Very tasty cucumbers with ketchup

I've been accustomed to preparing winter supplies since childhood. But back when I lived in the village, we used to seal a lot more jars. These days, I just do a little bit at a time, just to try things out. If I find an interesting recipe, I'll seal a couple of jars. If I like the pickles, I save the recipe and make them again the following season.

Oh, I remember 15-20 years ago, my mom and I would pick a day off, pick a couple of boxes of cucumbers, and spend the whole day canning them. It took a lot of time and effort, but by evening, a huge batch of jars would be ready.

But now I don't do that. The cucumbers grow in the garden, I pick them and roll them up. And then I wait for the harvest to ripen again. Just like that, little by little, I close them up.

I'd like to share a recipe that makes unusual, yet delicious, preserves. While this method may be familiar to others, I tried it for the first time last year. And this season, I've preserved half my cucumbers this way.

Pickles in ketchup

I recommend using one-liter jars for canning.

1. Place the cucumbers in a bowl and cover with ice water for 40-60 minutes. This will keep them crisp and not limp.
   

   Green cucumbers in cold water

2. Wash the cucumbers thoroughly. Cut large ones into 2 or 4 pieces; small ones can be left whole, trimming the ends on each side.
   
   

   Sliced ​​cucumbers

3. Place the following on the bottom of the washed jars:
   • 2-3 cloves of garlic;
   • 7-10 black peppercorns;
   • one small inflorescence or 0.25 tsp of dill seeds;
   • 1 piece bay leaf;
   • a small leaf of horseradish.
     

     Spices in jars

4. Place the greens on top of the spice mixture, trying to fill the jar as tightly as possible.
5. Fill the jars with boiling water three times, leave for 10-15 minutes each time to sterilize.
6. Next, you need to prepare the brine.
   

   Pickle brine

   For 1 liter of water:

   • salt - 2 tablespoons;
   • sugar - 1 glass;
   • 9% vinegar - 0.5 cups;
   • Ketchup "Maheev" Chili - 1 soft package.
     

     Ketchup for pickle

7. Pour boiling marinade over cucumbers and roll up.
   

   Ready-made cucumbers in ketchup

8. Turn the jars upside down and wrap them in a warm blanket.
   

   Jars of cucumbers under a warm blanket

9. After cooling, place the canned goods in a place for winter storage.

These cucumbers disappear from our winter dinner table in no time. Even the brine gets drunk, and the kids love dipping their bread in it. Give it a try—it's a great recipe!