Got too many cucumbers to eat fresh? That’s a good problem to have, my friend.
Every summer, my cucumber vines start off slow but get a growth spurt all at once, leaving me with more cucumbers than I can eat or cook before they go bad. (Wait, cooked cucumbers? Oh yes—if you haven’t tried them this way, you should! They taste just like zucchini this way.)
I usually make jars of pickles to store or give away, and I’m particularly a fan of quick pickles: the kind of pickle that just needs to be refrigerated in brine. No Pickle Crisp necessary, and no fiddling with a boiling water bath.
I’ve shared a few quick pickle recipes over the years (like these Bread and Butter Pickles and Quick Pickled Sweet ‘n Spicy Radishes) but my favorite pickle—which I make every year and usually finish before my husband even gets a bite—is this Asian-style quick pickle. And it’s about time I share it here on my blog.
With a blend of rice vinegar, sugar, and soy sauce, these pickles have a balance of sweet, savory, and tangy that make them super snackable by themselves. I also like to put them in sandwiches and serve them with grilled meats (or this amazing slow-cooked pork from my Vietnamese-style taco recipe). The pickles are versatile enough to go with nearly any non Asian-flavored meal, so don’t feel limited by what you can make.
After you finish the jar, save the leftover brine to make a second round of pickles or whisk with your favorite oil to make a vinaigrette.
What types of cucumbers to use
Popular pickling cucumbers, like Kirby, Boston, or National Pickling, are ideal for pickles since they usually stay crunchier than standard slicing types, but for this recipe, I prefer thin-skinned, non-bitter cucumbers.
If you grow cucumbers at home, these are your modern burpless varieties (like Beit Alpha, Marketmore, or Suyo Long). At the grocery store, look for Persian (which are short and slender) or English cucumbers (the long ones wrapped in plastic).
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If you don’t have any burpless cucumbers (burpless is a marketing term that refers to a non-bitter cucumber), pickling happens to be a great way to make bitter cucumbers more palatable, so you can try this recipe with any type of slicing cucumber. (I recommend peeling it first, since bitter-tasting compounds tend to accumulate in the skin.)
Asian quick pickled cucumber recipe
Makes 1 quart
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 pound thin-skinned cucumbers, sliced 1/16-inch thick
- 1 shallot, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
How to make Asian quick pickled cucumbers
In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the vinegar, water, sugar, and soy sauce and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
In a medium bowl, combine the cucumbers, shallot, and ginger. Pack the vegetables tightly into a wide-mouth quart-sized jar.
Ladle the cooled brine into the jar and use the back of a spoon to push the vegetables down so they’re fully covered. Seal the jar with a lid.
Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before using, though the pickles will develop better flavor after 48 hours (and in the days following) if you can wait that long!
Can you pickle other vegetables this way?
Absolutely! I love experimenting with new flavors in this brine and have made Asian quick pickles with a few other vegetables from my garden:
- Carrots, sliced into thin rounds or matchsticks
- Red onions, halved and sliced
- Radishes, sliced thin
- Beets, roasted and sliced (see my recipe for Quick Pickled Roasted Beets for roasting instructions)
- Green beans and asparagus, blanched and pickled whole (thicker vegetables like these need at least 3 days in the fridge before using)
Storage
Store these Asian quick pickled cucumbers in the refrigerator for up to 2 months. They don’t necessarily go “bad” after 2 months, but their texture will decline in quality as time goes on.
My Favorite Asian Quick Pickled Cucumbers
Got a glut of cucumbers this summer? Looking to try something besides a dill pickle? These Asian-style quick-pickled cucumbers are my favorite sweet/savory/tangy treat that require no canning.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 pound thin-skinned cucumbers, sliced 1/16-inch thick
- 1 shallot, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
Instructions
- In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the vinegar, water, sugar, and soy sauce and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
- In a medium bowl, combine the cucumbers, shallot, and ginger. Pack the vegetables tightly into a wide-mouth quart-sized jar.
- Ladle the cooled brine into the jar and use the back of a spoon to push the vegetables down so they're fully covered. Seal the jar with a lid.
- Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before using, though the pickles will develop better flavor after 48 hours (and in the days following) if you can wait that long!
Notes
Store these Asian quick pickled cucumbers in the refrigerator for up to 2 months. They don't necessarily go "bad" after 2 months, but their texture will decline in quality as time goes on.
