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A glass mason jar full of sliced cucumbers and smashed garlic cloves to make picked cucumbers. Wooden cutting board with sliced cucumbers and bowl of sugar and salt in the background.

How to Pickle Cucumbers

You'll be obsessed with these quick pickled cucumbers. They're tangy, sweet and addictive. This is the best recipe to learn how to pickle cucumbers. Other pickled vegetables: Pickled Asparagus, Pickled Daikon and Pickled Peaches.
5 from 60 votes
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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Course: Condiments
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Cucumber, Pickled Vegetable
Servings: 4 Servings
Calories: 28kcal
Author: Darcey Olson
Cost: $2

Ingredients

  • 1 Large Cucumber (*Note 1 & 2)
  • ½ Cup Water
  • ½ Cup Unseasoned Rice Vinegar (*Note 3)
  • 1 Tbsp Sugar (*Note 4)
  • 1.5 tsp Sea Salt

OPTIONAL:

  • ¼ tsp Red Pepper Flakes
  • 2 Cloves Garlic, Peeled and Smashed

Instructions
 

  • Slice the cucumber as thin and evenly as possible. I recommend a mandoline to ensure consistency.
  • Stuff as many cucumber slices into a jar as possible. I recommend a sealable glass mason jar (12 oz). Top with the garlic cloves.
  • Add the water, vinegar, sugar, salt and red pepper flakes (If using) to a medium size bowl and stir until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Taste and adjust the salt and sugar to your liking.
  • Pour the vinegar mixture over the cucumbers. They should all be covered by the liquid.
  • Marinate for at least an hour before enjoying to maximize flavor.
  • Store in an airtight container for up to two months. (*Note 5)

Notes

Note 1: Kirby cucumbers, Persian cucumbers or green cucumbers work best for pickling.
Note 2: If you own a mandoline, now is the time to break it out. You want the slices thin and as even as possible.
Note 3: You could also use distilled white vinegar, apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar in place of the rice wine vinegar. 
Note 4: You can omit the sugar, if you prefer. They final product will just be less "sweet." 
Note 5: The longer the cucumbers stay in the brine, the softer they become. So you'll find they're less crunch on day 7 than day 1 or 2.
Note 6: This recipe has NOT been testing for canning. 

Nutrition

Calories: 28kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 878mg | Potassium: 95mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 87IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 1mg
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