These fast pickled cucumber slices will add crunch and taste to your favourite plant-based sandwiches, salads, bowls, sushi rolls, and extra! They’re simple to arrange and preserve for 2 full weeks within the fridge.
Sure, I’m all about pickled greens this spring!
Fast pickled greens are easy issues. But for all of their simplicity, they really add a lot to recipes.
That’s the rationale I’ve been placing my recipe sharing deal with them currently, with fast pickled onions, fast pickled carrot ribbons, and right now, fast pickled cucumber slices.
Fast pickled cucumber slices versus conventional pickles
Whereas not everybody makes or eats fast pickled carrots or onions commonly, most of us have had pickled cucumbers earlier than.
In truth, after we say or hear the phrase “pickle,” what we’re typically referring to is a spear of pickled cucumber.
There are numerous styles of cucumber pickles: dill pickles, Kosher pickles, candy pickles, cornichons, and bread and butter pickles, amongst others.
I like all the above pickles. However the fast pickled cucumber slices that I’m sharing right now are a bit totally different.
Conventional pickles are made with a canning bathtub. This enables them to be preserved for a very long time. That lengthy preservation time deepens their taste significantly.
These fast pickled cucumber slices are made just by pouring a heat, home made brine over cucumber slices and transferring them to the fridge for storage. In truth, fast pickles are typically known as “fridge pickles.”
The result’s slices of cucumber that may be able to eat inside thirty minutes. The flavour is tangy and salty, but it surely gained’t be as intense as conventional pickles are.
make fast pickled cucumber slices
Should you’ve seen a few of my different pickle-themed content material currently, then chances are you’ll already be aware of my course of.
Should you haven’t, or should you’d like a refresher, listed below are the steps for making my favourite fast pickled cucumber slices.
Step 1: slice your cucumber
I like to recommend utilizing some number of seedless cucumber right here. Most frequently, I take advantage of a seedless English cucumber to arrange the recipe.
There’s no must peel the cucumber in an effort to make this recipe. Nonetheless, you’ll want to create skinny, crosswise slices. I prefer to purpose for 1/16-inch / 2mm thick.
A slicer will make this process particularly simple. However you may as well work fastidiously with a paring knife to create these skinny slices.
Step 2: create a pickling liquid
The liquid combination on this case is straightforward: water, vinegar, salt, and sugar.
Technically, you would merely pour this combination over the cucumber slices, switch them to the fridge, and permit them to pickle chilly.
Fast pickles may be even faster should you pour sizzling pickling liquid over the pickles. I often warmth my water and vinegar in a small saucepan or microwave them for two minutes.
Then, I dissolve salt and sugar into the recent combination.
Step 3: pour the liquid over the cucumbers
As soon as your pickling liquid is prepared, you want merely to pour it over your cucumber slices in an effort to begin the pickling course of.
Step 4: retailer
Permit the cucumber slices to marinate of their sizzling liquid for about half-hour. Then, cowl them and switch them to the fridge.
The slices will preserve for as much as 2 weeks, supplying you with loads of time to make use of them in numerous dishes.
What kind of container ought to I take advantage of?
I like to make use of wide-mouthed, 16 ounce (1 pint, or 480ml) mason jars for my fast pickles at dwelling. The huge mouth makes it simple so as to add my sizzling liquid, and the dimensions is flexible for all kinds of vegetable shapes.
That stated, any container with an hermetic lid will work. Make sure to go away a minimum of an inch of headspace on the high.
Is the cane sugar needed?
After I posed my pickled carrot ribbons final week, a reader requested if the cane sugar within the recipe is critical. She talked about that she’s not a giant fan of candy pickles.
The reply is not any—the cane sugar isn’t strictly needed. It’s positively OK to omit it from this recipe and my different fast pickle recipes.
With that stated, I believe you’ll discover that the very small quantity of sugar within the pickling liquid right here (solely 2 teaspoons for the entire recipe) isn’t sufficient to create candy pickles, per se.
The fast pickled cucumber slices don’t style like bread and butter pickles or like candy pickle relish.
In truth, the sugar is just current to assist create some steadiness with all the tartness added by apple cider vinegar.
This is identical purpose that I add a really small quantity of maple syrup to vinaigrettes. The intention isn’t to create one thing that’s overtly salty and candy (although I do like salty/candy taste mixtures), however quite to maintain the recipe’s tastes in concord with one another.
What to do with fast pickled cucumber slices
My favourite factor to do with these crispy, tangy slices is to pile them into my sandwiches. They’re such a enjoyable, contemporary addition!
Some sandwiches that I like to make use of the slices in embody my miso tahini vegetable sandwich, inexperienced goddess membership sandwich, and tofu egg salad sandwich.
The slices are additionally very nice in summery salads. You’ll be able to chop them and toss them into my spinach rice salad, chickpea Greek salad, lentil beet salad, or tofu and udon noodle salad, for instance.
The cucumbers additionally make a pleasant topping for toast—attempt piling them onto avocado toast for texture and taste distinction.
Lastly, I prefer to high spherical crackers with hummus or garlic tahini smashed white bean salad, then one of many pickled slices. That is such a enjoyable, tasty hors d’oeuvres or snack.
Yields: 2 cups
- 1/2 seedless cucumber
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar, distilled white vinegar, or unseasoned rice vinegar (120ml)
- 3/4 cup water (180ml)
- 2 teaspoons cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds (non-obligatory)
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Utilizing a vegetable slicer or a pointy chef’s knife, slice the cucumber crosswise into skinny slices (ideally 1/16 in/2mm, or as near that as you will get).
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Place the slices right into a 1-pint/480ml mason jar. Add the mustard seeds to the jar, if utilizing.
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Stir collectively the vinegar and water in a heatproof measuring cup. Pour this combination right into a saucepan and produce to a simmer, then stir within the sugar and salt. Alternatively, microwave the water and vinegar for two minutes, then stir within the sugar and salt till they’re dissolved.
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Pour the recent pickling liquid over the cucumber slices within the jar. Submerge them fully.
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Permit the slices to sit down at room temperature for half-hour. Use straight away, or cowl the jar tightly with a lid and retailer in the fridge for as much as 2 weeks.
And now, I’ll take a quick step away from the pickle-themed content material—although no guarantees to cease pickling all of the veggies and writing about it once I do.
I hope you take pleasure in these crispy, cool, flavorful slices for summer season. And I’ll be again later this week with a candy new recipe to rejoice blueberry season with.
xo
