add the vinegar at the end, then immediately use the hot marinade to fill the prepared jars.
This is convenient when you want to preserve several types of vegetables at once, as there’s no need to prepare a separate brine for each jar.
Tarragon Cucumbers
Ingredients
For a 1-liter jar, you will need:
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Cucumbers — as many as fit in the jar
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Garlic — 3–4 cloves
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Tarragon — 2 sprigs
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Mustard seeds — 1 tsp
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Black peppercorns — a few
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Bay leaf — 1 pc.
Preparation
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Place garlic, tarragon, mustard seeds, black peppercorns, and bay leaf at the bottom of a sterilized jar.
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Tightly fill the jar with cucumbers. If the vegetables are of different sizes, place the larger ones at the bottom and the smaller ones closer to the top.
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Prepare the hot universal marinade and pour it over the cucumbers.
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Cover the jars with lids and sterilize for approximately 10 minutes. Then, seal them.
Tarragon imparts a very distinctive aroma to the cucumbers, while mustard seeds add a more interesting and spicier flavor.
Marinated Tomatoes with Basil
Ingredients
For a 1-liter jar:
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Tomatoes — as many as fit
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Garlic — 3–4 cloves
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Basil — 3–4 leaves
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Black peppercorns — a few
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Bay leaf — 1 pc.
Preparation
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Place garlic, basil, peppercorns, and bay leaf at the bottom of the jar.
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Fill the jar with tomatoes. For preservation, it’s best to choose firm vegetables that hold their shape well.
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Pour in the hot universal marinade, cover with a lid, and sterilize for 10 minutes.
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After this, seal the jars.
Basil adds a fresh herbal aroma to the tomatoes, which will remind you of summer during the winter.
Tips
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To avoid turning the preparation into an hours-long marathon, you can first gather all the jars, vegetables, and spices, and then proceed with the marinade.
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It’s best to use fresh, undamaged cucumbers and tomatoes, and thoroughly prepare the jars and lids before use.
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Don’t forget about sterilization; for home canning, it’s crucial to maintain cleanliness, proper processing times, and follow the recipes.
Tarragon cucumbers are suitable for those who enjoy crispness and spicy herbal notes, while basil tomatoes will appeal to lovers of aromatic and juicy preserves.
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