These tangy marinated cucumbers with garlic are the perfect sidekick to a sandwich, soup & much more. Easy-to-make, watch these crunchy morsels disappear!
If you have a huge haul of fresh cucumbers from your garden or the farmer’s market, this recipe is a great way to put them to good use. Eat them as-is or whip up our very favorite creamy cucumber salad with them. What makes this recipe unique is that it calls for absolutely no vinegar and just relies on the powers of salt, garlic, and fresh dill.
Picking the Right Cucumbers
There are a lot of cucumbers out there, but not all of them are created equally when it comes to making this recipe. We love to use pickling cucumbers because they are crunchy and keep their flavor. In a pinch, you could also use American slicing cucumbers or English cucumbers.
Preparing Marinated Cucumbers at Home
If you can, let these crunchy morsels sit overnight. That said, you can allow them to sit for just 2 hours if you’re in a rush. Here’s how to do it in just 3 easy steps…
Prepare the Cucumbers: First, wash the cucumbers and slice them into spears.
Season the Cucumbers: Next, sprinkle on the salt, dill, and pressed garlic on the sliced cucumbers and toss the cucumbers to ensure they’re evenly coated.
Marinate the Cucumbers: Allow the cucumbers to marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours. Get to snacking and enjoy!
Hot Tip: Feel free to leave the cucumber peels on. They add extra fiber and texture! If you’re not a huge fan of the skin, slice half of it off.
3 Tips for the Tastiest Marinated Cucumbers
While the process couldn’t be any simpler, a few simple tips and tricks will help you whip them up better than any jarred variety at the store!
Slice the cucumbers into evenly-sized pieces. To ensure that the cukes marinate evenly, try to slice them in as similar-sized spears as possible.
Tweak the ingredients to your liking. Feel free to tweak the marinade for your cukes according to your particular tastebuds. You can add freshly cracked black pepper, thinly sliced red onions, sesame seeds, or different fresh herbs like parsley or cilantro.
Use fresh dill over dried dill. Fresh dill offers so much more flavor than dried for this recipe. It also adds a wonderful pop of color!
Serving Marinated Cucumbers
These cukes are an awesome summertime side dish. Bring them along with you to your next potluck or serve them alongside whatever protein you have on the grill. From grilled chicken to roasted potatoes to mashed potatoes and beyond, they have a refreshing flavor and crunch that compliments a fatty and rich main course so well. They are also a natural sidekick for sandwiches and burgers. Serve them with a steak sandwich or stuff them into a gyro with tzatziki.
Storing Marinated Cucumbers
Store marinated cucumbers in the refrigerator to keep them nice and crunchy. Typically, they stay fresh for up to five days when stored in an airtight container. You could also store your marinated pickles in a mason jar if you have any on hand.
FAQ
How do you store marinated cucumbers long-term?
Unless your marinated cucumbers are pickled and properly canned, they shouldn’t be stored long term. After 5 days, they will soften and begin to turn soggy.
How do you keep marinated cucumbers crispy?
The key to keeping your marinated cucumbers crispy is to eat them within 5 days. The longer they sit, the softer they will get.
Yes, marinated cucumbers are super healthy and low in calories and carbohydrates. They also contain calcium, potassium, and vitamin C.
Are pickles and marinated cucumbers the same thing?
Pickles are marinated cucumbers are not always the same thing. Typically, pickles are cucumbers that have been marinated in a tangy vinegar mixture. On the other hand, marinated cucumbers can be made with only dry ingredients.
These marinated cucumbers are made with just 4 ingredients – cucumbers, dill, garlic & salt. After just 2 hours, they taste better than any jarred variety!
The extra step allows them to release some of their water — keeping them extra crisp even when they get tossed with the dressing. It also ensures the dressing doesn't become watered-down, which is especially useful in creamy mayo-based cucumber salads.
Marinated Cucumbers and Onions are the perfect way to serve fresh cucumbers! It takes less than 10 minutes to make this recipe, then all you that's left is letting them pickle in the refrigerator! They keep in the fridge for up to two weeks and make the perfect summer side dish!
