Marinated Cucumbers
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Marinate Time: 2 hours | Total Time: 2 hours, 10 minutes | Serves: 8
This recipe came about after a trip to visit my husband’s family in Florida. They had taken us to a Jewish deli in Palm Coast (gorgeous area, by the way). My husband and I ordered a side of their cucumber salad that was so fresh and delicious. I had to try to replicate it. I’ll admit it’s pretty gosh darn close to what we had. It’s colorful and tangy and sweet and crunchy. Perfect.
If you have a garden with an abundance of cucumbers over the summer, or have friends that share their abundance, this is a fantastic recipe to make! It will keep well covered in the refrigerator for about a week. The cukes will begin to soften as time goes by, but it will still be delicious.
Cucumbers are about 95% water so they’re great for hydration. They’re low in carbs and high in potassium. Technically, cucumbers are not vegetables, but fruit, since they grow from flowers from the plant and contain seeds. Hmm, go figure.
This recipe is a great side dish to take to a potluck or a backyard barbeque. For people like myself who enjoy the tanginess of vinegar, these marinated cucumbers are sure to please.
Marinated Cucumbers
This recipe is a great side dish to take to a potluck or a backyard barbeque. For people like myself who enjoy the tanginess of vinegar, these marinated cucumbers are sure to please.
Equipment
- Mandolin slicer, helpful, but not necessary
Ingredients
- 3 large cucumbers
- 1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 red bell pepper, small dice (1/4")
- 1 cup white wine vinegar
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Thinly slice the cucumbers on a mandolin, then place them in a medium bowl. Alternately, you can use a sharp knife to slice them thinly.
- Add the onion and bell pepper to the cucumbers.
- In a small saucepan over high heat, combine the vinegar, water, sugar, salt and pepper.
- Stir mixture occasionally until sugar and salt are dissolved. (The water probably won’t come to a full boil before all is dissolved.)
- Remove from heat and either: 1) Place the saucepan in an ice bath and allow to cool to room temperature. Or 2) Pour mixture into a heat-safe bowl and put into the refrigerator to cool to room temperature.
- Once the sugar mixture is cooled to room temperature, carefully pour it over the cucumbers and gently stir.
- Cover and place the cucumbers in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to chill.
- Serve chilled and enjoy.
Notes
I like the English cucumbers; the ridges on the skin make a pretty presentation. You can also take a vegetable peeler and peel long strips about an inch apart down the length of the cucumbers, too. It will make them look a little more fancy.
Tongs work really well with serving, versus a slotted spoon. Learned from experience.
An ice bath helps to speed up the cooling process. If your saucepan is deep enough, an ice bath is easy to do. Just fill a larger bowl with ice water and carefully place the saucepan into the water. Make sure it’s balanced so it doesn’t tip over and spill into the water, or the water doesn’t come up into your sugar mixture.
Nutrition Facts
Marinated Cucumbers
Amount per Serving
Calories
73
% Daily Value*
Fat
0.14
g
0
%
Sodium
468
mg
20
%
Potassium
173
mg
5
%
Carbohydrates
17
g
6
%
Fiber
1
g
4
%
Sugar
15
g
17
%
Protein
1
g
2
%
Vitamin C
11
mg
13
%
Calcium
23
mg
2
%
Iron
0.4
mg
2
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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