It would be a shame not to save the summer surplus for better times. While ripe tomatoes can be processed into homemade ketchup or spicy chutney, harder vegetables like peppers, carrots, cabbage, or zucchinis are suitable for pickling in vinegar brine and then as a spicy side dish, for example, with roasted or grilled meats. You can also pickle red onions or radishes, which quickly marinate in vinegar brine, gain a beautiful pink color, lose some of their sharpness, and beautifully decorate cold kitchen products.
When you say pickled vegetables, pickled cucumbers are inseparably associated with Czech cuisine. The tradition of pickling cucumbers was developed as early as the sixteenth century by the abbots of the Znojmo monastery. In the original recipe, where cucumbers were left to ferment in clay pots, cherry leaves were sometimes added. It used to be the food of the poor because field cucumbers were often bitter. People therefore tried to overpower their original taste with spices. That’s why dill, for example, started to be added to them.
It wasn’t until the 19th century that the sweet and sour brine, as we know it today, appeared, and pickled cucumbers became popular even at the Austrian imperial court. Pickled cucumbers, besides having a great taste, also have a number of health benefits.
Pickled cucumbers, like fresh ones, contain up to 95% water and thus have a very low caloric value. Therefore, you can enjoy a considerable amount of them even on a weight-loss diet. They also contain vitamin F, which helps burn fat and directly supports weight loss.
The high water content and fiber benefit the digestive tract, reduce the possibility of constipation, support immunity, and the production of certain hormones. Regular consumption of pickled cucumbers also keeps the yeast microflora in balance.
Old wives’ tales about having a few pickled cucumbers for a morning hangover have a deep scientific basis. Pickled cucumbers support the nourishment of probiotic bacteria in our intestines, which, through the connection of the gut microbiome with the nervous system, reduce the production of the stress hormone cortisol. Eating pickled cucumbers can truly effectively improve your mood.
