Chinese Pickled Cucumber (A Quick Pickle Recipe)
User Reviews
5
Chinese Pickled Cucumber (A Quick Pickle Recipe)
Description
This recipe starts by coating cucumber spears with kosher or sea salt and letting them rest for 30 to 60 minutes to draw out moisture and soften the slices. After draining and rinsing, the cucumbers are combined with lightly crushed garlic cloves in a sealable container or jar.
The spicy brine is prepared by heating Sichuan peppercorns and dried chilies briefly to release aromas, then adding white vinegar, water, soy sauce, and sugar, which is brought to a boil. Pouring the hot brine over the cucumbers and allowing them to cool at room temperature initiates rapid pickling, imparting a balance of sour, spicy, salty, and sweet flavors.
The pickled cucumbers can be stored sealed in the refrigerator and enjoyed as a cooling condiment or snack, complementing a variety of dishes. Adjust the amount of cucumbers packed based on jar size and note that salting reduces their volume slightly.
Ingredients
- 1 to 1 1/2 lbs (450 g to 680 g) cucumber cut into spears (or kirby, or English cucumber) (*Footnote 1, Persian
- 1 teaspoon kosher (or sea salt)
- 2 cloves garlic , lightly crushed
Brine
- 1/4 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorn
- 2 dried chili
- 1/2 cup white vinegar distilled
- 1 cup water
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sugar
Instructions
- Add cucumber into a big bowl. Sprinkle salt over the sliced cucumbers and gently toss them with your hands so the cucumbers are evenly coated. Rest for 30 minutes to an hour, tossing them occasionally.
- Once the cucumbers are done resting, drain off the liquid that has collected in the bottom of the container and gently rinse the cucumbers with cold water to remove the excess salt. Place the rinsed cucumbers and garlic cloves into a heat-proof, sealable container or mason jars. Make sure to arrange the cucumbers to be packed together, without too much excess space between them.
- Heat the sichuan peppercorns and dried chilis over medium-low heat in a small pot. Toss the spices until fragrant, around 1 minute.
- Once the spices are fragrant add the vinegar, water, soy sauce, and sugar. Bring to a boil.
- Pour the hot brine over the cucumbers until they are completely covered.
- Allow the pickles to cool to room temperature and seal the container.
- Let the cucumbers pickle overnight in the fridge and enjoy!
Notes
- Adjust cucumber quantity by slicing and packing to fit your container, keeping in mind they reduce in size after salting.
- Using mason jars sized around 16 oz can hold about 1 to 1.5 pounds of cucumbers arranged snugly.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 8servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 9 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1serving | |
| Calories | 9kcal | 0% |
| Carbohydrates | 2.2g | 1% |
| Protein | 0.4g | 1% |
| Fat | 0.1g | 0% |
| Sodium | 46mg | 2% |
| Potassium | 85mg | 2% |
| Fiber | 0.3g | 1% |
| Sugar | 1.1g | 2% |
| Calcium | 9mg | 1% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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