Quick Cucumber Kimchi
You want the bite of fermentation without the wait. By slicing cucumbers into thick rounds and salting them briefly, you bypass the long aging process while keeping the sharp, spicy character of the seasoning.
Salt is your structural engineer here.
If you skip the salt-draw, the cucumbers will bleed water into your jar and turn the paste into a thin, watery mess. Give them the full thirty minutes to drain.
- colander
- mixing bowl
- rubber gloves
- glass storage jar
What goes in.
- 2 lbPersian or English cucumbers, sliced into 1-inch thick rounds
- 1.5 tbspcoarse sea salt
- 3 tbspgochugaru (Korean red chili flakes)
- 1 tbspfish sauce
- 1 tbspminced garlic
- 1 tspgrated ginger
- 1 tspsugar
- 2scallions, cut into 1-inch lengths
Rigid Texture Control
Toss the cucumbers with salt and let them sit in a colander until they bead with moisture; this dehydrates the cells just enough to prevent sogginess once the spice paste is added.
The method.
Salt the cucumbers
Place the rounds in a bowl, toss with salt, and transfer to a colander set over the sink or a bowl. Let them sit for 30 minutes.
Prepare the paste
While the cucumbers drain, whisk the gochugaru, fish sauce, garlic, ginger, and sugar in a mixing bowl until it forms a thick, uniform paste.
Rinse and dry
Rinse the salt off the cucumbers under cold water, then pat them completely dry with a clean kitchen towel.
Toss and coat
Add the cucumbers and scallions to the bowl with the paste. Using gloves, massage the paste into the cucumbers until every piece is evenly coated.
Marinate
Pack into a clean jar and press down slightly to remove large air pockets. Let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, then move to the refrigerator.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Use smaller Persian cucumbers whenever possible, as they contain fewer seeds and stay crunchier than standard field cucumbers.
If you lack gochugaru, you cannot simply swap it for standard chili powder; the texture and heat profile are essential to the final result.
Store in the coldest part of your refrigerator to arrest the fermentation process early and keep the snap.
The ones that keep coming up.
How long will this stay good?
It is best consumed within 3 to 5 days. Beyond that, the cucumbers begin to soften significantly.
Can I make this vegan?
Yes, replace the fish sauce with a splash of soy sauce or a pinch of salt to balance the flavors.
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