Easy Pickled Cucumbers – tart & spicy, with garlic and dill…
In just a few minutes, I kid you not… make a whole jar of this delightfully tongue-tickling condiment! Enjoy it as you please…. with your favorite sandwich/burger, quesadillas, pasta… or maybe even just by itself…. your call!
Home-made pickles taste so much better than the store-bought stuff. Plus, you get to pick out the tender cucumbers yourself – you know, the skinny ones that don’t have a ton of seeds! And… even better, you can adjust the seasonings to your particular taste preferences: spicy, garlicky….or not! Obviously, you can’t really do that when you buy a jar at your local store. You’re stuck with everything that the manufacturer has added to it – with its sodium content most likely being quite off-the-charts!
Sodium Content of Store-bought pickles – Way too high!
Most store-bought pickles have way too much sodium: it’s a high price to pay for that delectable taste! High sodium intake has long been believed to contribute to a range of negative health effects, beginning with elevated blood pressure. High blood pressure increases the risk factor for cardiovascular disease, stroke, kidney disease, osteoporosis, etc.
Of course, pickles are just the tip of the ice-berg! The vast majority of processed foods contain high amounts of sodium, and many consumers are either unaware of the risks or simply don’t pay much attention. So, as folks everywhere have begun to consume more and more processed foods in recent years, the impact on human health has been rather significant. It’s not just their high sodium content that is to blame – many also have several other ingredients that may further contribute to poor health.
Why do processed foods typically have high sodium?
High-salt foods don’t spoil easily – the salt acts as a preservative, preventing spoilage caused by unwanted bacterial/fungal growth. So, food manufacturers add a certain level of salt to increase the shelf-life of their products. But that’s not all – the salt also improves flavor, color, texture, etc. All of these lead to increased sales and profit…. bottom-line issues for the manufacturer!
People, of course, love being able to grab a container of “ready-to eat” food from the grocery store…. It fits perfectly into their super-busy modern lifestyles. However, excessive reliance on this seemingly marvelous convenience often carries a high price. It takes a toll on your health, not instantly, but rather insidiously, over a period of time. You may not even notice the slow decline in your well-being, or you might attribute it to aging, or some other “unavoidable” entity. Sometimes, though, this gradual decline begins to produce recognizable symptoms of disease. Then you start to wonder why this happened to you….
Low-sodium Pickled Cucumbers – Easy to make at home
But hey, you don’t have to be stuck with any of the “salt-bomb” varieties of commercial dill pickles. Nowadays, you can find “low-sodium” varieties on the shelves too. Honestly, though, I still prefer my home-made ones best. They’re so easy to make… and then I have a jar full of tasty pickles on hand. It often lasts me several weeks, since I don’t really chow down on a pickle every single day!
How do I make this pickle? I just slice up the cucumbers, make some “pickle-juice” and mix everything. Let it sit for a bit, then stir in some vinegar…That’s it! Transfer to a glass jar and put it in the refrigerator, ready to pull out whenever the craving hits!
What’s in the pickle-juice? Dill seeds, coriander seeds, peppercorns, dried red chillies, salt and citric acid. I also like to change things up sometimes, just for fun… Cloves, fennel seeds, cumin seeds or herbs like dried basil, oregano, mint, etc….. They all taste great!
Why use Citric acid in the pickle?
Why add citric acid in the pickle-juice, you might wonder? Just one reason: for tartness. I know that lots of folks use only vinegar to make pickling brine. As for me, I find the aroma/flavor of such broths a bit too strong. So, I like to use a mixture of citric acid and vinegar in my pickling broth. Adding Citric acid, which is pretty much odorless, gives me a nice, clean tang: no strong aroma. Then I add a little vinegar for flavor. Most grocery stores stock it – often near canning supplies for making jams and jellies. A word of caution if you’ve never used citric acid before. Be sure to use it sparingly – just a little bit is usually quite enough!
Also… Don’t get worried that you might be adding potentially harmful “chemicals” to your pickle! You’re NOT…! Citric acid is a substance actually found in your body. It’s an intermediate in the citric acid cycle, a vital biochemical process that occurs in your body. Besides, you probably already consume quite a bit of it pretty much every day…. when you eat various fruits, vegetables, etc.
What happens when the cucumber is dunked into the “pickle-Juice”?
As a scientist, I can’t help but think about what actually happens when one dunks the cucumbers in the pickling liquid – the “pickle-juice”. How does it turn into the delightful tongue-tickling condiment we all love?
Well…. what we notice after a day or so is that the cucumbers sure taste deliciously tart and salty. Of course, they also pick up the subtle flavors from the garlic and other spices. Obviously, they have absorbed some of the salt and various components from the surrounding juice. What is not so obvious, though, is that the cucumber, in turn, actually loses many of its water-soluble nutrients, most notably potassium. How? Well, they simply leach out into the surrounding liquid.
Pickled Cucumbers – minerals distributed evenly throughout the pickle
Why does all this happen? It’s actually a pretty simple, commonly encountered phenomenon. A cucumber spear is almost 95% water. So, when you dunk the (nearly) “salt-free” fresh cucumbers into a salty broth, it’s as if you are adding plain, salt-free water to a salty broth. If you let such a mixture just sit, you know that in a short time, the salt will get evenly distributed all over – even if you don’t stir it. With stirring, it will just happen a bit faster.
Thus, it is not surprising that the cucumber spears, with their high water-content, begin to taste salty pretty quickly. When the salt concentration of the liquid outside the cucumber becomes the same as the concentration inside the cucumber, the cucumber stops absorbing any “more” salt.
