Why cucumbers pickled in a jar become soft and how to prevent the problem
Housewives who often preserve cucumbers often find them softer in jars. It is recommended that you familiarize yourself with why pickles become soft in the jar and how to fix this problem.
Why do cucumbers in a jar become soft and spoil over time?
Many housewives are not happy with the fact that their barrel cucumbers lose their strength and do not crunch. Most often, this problem appears when vegetables are improperly fermented or because of their poor processing with cold water. However, there are other reasons for softening cucumbers.
Sterilization errors
Vegetables often lose their firmness if they are preserved in non-sterilized containers. Therefore, experienced housewives recommend thoroughly treating all containers with boiling water before use. If glass jars are used for pickling cucumber fruits, they are steamed.
To do this, put a pot of water on the gas stove and bring it to a boil. Then a grid is installed on top, on which the top-bottom of the jar is placed. Processing the container should last 20-25 minutes.
Leakage violation
It's no secret that when salting, all cucumbers are placed in liter or three-liter jars, which are tightly closed with special seaming lids. Sometimes people do not roll up the caps well and because of this, air gets inside. Gradually, because of this, the lids begin to swell, and the vegetables inside deteriorate. Therefore, it is recommended that you regularly check the jars so that they do not swell.
Exposure to pectolytic enzymes
Sometimes fungi get into the container where pickled cucumbers are located, which lead to the formation of pectic acid and pectin. This leads to the fact that the vegetables inside lose their elasticity and begin to deteriorate.
To prevent pickling from spoiling, you will have to do the following:
- remove mold;
- pour the brine into a saucepan;
- add salt to taste;
- boil liquid;
- pour the boiled marinade back.
Incorrect brine preparation
People who have not previously dealt with pickling often make mistakes in canning and marinade preparation. Common mistakes include the following:
- Not enough salt. It is recommended to consume 50-60 grams of salt per liter jar.
- Lack of vinegar. If vegetables are rolled into a three-liter container, use 60-70 milliliters of a vinegar mixture.
- Long-term fermentation. Cucumbers should be fermented for 3-4 days.
Mistakes when stacking cucumbers
There are times when the cucumbers have become soft due to improper packing in the container. The cucumbers should be stacked in such a way that they fit snugly together. It is better to fill them in three liter jars.
You should not use too large a container, as in it, due to the increased pressure, the cucumber fruits become softer.
Poor cucumbers
Sometimes pickles turn out to be tasteless due to the use of low-quality or spoiled vegetables. There are several recommendations that are taken into account when choosing fruits:
- cucumbers should be small, 5-7 centimeters long;
- the skin of vegetables should not be very dense;
- you need to choose cucumbers without damage and signs of decay.
Incorrect storage
Sometimes pickles spoil due to improper storage in winter. Lactic acid, which is a preservative, is rapidly destroyed under the influence of elevated temperature indicators. Therefore, experts advise keeping pickles in basements where the temperature does not rise above 10-15 degrees.
Why are cucumbers empty inside when salted?
Some housewives are faced with the fact that, after preservation, cucumbers turn into softened and empty vegetables inside.
Using overripe fruits
A void inside the fruit may appear due to the canning of overripe vegetables. Overripe cucumber fruits creep and deteriorate over time. Therefore, you need to choose green and elastic cucumbers, on the surface of which there are no yellowish spots or darkening.
Long-term storage
Sometimes cucumber fruits dissolve, and their inner pulp turns into jelly. This problem appears due to too long storage of salting in the cellar. Salted vegetables are stored no longer than 2-4 years, after which it is better to throw them away, as they begin to deteriorate.
Lengthy cooking process
So that pickled cucumbers do not turn into porridge, you cannot delay the process of their preparation. The process of salting vegetables lasts for 2-4 days. However, some people decide to ferment them for 10-12 days. It is not worth doing this, since due to such a long preparation, the fruits will begin to deteriorate.
Why do cucumbers in jars shrivel?
Another problem that many housewives face is that canned vegetables wrinkle.
Cucumbers shriveled due to the following reasons:
- the water used for salting is very soft;
- too much salt was added to the marinade;
- dried fruits were selected for salting.
How to prevent problems from occurring?
To prevent softening of cucumbers, you must adhere to the following recommendations:
- choose varieties of cucumbers suitable for canning;
- do not use spoiled fruits;
- store pickles in the cellar;
- observe the rules of canning vegetables.
Conclusion
People who love winter canning often come across soft pickles. So that in the future the fruits do not deteriorate quickly, you need to familiarize yourself with the causes of spoilage of cucumbers and advice on how to eliminate such a problem.
