To cucumbers, salty, barrel-s? ..
Have you read? Presented? Felt how your mouth filled with saliva? Meanwhile, the taste of real barrel cucumbers, salted according to all the rules, has been forgotten by many. Speaking of pickles, people most often recall the rows of half-liter cans on store shelves with fascinating labels such as "Cucumbers from Uncle Vanya", "Traditional Russian Ambassador" and the like. On many labels, the mysterious foreign word "Gherkins" is added in small print. And also, somewhere on the side, with very small letters printed: "Made in China."
So where are they, real Russian pickles?
Real Russian cucumbers are salted only in barrels. In recent years, Istoben cucumbers have become particularly famous. This almost brand appeared in a small old village, which for almost seven centuries has conveniently been located on the river bank under the true Russian name Vyatka. Istobensk. Therefore, cucumbers are Istobensky. The centuries-old traditions of gardening, a fairly good climate, love for the work of local residents and access to natural reserves of high-quality pure water - these are the main secrets of cultivating cucumber crops with excellent taste.
Istobensky Ambassador
Istoben cucumbers were traded at most Ural fairs. And how did they leave! It would seem, what's the matter? It was supposed to be salted without any tricks in the usual way: medium-sized fruits were taken (overgrown spoil the taste), the bottom of the barrel was laid with dill, currant and horseradish with garlic. In order for the finished cucumber to crunch loudly and deliciously, they must throw a handful of oak leaves. Sometimes a little juniper was added (heather, in Vyatka).
Salted cucumbers, stacking in barrels in rows and shifting again and again with herbs. And then it was poured to the brim with cold salt water. How much salt was needed? Yes, how much will it take to make the desired taste of the brine appear. Then they put everything under oppression, which was best suited for medium-sized stones, uprooted from arable land. After a couple of days, oppression was removed and the brine was added again to the brim.
Barrels before pickling were steamed with heather. The barrels, by the way, were also special - exclusively from spruce planks, which the hard-working cooper drove tightly and tightly to each other. It was said that if he accidentally made a mistake and mixed up the tree with the pine, then every vegetable in the barrel would turn sour, as if they had no tricks on him. And the trees for the planks were selected necessarily young, and only those dies were used that did not have knots. Maybe the secret of Istoben cucumbers is hidden in special barrels.
Feast of Istoben cucumber
Istobenians remembered the glory of their cucumbers in the late nineties of the last century. They remembered - and decided to declare in their honor the annual summer holiday of the Istoben cucumber. The ritual pickle according to the old recipes of Istoben cucumbers in the program is almost the main highlight of the whole event. The holiday usually takes place at the end of July - beginning of August, when the people have already enjoyed the taste of the first fresh cucumbers, and there comes a hot season of preparations for the winter.
Guests arrive early for the celebration, and even earlier, merchants from all over the district appear who will offer the very spruce barrels, spicy herbs and roots, and even salted cucumbers that enterprising hostesses salted according to all the rules just the day before. Well, what kind of pickles and without the first crumbly boiled potato? Here she, dear, is heard throughout the whole region, awakening the wolf hunger that came from nowhere.
Celebrate, giving well-deserved honors to the cucumber, will be long. Songs, contests, dances, comic costume battles ... Impressions will last until next year. As well as pickled cucumbers.
Summary
It is very good that recently in our somewhere constantly rushing world the old traditions are slowly returning. And so modestly, side by side, the same Istoben cucumbers occupy their place, crowding hamburgers and gherkins.