Cucumbers in gyros sauce

- a recipe even for beginners - sweet and sour vegetables in gyros spice - a very detailed description of the preparation and step-by-step photos

Preparation time: 1 hour Time of keeping vegetables in brine: 8 hours Jar pasteurization time: 20 minutes Number of servings: 8 jars of 600 ml Energy value 70 kcal Carbohydrates 12 g - Including sugars 10 g Protein 1 g Fat 2 g Diet: gluten-free, low-fat, vegetarian.

• 2 kg of small or medium-sized field cucumbers
• about 500 g red peppers - 2 medium pieces
• about 260 g yellow pepper - 1 medium piece
• about 500 g of onions - 4 small or 3 larger ones, e.g. sugar onions
• 4 larger cloves of garlic - up to 25 g - can be omitted
• 2 flat tablespoons of salt - up to 25 g
• 1.5 cups of spirit vinegar 10% - 375 ml
• 1 cup of boiled or filtered water - 250 ml
• 1.5 cups of sugar - I used fine sugar, total weight 370 g
• 70 ml of vegetable oil - about 7 tablespoons
• 1 sachet of gyros spice - 30 g

Cucumbers in gyros sauce

My glass holds 250 ml. For the given amount of ingredients, I used eight jars, each with a capacity of 600 ml.

Before preparing gyros pickles, I encourage you to read the entire post first. It includes some interesting tips on ingredients and their substitutes. You might want to add some grated carrots to the jars, for example.

Tip: Because most of the brine is left unconsumed, I didn't include some of it in my calorie count. The vegetables were weighed before any peeling or preparation. I always provide the weight of the vegetables or fruit I use. However, you don't have to follow the gram guidelines. The weights are provided to help you understand the approximate amount needed to prepare a given dish.

Cucumbers in gyros marinade recipe

Thoroughly wash two kilograms of the smallest field cucumbers in cold water. Trim off both ends. Cut the cucumbers into pieces about 2-3 cm in size, then place them in a very large bowl or large pot (I used an eight-liter stock pot).

Tip: Since I add an additional glass of water to the brine, I skip the process of soaking the whole cucumbers in cold water. The cucumbers don't have to be firm, as is the case with pickled cucumbers.

Peel the onions and slice them as desired, for example, into rings no thicker than 5 mm. Core the peppers and cut them into shorter strips, up to 7 mm wide, into pieces similar in size to the cucumbers. Peel the large garlic cloves and thinly slice them or press them through a garlic press. Place all the chopped vegetables and garlic in the bowl/pot with the cucumbers. Add two level tablespoons of regular salt to the pot, then mix all the vegetables thoroughly.

Tip: I always use sweet onion for gyros, but regular or garlic onions will work just as well. Fresh garlic isn't essential, but I usually add it. I use red and yellow bell peppers primarily for a nice color contrast. You can easily swap the red bell pepper for any other bell pepper, such as orange, white, or green. You can also use just one color bell pepper or three different bell peppers, such as red, orange, and green. You can also add some coarsely grated carrots or thinly sliced ​​carrots to the pot with the vegetables (1-2 small ones won't make a difference in the proportions of the other ingredients and the brine).

Add the brine to the pot with the salted vegetables. In a separate bowl, pour one and a half cups, or about 370 grams, of sugar (I used fine sugar, but regular or powdered sugar will work too). If you're using powdered or coarse sugar, don't measure it by the cup, but weigh it on a scale. Pour in one and a half cups of 10% spirit vinegar, or about 375 ml of vinegar, and about 70 ml of vegetable oil. Then pour in one cup of boiled or filtered water (250 ml). The water can be slightly warm. Finally, add the entire sachet of good-quality gyros seasoning, or 30 grams of the spice.

Tip: For the gyros seasoning, you can use a store-bought mix weighing about 30 grams total, or make your own gyros seasoning, omitting the salt and garlic, as these ingredients have already been added. Gyros Seasoning: one teaspoon dried garlic (if you omitted fresh garlic); one level teaspoon crushed coriander; half a teaspoon ground mustard seeds; one level tablespoon sweet paprika; half a level teaspoon hot paprika; 1/4 teaspoon each of rosemary, oregano, thyme, pepper, and fenugreek.

Mix all the brine ingredients thoroughly and pour them into the pot/bowl with the salted vegetables. Don't worry if the sugar hasn't dissolved. It will dissolve completely within a few hours as the vegetables begin to release more water. Thoroughly mix the vegetable pieces with the brine.

Cover the pot/bowl and set aside in a cool place for about eight hours. Stir the vegetables every few minutes (e.g., every hour or two) to speed up the process. The spices will reach all the vegetables and the sugar will dissolve faster.

The photo below shows gyros-marinated cucumbers after eight hours of marinating in a pot. The vegetables have released a lot of water, and the sugar has completely dissolved.

Prepare eight 600 ml jars or jars of other sizes. Their total capacity should be approximately 4800 ml. The jars should be perfectly clean, preferably sterilized with boiling water. The same applies to the lids. Use only undamaged jars and lids.

Divide the vegetable mixture evenly into each jar. For this salad, I pack the vegetables quite tightly into the jars. I fill the jars leaving about 3 cm of headspace. If you use fewer vegetables, you'll likely need more jars and more brine. After separating all the vegetables, pour the remaining brine into each jar. Stir it first, then pour it evenly into the jars. Pour enough brine to completely fill the spaces between the vegetable fragments. However, leave a 1 cm gap from the rim. Don't rush to seal the jars, as there may be quite a few air bubbles between the vegetables. To remove them, I recommend gently rocking the jars. However, I find it best to press the brined vegetables down with the back of a tablespoon. After removing the air from the jars, you'll probably need to add a little more brine to cover any excess vegetables. Only after such preparation can the jars be tightly closed.

In order to store gyros pickles in a marinade in the cellar, all jars must be pasteurized.

Pasteurization in the oven:

Place the tightly sealed jars on a wire rack or a thin baking sheet in a cold oven (approximately the middle shelf) and only then preheat the oven to 110°C (240°F). Do not set the temperature higher than this to avoid damaging the rubber bands in the lids. Pasteurize the jars for about 20 minutes. The pasteurization time is counted from the time the oven reaches temperature. After turning off the oven, the jars can be left inside until they have cooled completely. After this time, the lid should be concave when pressed with a finger – it should not deform or bounce. There is no need to turn the jars over.

Pasteurization in a pot: Place a cotton cloth or a new cloth diaper at the bottom of a wide pot. Arrange the jars side by side, but make sure they don't touch each other. Pour water up to a maximum of 3/5 of the jars' height. Turn the burner to medium heat and bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and pasteurize the jars for about 20 minutes. Once cooled, you can move them to a cool, dark, and humidity-free place (a cool storage room or basement).

Tip: It's common for some jars to still "burp" (the caps make a popping sound when pressed) even after pasteurization. However, simply tighten the lids and leave them alone until the next day. They'll almost always seal themselves by then. Therefore, no additional pasteurization is necessary. However, if you do find a damaged cap, I recommend storing the jar in the refrigerator and opening the gyros after about four days.

Store jars of gyros-brined cucumbers in a cool, dark place. A cellar or cool storage room where the temperature doesn't exceed 15 degrees Celsius is best. Homemade gyros-brined cucumber salad is ready to enjoy in just three or four days. It's best two weeks after making it.

Gyros pickles are perfect not only for sandwiches, but also for burgers, hot dogs, and kabobs. They're a great snack with meats and all kinds of grilled dishes, or as part of a salad. This is one of the best winter salads, perfect for most Polish dinners. Enjoy!