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Pickled Cucumber Recipe

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close up overhead shot of Pickled Cucumber Salad on a plate with sliced onions
Our pickled cucumber recipe is marinated in vinegar and spices and is a great way to keep the fresh cucumbers from your garden tasty for a bit longer.
Jump to Recipe
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time5 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Servings1 quart jar
Table of Contents
  1. Pickled Cucumber Salad Ingredients
  2. Substitutions And Additions
  3. How To Make This Pickled Cucumber Salad Recipe
  4. How To Serve This Old Fashioned Pickled Cucumbers And Onions
  5. Storing This Pickled Cucumber Salad Recipe
  6. More Recipes To Use Up Cucumbers
  7. Frequently Asked Questions
  8. More Recipes You’ll Love
  9. JUMP TO RECIPE

This quick pickled cucumber recipe is everything you want in a summer side dish —fresh, crunchy, and flavorful. Sliced cucumbers, red onion, and a simple brine will give you an unbeatable tangy flavor and a deliciously refreshing side dish.

close up shot of pickle cucumber salad in a jar

Pickled Cucumber Salad Ingredients

Pickled Cucumber Salad raw ingredients that are labeled
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The result of pickling is a flavor that’s both sour and salty, with a slight kick from the added seasonings. Plus, the texture of pickled cucumbers is always satisfyingly crisp and refreshing.

Whether you enjoy them straight out of the jar as a snack or sliced on top of your favorite sandwich, pickled cucumbers are a tasty addition to any meal.

You’ll need:

  • 1¼ cups of white vinegar
  • ⅔ cup of granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon of kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon of celery seed
  • ¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes
  • 2 large thinly sliced fresh cucumbers 
  • 1 cup of thinly sliced red onion
  • 4 sprigs of fresh dill (I chose to trim the stalks off and left only the dill fronds)

Substitutions And Additions

SPICY: You can add extra red pepper flakes if you enjoy spicy pickles.

DILL: You can substitute dried dill for the fresh dill sprigs, or if you do not care for dill, you can remove it from the ingredients in this pickled cucumbers recipe.

VINEGAR: You can substitute apple cider vinegar for white vinegar, but it will change the marinade color slightly.

ONION: You can substitute the sweet yellow onion for the red onion in this simple recipe; it is a matter of personal preference.

How To Make This Pickled Cucumber Salad Recipe

Once you simmer the brine mixture on the stovetop, you can pack the cucumbers into mason jars, add the brine, and pop them in the fridge to chill.

STEP ONE: Add the vinegar, sugar, salt, celery seed, and red pepper flakes to a 2 to 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat.

Stir the vinegar mixture constantly until the sugar completely dissolves.

Remove the pan from the heat. Allow the vinegar mixture to rest for 10 to 15 minutes until completely cooled.

vinegar, sugar, salt, celery seed, and red pepper flakes stirred together in a pot

STEP TWO: Alternate layers of the cucumber slices, onion slices, and fresh dill in the quart canning jar. 

OUR RECIPE DEVELOPER SAYS

You can use a vegetable peeler or sharp knife to remove alternate strips of the cucumber skin. The color on the skin of the cucumber, just like the red of the red onion, will bleed and slightly change the color of the salad marinade.

sliced cucumber, onion, and dill layer in a jar

STEP THREE: Once the vinegar brine mixture is cooled, slowly pour over the cucumber and onion. Allow the salad to marinate for 15 minutes before serving.

PRO TIP:

You can also make this salad ahead of time and allow it to marinate in the fridge until you are ready to serve.

vinegar poured over the cucumber and onion in a jar

PRO TIP:

This will keep for up to a month in the jar. Double or triple your recipe to use up all the cucumbers from your garden.

How To Serve This Old Fashioned Pickled Cucumbers And Onions

These marinated cucumbers are such an easy salad to serve as a light side dish. Add these tangy cucumbers with our grilled chicken breast, pasta salad, and bacon-wrapped corn on the cob for a filling summer meal.

They also add a refreshing texture and bright flavor to sandwiches, burgers, and hot dogs.

Serve Alongside – Our broccoli apple salad, which is bursting with summer fruits and vegetables, and our stuffed celery, a fresh appetizer stuffed with a creamy filling.

Storing This Pickled Cucumber Salad Recipe

Proper storage will help preserve the salad’s crunchiness and flavors, ensuring that you can savor its deliciousness even after a few days. Here’s how you can store this pickled cucumber salad:

IN THE FRIDGE: Store any leftovers of this pickled cucumber and onion salad in the quart mason jar in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. Note that the red from the onion will bleed and change the color of the salad marinade.

IN THE FREEZER: This marinated cucumber salad will not keep in the freezer as the vegetables will become soggy.

overhead shot of Pickled Cucumber Salad on a plate with sliced onions

Get ready to wow your guests with the crunchy texture and tangy flavor of this pickled cucumber recipe. Once you taste the deliciousness, you’ll never go back to regular old cucumber salad again. What a perfect way to use up all those fresh veggies during the cucumber season.

More Recipes To Use Up Cucumbers

Frequently Asked Questions

How long will these cucumber pickles keep in the fridge?

These quick pickled cucumbers will keep in the fridge in the marinade for up to a month.

Should I peel the cucumber for this salad?

While it is entirely up to you if you want to peel the raw cucumbers before adding them to the salad, if you are using English cucumbers, it isn’t necessary as they have fairly thin skin. If you are using a different kind of cucumbers, you may want to remove the skin.

Can I use a different variety of onions in this homemade pickles recipe?

If you are not a fan of red onions, sweet onions would be a good choice instead, along with these quick pickles.

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close up overhead shot of Pickled Cucumber Salad on a plate with sliced onions

Pickled Cucumber Recipe

5 from 1 vote
Our pickled cucumber recipe is marinated in vinegar and spices and is a great way to keep the fresh cucumbers from your garden tasty for a bit longer.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 1 quart jar

Ingredients
  

  • cups white vinegar
  • cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon celery seed
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 2 large thinly sliced fresh cucumbers
  • 1 cup thinly sliced red onion
  • 4 sprigs fresh dill, I chose to trim the stalks off and left only the dill fronds

Instructions
 

  • Add the vinegar, sugar, salt, celery seed, and red pepper flakes to a 2 to 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir the vinegar mixture constantly until the sugar completely dissolves. Remove the pan from the heat. Allow the vinegar mixture to rest for 10 to 15 minutes, until completely cooled.
  • Alternate layers of the sliced cucumber, onion, and fresh dill in the quart canning jar.
  • Once the vinegar mixture is cooled, slowly pour over the cucumber and onion. Allow the salad to marinate for 15 minutes before serving.

Notes

  • This will keep for up to a month in the jar. Double or triple your recipe to use up all the cucumbers from your garden.
  • You can use a vegetable peeler or sharp knife to remove alternate strips of the cucumber skin. The color on the skin of the cucumber, just like the red of the red onion, will bleed and slightly change the color of the salad marinade.
  • You can also make this salad ahead of time and allow it to marinate in the fridge until you are ready to serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 712kcal | Carbohydrates: 161g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Sodium: 2363mg | Potassium: 1048mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 148g | Vitamin A: 617IU | Vitamin C: 31mg | Calcium: 176mg | Iron: 3mg
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Proudly Prepared by the Spaceships Kitchen

This recipe was developed, tested, cooked and photographed by the Spaceships Kitchen. From our dinner table to yours, we hope you think it's out of this world!

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