Add zesty flavor and a warm aroma to your Japanese pickles with this easy recipe for Pickled Cucumbers with Ginger. These quick-pickled tsukemono (漬物) make a refreshing palate cleanser and crunchy side dish in your Japanese meal. They‘re delicious with steamed rice!
Happy 2013! I hope everyone had a nice holiday with your loved ones and I’m back from my little break. Despite catching a cold that I am trying to get rid of, I got to spend time with friends that I don’t get to see often and also had a couple of out-of-town guests stay over at my house, which was really nice.
While I need some time to catch up on my work (please give me a few days to respond to your emails), I hope you enjoy these super quick and easy Japanese Pickled Cucumbers.
Japanese pickles, or we call it Tsukemono (漬物) in Japanese, is a really important part of the Japanese meal. One or a few kinds of pickles are always served with rice and enjoyed as a garnish or palate cleanser.
Unlike western style pickles, Japanese pickles are considered as “preserved vegetables” as they are not primarily preserved in vinegar. They are usually preserved in salt (Shiozuke 塩漬け), rice bran (Nukazue 糠漬け), sake lees (Kasuzuke 粕漬け), soy sauce (Shoyuzuke 醤油漬け), vinegar, (Suzuke 酢漬け), and miso (Misozuke 味噌漬け).
Typically cucumber, Daikon (Japanese radish), eggplant, cabbage, Ume (Japanese plum) are used for Japanese pickles.
Today’s pickles are called Asazuke (浅漬け), literally meaning “shallow pickling”. The vegetables are pickled only for a short time between 30 minutes to a couple of hours and usually not as salty as other kinds of Tsukemono. If you don’t like cucumbers, you can also use napa cabbage (hakusai), daikon, and eggplant for Asazuke as well. I put ginger as seasoning today, but you can also use kombu or chili pepper which are also popular seasoning ingredients.
If you are interested in Japanese pickles, I also have another Pickled Cucumbers recipe and Pickled Turnip with Yuzu recipe. Have a nice week!
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Pickled Cucumbers with Ginger
Ingredients
- 3 Japanese or Persian cucumbers (8.8 oz, 250 g)
- 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt (5 g; 2% of the cucumber weight)
- ½ knob ginger (½ inch, 1.3 cm)
Instructions
- Before You Start: Please note that this recipe requires a quick pickling time of 2 hours. Gather all the ingredients.
- Rinse 3 Japanese or Persian cucumbers and cut off both ends.
- Rub the end piece and cut end together until you see the small bubbles. This removes the bitterness from the cucumber. Discard the end pieces.
- Slice the cucumbers.
- Peel ½ knob ginger and cut it into julienne strips.
- Put the sliced cucumbers, 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt, and ginger strips into a resealable plastic bag.
- Remove the air completely and seal the bag.
- Place a heavy object on top of the bag and refrigerate it for 1–2 hours. Here, I sandwiched the resealable bag with two plates and then put a mortar on top. I recommend 3 hours at most, because otherwise it gets too salty. Check the level of saltiness according to your preference. Enjoy!
To Store
- You can keep the pickles in the refrigerator for 2–3 days. When the flavor is getting strong, remove the solution and store the pickles in an airtight container.
I love pickled cucumber in sandwiches. Never tried making at home though!
Happy New Year to you Nami!!!
I just got back from my break as well and am playing a little catch up with everybody;-)
I love your simple pickled cucumber recipe- just perfect for healthy eating in January-not that Japanese food isn’t one of the healthier cuisines of the world for all year round;-)
I look forward to following your cooking adventures in 2013;-)
Deliciously crunchy and gingery! Such pickles are addictive.
Cheers,
Rosa
Happy new year, Nami! I hope you are feeling better from your cold. Your pickles look so enticing! I’ve made similar ones before and love them. I like your addition of ginger and will try next time. I haven’t seen this method before of removing bitterness from cucumbers…I’ll try that, too. Thanks for sharing!
I’m glad you are back!! And these are exactly what I want right now. Something healthy and tasty!
Happy New Year, Nami!
Yum! I love cucumbers! It’s so refreshing. Thanks for the tip about rubbing the ends against each other to prevent bitterness. I’ve had cucumbers in restaurants and always wondered why it’s bitter. At first I thought it’s cause the cucumber didn’t have enough water during the growing process. Did you keep the two ends or discarded after you rubbed it against each other?
Thanks!
Happy New Year Candice! That is a very typical method we do in Japan. Yes, you discard the two ends.
happy new year nami. we pickle cucumber in vinegar. yours is an easy and simple recipe, will try out your version.
I’m glad you’re back 🙂 I like polish pickled cucumbers a lot, I need to try Japanese version as well.
We love pickled cucumbers too, one of the side dish i will prepare when I cook braised minced meat rice. Your recipe sound simple too.
Well that’s simple enough! 🙂 Must give it a try!
Thank you! Hope you like it! 🙂
These look so good – I imagine that they stay nice and crisp this way, too!
I had no idea they were so easy to pickle. Thank you for sharing Nami! 🙂
Mmmm… I love the ginger in the recipe. I must try this. 🙂 Welcome back.. hope your cold is gone and Happy New Year!! Can’t wait to see all the beautiful dishes that come out of your kitchen in 2013!
What a perfect crunchy flavoursome side 🙂
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Hi Nami, I have enjoyed this at Japanese restaurants, didn’t know it was that easy!