Korean-Style Cucumber Pickle
Quick answer
- Active time
- 30 min
- Waiting
- See the steps
- Level
- Easy
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Ingredients
- 7
About this dish
Unlike soy-based Korean jangajji, this Western-style pickle of vinegar, sugar, bay leaf and black peppercorns leans sweet and sour.
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A 10-minute salting draws water from the 1 cm rounds before they meet the brine, keeping the liquid strong, and its sharp first acidity mellows into the sweetness as the jar chills.
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1
Scrub 4 cucumbers under running water, then trim off both ends.
Slice them into 1 cm rounds, keeping the thickness even so the pieces stay crisp instead of turning limp after brining.
- 2
Place the sliced cucumbers in a bowl and coat them lightly with salt for 10 minutes.
When moisture beads on the surface, shake off excess liquid and salt so the finished pickle does not taste overly salty.
- 3
Combine 200 ml vinegar, 200 ml water, 4 tbsp sugar, and the remaining salt in a pot.
Stir over medium-high heat until the sugar grains are no longer visible before adding the aromatics.
- 4
Add 2 bay leaves and 1 tsp whole black pepper, then bring the brine to a full rolling boil.
Turn off the heat immediately so the bay leaf aroma stays clean and does not become bitter.
- 5
Pack the cucumbers tightly into a heat-sterilized glass jar without crushing them.
Pour the hot brine over the slices until fully submerged, keeping the surface covered so the texture stays firm.
- 6
Close the jar and let it cool completely before refrigerating.
Chill for 12 hours before tasting, then serve cold within about two weeks.
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