Vinegar Marinated Cucumbers
This is a study in texture and contrast. By salting the cucumbers first, you pull out their moisture, allowing the brine to penetrate deeply without making the vegetables go limp.
Watch your salt levels.
The salting step is not for seasoning, but for structure. It is the only way to keep the cucumbers from becoming soggy in the vinegar.
- Mandoline or sharp chef's knife
- Colander
- Glass mixing bowl
- Whisk
What goes in.
- 2large English cucumbers
- 1/2medium yellow onion, sliced into paper-thin half-moons
- 1 tbspkosher salt
- 1/2 cupwhite distilled vinegar
- 1/2 cupwater
- 3 tbspgranulated sugar
- 1 tspblack peppercorns
Drawing out the water
Toss the sliced cucumbers with salt and let them sit in a colander over a bowl for thirty minutes. This forces out the water so the cucumbers can drink up the vinegar brine instead.
The method.
Slice and salt
Use a mandoline to slice cucumbers into 1/8-inch coins. Toss in a colander with the salt. Place over a bowl and leave for 30 minutes until beads of water form on the surface.
Prepare the brine
While the cucumbers drain, whisk the vinegar, water, and sugar in a glass bowl until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add the onions and peppercorns.
Combine
Rinse the salt off the cucumbers under cold water, then pat them dry with a kitchen towel. Add the cucumbers to the brine, pressing them down so they are submerged.
Chill
Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours. The color of the cucumbers will shift from bright opaque green to a slightly translucent, deep jade.
Other turns to take.
Dill and Garlic
Add two smashed garlic cloves and a few sprigs of fresh dill to the brine before chilling.
Spicy
Include a sliced serrano pepper or a half-teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Use English or Persian cucumbers; their skins are thin and lack the bitter, waxy seeds of standard garden cucumbers.
Do not skip the rinsing step, or the final dish will be aggressively salty.
These will keep in the refrigerator for up to one week, though the onions will soften significantly after day three.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I use apple cider vinegar instead?
Yes, it adds a fruity note and a darker color, but white vinegar provides the cleanest, sharpest bite for this specific style.
Why use a mandoline?
Consistency. Having every slice identical ensures they all soften and take on the brine at the exact same rate.
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