Cucumber tsukemono (Japanese pickled cucumbers)

Name: Cucumber tsukemono (Japanese pickled cucumbers)
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: Makes enough to fill a 1 litre jar
Cuisine: Japanese recipes
Ingredients: 600g baby cucumbers; 1 tsp sea salt; 3 tbsp light soy sauce (Kenji recommends Kikkoman); 3 tbsp mirin; 3 tbsp caster sugar; 3 tbsp cider vinegar; ½ tsp doubanjiang (see Know-how); 1 red chilli; Knob of ginger, finely sliced; Specialist kit; Sterilised 1 litre jar (see Before you start)

Portion size: Makes enough to fill a 1 litre jar
Hands-on time 15 min, plus at least 2 hours salting
Difficulty: easy

Dairy-free

Vegan

Recipe by: Kenji Morimoto

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Kenji Morimoto shares his easy recipe for cucumber tsukemono. This crunchy cucumber pickle goes with everything, and makes a great intro to the addictive world of pickling.

Kenji says: “Cucumber tsukemono is sometimes referred to as pori pori – an onomatopoeic word in Japanese for ‘crunchy’. It’s a variety of shoyuzuke (a soy sauce-based pickle) and one of my favourites – so easy to make, full of flavour and it plays on the savoury-sweet combo I love. I’ve added some heat in the form of chilli, ginger and chilli bean paste, but it’s a good pickle to play around with, so feel free to experiment”

Kenji is a fourth generation Japanese American living in London. As a child he was in charge of the family pickle-making, while today he hosts supperclubs and leads fermentation and pickling workshops. Right now, he’s working on his first cookbook. Make his cabbage asazuke next.

Before you start

Sterilise your jar: wash the jar and lid well in soapy water, rinse, then boil in a large pan of water for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, then drain and use while still warm.

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Ingredients

600g baby cucumbers
1 tsp sea salt
3 tbsp light soy sauce (Kenji recommends Kikkoman)
3 tbsp mirin
3 tbsp caster sugar
3 tbsp cider vinegar
½ tsp doubanjiang (see Know-how)
1 red chilli
Knob of ginger, finely sliced

Specialist kit

Sterilised 1 litre jar (see Before you start)

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Method

Cut each cucumber into 1cm pieces, then put them in a large bowl with the salt. Mix the salt in thoroughly with your hands, then leave to sit for at least 2 hours (or overnight). If you can, give the cucumbers a toss every now and then to ensure even salting.
Drain the cucumbers to remove the liquid drawn out of them, then pack them into your jar.
Put the rest of the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Continue to cook and stir for 1-2 minutes until the sugar has dissolved, then leave to cool slightly. Pour the liquid over the cucumbers while it’s still warm, then seal the jar and leave in the fridge for at least 24 hours. Eat within 10 days.
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Nutrition

3kcals Calories
0g Fat
0g Protein
0.5g (0.5g sugars) Carbs
0g Fibre
0.1g Salt

Cook smarter

Doubanjiang is a Chinese fermented chilli bean paste. You can find it in most large supermarkets these days (sold as chilli bean sauce and produced by Lee Kum Kee), as well as online or in Asian supermarkets.