Pickled cucumbers can help with weight loss, support blood sugar regulation or even prevent cancer. However, scientists also warn that high sodium content can increase the risk of stomach cancer in people who eat too much pickled cucumber.
No matter how you dress them, salting and draining sliced cucumbers maximizes crunchy texture. The challenge: More often than not, by the time you eat a cucumber salad the cucumbers have gone soft and watery, losing their appealing crunch and diluting the dressing to near tastelessness.
Sprinkle each half with about 1/4 teaspoon of salt, then place them in a colander. Let drain for about 30 minutes. Rinse lightly, and drain again. Cut into 1/8-to- 1/4-inch-thick slices and place in a bowl.
The next step is to make a saltwater solution and soak your cucumbers for a minimum of 12 hours (up to 7 days). The beauty of soaking your cucumbers is that you don't need to be ready to make pickles right when you pick your cucumbers (or bring them home from the market).
Do Cucumbers Need to Be Refrigerated? Contrary to what you may think, cucumbers are most comfortable in a cool and dry environment that is warmer than refrigeration allows (50 to 55 degrees F). This is why we recommend storing them in the warmest zone of your refrigerator, like the door.
They are basically vegetables that are pickled and stored in the fridge in a brine of salt, vinegar, and water (sometimes sugar). The process takes a few minutes (my recipe takes 40 minutes), and once refrigerated, you can enjoy the tangy cukes the next day! And they will last in the fridge for up to 2 months.
Salt can bring out the natural flavours of cucumbers and make them taste more vibrant. Sprinkle a pinch of salt over sliced cucumbers and let them sit for a few minutes to draw out excess moisture. Rinse the cucumbers with water to remove the salt and pat them dry. The result will be a crisper and tastier cucumber.
The water in cucumbers naturally aids digestion — it helps your body break down food and absorb nutrients. The fiber in cucumbers also keeps things running smoothly by regulating bowel movements so you can avoid constipation. Pickling cucumbers can boost the benefits to your gut even further.
A pickled cucumber – commonly known as a pickle in the United States and Canada and traditionally a gherkin (/ɡərkɪn/) in Britain, Ireland, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand – is a usually small or miniature cucumber that has been pickled in a brine, vinegar, or other solution and left to ferment.
Pickles are very high in sodium because it's an important part of the brining process. Consuming too much salt in your daily diet can contribute to high blood pressure. Anyone who is on blood pressure medication or looking to reduce their sodium intake should eat pickles in moderation or look for low sodium options.
Can Dogs Have Cucumbers? Cucumbers are perfectly safe for dogs to eat, and offer a low-calorie, crunchy snack that many dogs love. Cucumbers only contain about 8 calories per one-half cup of slices, compared to the 40 calories in a single medium dog biscuit. Cucumbers are also very low in sodium and fat-free.
Bottom Line. Toss any slimy cucumbers, because the slime is a sign that they have begun to rot. To use up your fresh cucumbers before it's too late, make them the star of a simple Cucumber Sandwich or pair them with other crunchy veggies, like in this recipe for Loaded Cucumber & Avocado Sandwiches.
This salt treatment draws water out of the cucumbers and flavors them, so it's critically important. After layering or mixing in plenty of sea salt, I cover the salted cukes with ice cubes and a tea towel and forget about them for a few hours.
But even cucumbers can be elevated to greater deliciousness and versatility with a clever kitchen tip that you may not be aware of—salting. When you salt cucumber pieces or slices and let them sit for 30 minutes in a colander, the salt draws out excess moisture which then drains away.
First of all: It is by no means necessary to soak the cucumbers in salted water. It's just extra-good. I definitely don't always have it together enough to actually do this step, and the salad is delicious either way.
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Introduction: My name is Cheryll Lueilwitz, I am a sparkling, clean, super, lucky, joyous, outstanding, lucky person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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