Marinated Cucumbers

These marinated cucumbers are fresh and bright and make the perfect addition to just about any meal. My favorite way to eat them is as part of any kind of rice or grain bowl, or for snacking Their tangy punch makes them so addictive as well as cooling. Perfect to add to a spicy dish!

Enjoy gluten-free, vegan Marinated Cucumbers as a sandwich topping. Add them to a bahn mi sandwich or a juicy hamburger.

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• Featured Ingredients
• Types of cucumbers
• Tools for the job
• How to make Marinated Cucumbers
• Hot Tip!
• More recipes you might enjoy
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Types of cucumbers

I use English cucumbers in this recipe. They are my favorite! However, sometimes we need to go with what we have on hand, and almost any cucumber will do. Here is some information about the four most commonly found cucumbers so you can decide which is best for you!

• Slicing cucumber - I think this is the one we're most familiar with. It has thicker skin and is usually waxed on the outside. The peel can be bitter so I recommend peeling these ones. It also has a stronger cucumber flavor overall. Tends to be the most affordable.
• English cucumber - Long and lean with a thin skin. This is the most commonly found "burpless" cucumber. They average 9-12 inches in length.
• Persian cucumber - Very similar to English cucumbers but averages 3-5 inches in length and is more narrow. Also, they are thin-skinned, have a few tiny seeds, and are mild in flavor.
• Kirby cucumber - This is a common pickling cucumber. Not good for salads or snacking, but good to be aware of!

Tools for the job

• Bowl
• Measuring spoons
• Liquid measuring cup
• Stirring utensil
• Sharp knife and cutting board
• Storage container, glass or plastic
• Mandolin slicer (optional)

How to make Marinated Cucumbers

Prepare the marinade

• Add the vinegar, water, sugar, salt, sliced garlic, and dry mustard powder to a bowl. Whisk until the salt and sugar have dissolved.

Prepare the vegetables

• Slice the onion as thin as you can get it. A mandolin slicer is perfect for this.
  ¼ cup of sliced onion is a little less than ¼ of a medium-sized onion. For reference, a medium-sized onion is 6-8 ounces or the size of a navel orange.
• Rinse the cucumbers before slicing. Then, slice them to your preferred thickness, ⅛" to ¼". Thinner cucumbers will marinate faster, but some people prefer thicker rounds to snack on. I like to do mine on the thinner side because they get floppy, and I enjoy being able to pile up a handful of folded and curly-looking cucs rather than thicker stacks.
• HINT: If you have a mandolin slicer, I highly recommend using it! You will get even slices with a mandolin in a very short amount of time. Watch your fingertips and use the guard when the cucumber gets within a few inches of the mandolin. These slicers are so sharp that it's easy to lose track and whittle the cucumber down too far too quickly.
• Once you have sliced the cucumber and onion, add them to the marinating liquid and put the whole mixture into a storage container. The cucumbers will not be fully submerged in the liquid, but they will sweat out more liquid as they marinate and eventually will start to submerge the cucumbers. See the pictures below.
• Refrigerate for at least 1 hour but preferably 2-3. These marinated cucumbers can are good for 2-3 days. Throw them away when they start to become transluscent.
• When marinating, I prefer to use a glass container with a sealable lid so I can shake the mixture a few times to redistribute the vegetables.

More recipes you might enjoy

These fresh and veg heavy dishes are also great with marinated cucumbers.

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