Equipment
Ingredients
Vegetables and Aromatics
- 300 g english cucumber, sliced
- 2 garlic, smashed
- 5 g fresh dill, whole sprigs
- 2 g black peppercorns, whole
Brine
- 120 ml water
- 120 ml white vinegar
- 15 g granulated sugar
- 10 g kosher salt
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 18 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbohydrates
- 4 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fiber
- 0 g
- Sugar
- 3 g
- Sodium
- 487 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Potassium
- 67 mg
- Calcium
- 11 mg
- Iron
- 0.2 mg
- Magnesium
- 6 mg
- Phosphorus
- 12 mg
- Zinc
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin A
- 4 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 2 mg
- Vitamin E
- 0.0 mg
- Vitamin K
- 7 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.0 mg
- Thiamin
- 0.01 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.02 mg
- Niacin
- 0.1 mg
- Folate
- 4 mcg
- Water
- 66 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Wash the cucumber and slice it into 3mm thick rounds. Place the slices into a clean, heatproof glass jar along with the smashed garlic, fresh dill, and black peppercorns.
In a small saucepan, combine the water, white vinegar, granulated sugar, and kosher salt.
Bring the brine mixture to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the salt and sugar completely dissolve. The mixture should reach about 90°C/194°F.
Carefully pour the hot brine over the cucumbers in the jar, ensuring all pieces are fully submerged.
Let the jar sit uncovered at room temperature for 1 hour to cool. Once cooled, seal with a lid and refrigerate before serving.
Chef's Notes
- Using a crinkle cutter for the cucumber slices not only looks professional but increases the surface area for the brine to penetrate.
- Pouring hot brine lightly cooks the exterior of the cucumber, allowing the vinegar to absorb rapidly so these are ready to eat in just an hour.
- For a spicy variation, add a pinch of red pepper flakes or a halved jalapeno to the jar before pouring the hot brine.
- English or Persian cucumbers are preferred over standard slicing cucumbers because their thinner skins and smaller seed cavities maintain a much better crunch.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 weeks — Keep fully submerged in brine for best quality.
Troubleshooting
Cucumbers are mushy instead of crisp
Cause: Slices were cut too thin, cucumbers were overripe, or the cucumbers were boiled in the liquid instead of just having liquid poured over them
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Use firm, fresh English or Persian cucumbers and slice to at least 3mm thickness. Do not boil the cucumbers.
Pickles are too sour or too salty
Cause: Inaccurate measuring of the brine ingredients or prolonged storage
Fix: Pour out up to half of the brine and replace it with fresh, cold water. Let sit for a few hours to draw out excess salt or acidity.
Prevention: Measure salt and vinegar accurately by weight or volume.
Cultural Context
Pickling is an ancient preservation technique found across nearly all global cuisines. The American quick pickle evolved from traditional lacto-fermented deli pickles, trading long fermentation times for the immediate acidity of vinegar to provide an instant, refreshing acidic contrast to rich foods.
