These Quick Pickled Cucumbers are a light accompaniment to winter comfort food. Their sweet-tart crunchiness is a great counterpoint to heavier dishes.
This time of year with all the rich, hearty foods we enjoy, I often find myself craving something light and refreshing. Something to kind of cut through the heaviness of winter comfort food.
Often I satisfy that need with a salad. Sometimes with a piece of citrus fruit. And sometimes, all I need are pickles!
These Quick Pickled Cucumbers are easy to make and the ingredients are available all year round. With this recipe, there’s no need to wait until cucumber season since it uses the English hothouse type cucumbers and there’s also no need for canning equipment.
These are stored in the fridge and used within a few days. Just to make sure you understand – this is not a shelf-stable pickle recipe. It’s meant to be made, refrigerated, and used quickly.
We especially enjoy these sweet, tart pickles with rich stews, roasted meats, and even on sandwiches. They’re a great addition to a leftover turkey sandwich.
How to Make Quick Pickled Cucumbers
Combine the water, vinegar, sugar, bay leaf, and peppercorns in a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil. Remove it from the heat and let cool to room temperature. Note: I most often use a sugar substitute such as Splenda in this recipe. The results are excellent.
Slice the cucumber as thinly as possible using a mandoline or very sharp knife.
Place the cucumber slices in a colander and sprinkle with the salt, tossing the cucumber slices so that the salt is well distributed throughout. Allow the cucumber slices to sit for about 30 minutes. Rinse well and squeeze out as much moisture from the slices as possible.
Place the cucumber slices in a clean quart jar and pour the cooled pickling solution over them. Cover and refrigerate for 6-8 hours before serving. Best used within 2 days.
🧾 More Recipes You’ll Like
- Refrigerator Pickled Peppers
- Pickled Okra
- Sugar-Free Bread and Butter Pickles
- Refrigerator Kosher Dill Pickles
- Refrigerator Pickles
- Tart Pickled Cherries and Pickled Celery Sticks
- Favorite Kosher Dills
Have a question or thought to share?
If you have a question about the recipe or if you’ve made it and want to share how it turned out, I would truly enjoy hearing from you. Just scroll down to leave a comment or add your star rating.
Thank you for stopping by. It means a lot to have you here.
Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email below and get it sent straight to your inbox.
Quick Pickled Cucumbers
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups water
- ½ cup white wine vinegar
- ½ cup sugar or sugar substitute
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 whole peppercorns
- 1 English cucumber
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Combine the water, vinegar, sugar, bay leaf, and peppercorns in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and let cool.1 ½ cups water, ½ cup white wine vinegar, ½ cup sugar, 1 bay leaf, 4 whole peppercorns
- Slice the cucumber as thinly as possible using a mandoline or very sharp knife.1 English cucumber
- Place the cucumber slices in a colander and sprinkle with the salt, tossing the cucumber slices so that the salt is well distributed throughout. Allow the cucumber slices to sit for about 30 minutes. Rinse well and squeeze out as much moisture from the slices as possible.1 tablespoon kosher salt
- Place the cucumber slices in a clean quart jar and pour the cooled pickling solution over them. Cover and refrigerate for 6-8 hours before serving. Best used within 2 days.
Notes
- A mandoline gives you thin, even slices that absorb the brine more quickly. A sharp knife works fine if you slice the cucumber as thinly as possible.
- Salting the cucumbers is essential. It pulls out moisture and helps them stay crisp. Be sure to rinse and press out the excess water before packing.
- Always let the brine cool before pouring it over the cucumbers. Hot brine can make them too soft. A cool brine preserves their crunch.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
I’m Lana Stuart, an award-winning cookbook author, food blogger, and lifelong cook raised deep in Southwest Georgia. I started Lana’s Cooking in 2009 to share the tried-and-true recipes I grew up with. Around here, the food is full of flavor, the traditions run deep, and there’s always room at the table.
If you could only see inside my fridge. I always have at least 3 different homemade pickled veggie combinations. It’s kind of a problem, I’m addicted. This looks like a great straight forward recipe to try, thanks. And thank you for sharing my red pickled onions. I can never be without those! :)
Lovely! My Swedish grandmother used to make something similar :)
I made these today for my husband as his little Advent calendar surprise thing that we’re doing this year instead of tons of presents on Christmas. He was really, really happy with this present. :) I don’t like cucumbers or pickled anything so I didn’t even try them but he ate 1/4 of the jar in one sitting and said to tell you that he enjoyed them. :) I forgot to rinse the cucumber slices after letting them sit for 30 minutes and was worried that they’d be too salty but he was happy with it! Thanks so much for the easy recipe. :)
I love pickles!! I make them all summer but hadn’t considered making them this time of year. You’re right about them cutting through all the heaviness though. Good call!
I love quick pickled anything! I will happily eat them plain or placed on a burger :)
I love a good quick pickled anything!
These remind me of the thin slices of pickled cucumber that my mum always serves with roasted salmon. I really need to make these!
These would be perfect with salmon, Dara.
I’ll bet these would taste great on a sandwich! I’ll have to try these, Lana. They look delicious…and easy!
I would eat this whole jar. I love pickled foods so much and these look delicious.
No joke, I’d eat that entire jar in one sitting! Looks SO GOOD!!
These are the prettiest pickles ever! They shimmer. A great gift idea for the fooide in our lives!
I love anything and all things pickled!!
Me too, Meseidy.
I love refrigerator pickles, and such a great idea to have them on hand at this time of year to add a bit of brightness in the midst of all the heavy sweets.
Just a few of these go a long way toward brightening heavy comfort food, Heather!
I’m totally making these as a surprise for my husband in the next few days. I’ll let you know how he likes them! :)
Please do, Erin. I’d love to know how he likes them!
Made them! But I’ll write my review down below since that’s where other people will look for feedback. :)
My kids were so upset I didn’t make any pickles this summer — I cannot wait to surprise them with these!
Hope they enjoy them, Sarah!
I could polish off the whole jar, I love how thin they are! Absolutely refreshing and now I’m ready for summer. :-)
Oh my gosh – you’re absolutely right! This is like a fresh taste of summer in the middle of winter! Looks wonderful!
Thanks, Martha. Just a little bit of something fresh and light goes a long way in the winter.
I agree with switching it up with something light in the winter sometimes – all that comfort food can get to be a little much sometimes! :) Great idea.
I’ll give them a try!
Gosh I love how you mandolin-d the cucumbers. They look so translucent in the brine. I love pickles. I like it that you made them with white wine vinegar which is a first for me. I will definitely try it soon. Happy Holidays, Lana!!
The white wine vinegar is so good in these! Hope you enjoy them, Shulie.