And what about all the nutrients in the cucumber itself? The same process I just described will happen, except in reverse. For instance, the pickling broth has much less potassium than the cucumber – so the potassium from the cucumber leaches out, until the potassium is evenly distributed all over- inside and outside the cucumber. Of course, some nutrients are not water-soluble, thus far less likely to leach out.
And…. How long does it take to be “done” with this process? Oh, just about a day or so, although you don’t have to wait even quite that long to start munching on these yummy pickled cucumbers.
How to calculate sodium and potassium content of pickled cucumbers
Understanding what happens when we dunk cucumbers into the pickling broth helps us calculate, fairly easily, the nutrient composition of the pickled cucumber spears. As mentioned before, the greatest impact of pickling is likely to be on the sodium/potassium content of the cucumber spears. A pickled cucumber spear has more sodium, but less potassium than fresh, un-pickled cucumber. The impact on other nutrients, especially the ones that do not dissolve in water – fat, protein, etc, is much smaller.
So, when you pull a cucumber spear out of the pickle juice before munching on it, how much sodium and potassium does it actually have? I carried out my calculations based on the idea of equal sodium (and potassium) concentration throughout the pickle (see Recipe Notes for a detailed description). My results indicate that in contrast to fresh, un-pickled cucumbers, with 0.5 mg sodium and 37 mg of potassium, a serving of 2 pickled spears (about 25 g) has 77 mg sodium and 13 mg potassium.
Not bad at all…. That’s way less than what store-bought pickles typically list on their nutrition labels – 350-400 mg sodium per spear!
After looking through various sources to see if I could validate my calculations, I found a Cooking Light article with a pickled cucumber recipe that did just that. Their recipe for the pickling brine contained approximately the same proportion of salt as in my recipe. Their lab-tests showed 49 mg sodium per medium-sized spear (18-20 g), which is very similar to the values I’ve posted in this recipe.
Cucumbers for pickling – select tender, thin-skinned, almost seedless varieties
What cucumbers are best for pickling? I guess you could use pretty much whatever kind you can find. There is one variety I particularly love: the Persian cucumber. It’s crisp-tender, thin-skinned and almost seedless. It’s also fairly small in size, about 4-5 inches (10-12 cm) long and somewhat skinny, about 3/4 inch / 2 cm wide. This is perfect for making attractive-looking pickled spears of just the right size…. alongside a hearty and wholesome sandwich, quesadilla, etc.
Some cucumber varieties are dark green, thick-skinned and rather “fat” and quite long, with large seeds and a somewhat watery center. Although I use them often in salads, or as crudites to accompany a tasty dip, I usually steer clear of these when making pickles.
The Cool Cucumber – refreshing, nourishing and hydrating
Folks everywhere seem to love cucumbers, and many different varieties are widely cultivated. Want something refreshing and hydrating when it’s hot outside? Go find some fresh, cool and crisp cucumbers to snack on. Despite being very low in calories, with almost no sodium at all, they deliver a fair amount of various vital nutrients.
This simple, pleasant-tasting vegetable packs a good amount of Vitamin K, Vitamin C and minerals such as magnesium, manganese and potassium. Some phytonutrients in cucumber, such as lignans, are believed to support cardiovascular health and protect against various types of cancer. Cucumber skin also has silica, which is not found in many foods, but is vital in maintaining healthy skin, hair and connective tissue (cartilage, tendons, etc.).
All kinds of Pickles…
Maybe you’re like me, and love all kinds of pickles for that special, zest they add to any meal. Well, then…. you might want to try out some of these fiery-hot, Indian style pickles I’ve posted.
- Lemon Pickle – also suitable for Upvas (religious fast)
- Cranberry Pickle – gloriously crimson cranberries, pickled in spicy Indian style
- Radish-Greens Pickle – don’t toss out the greens… just pickle them!
- Fresh Green Chillies pickle – fiery hot chillies in lemon juice
- Kale stems pickle – tart and spicy pickled kale stems and leaf stalks
All of these pickles have way less salt than commercially available pickles, or even the pickles my Mom used to make. Of course, some of these are not even available commercially… they are my own creations, inspired by the traditional pickles I love so much. Mom’s pickles did not need to be refrigerated…. some lasted for months without spoilage, even in India’s hot climate. But of course, they were all pretty loaded up with salt!
By the way, these pickles are not just for enjoying as interesting little condiments on the side with a Indian meal. Why limit your enjoyment to just that? I often spread them on sandwiches, crackers, sometimes add them to creamy dips, noodles, pasta…… Why ever not?!
And yes… I absolutely plan to post some more pickles, so do be on the lookout for them!
Special Diets
The easy pickled cucumber recipe I’ve shared here is vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, soy-free and nut-free. If you wish to avoid garlic, simply omit it, and it will be just as delicious. And of course…. play with the flavors as much as you like.
Next time you pick up some cute little cucumbers, perhaps you might want to carve out a little time to make yourself a jar full of this delightful condiment. It only takes a few min of “active” hands-on work, and the result is certainly worth it! Do store it in the refrigerator, though… you don’t want some icky mold enjoying your stash before you do!
Go ahead and munch on your delicious home-made pickled cucumber spears… And don’t worry too much about how much sodium you’re consuming, as long as you don’t finish the whole jar in one sitting! Your home-made pickled cucumbers are not at all the “sodium-bombs” you get from many store-bought pickles!
Do leave a review and a star rating…. much appreciated!
Enjoy!
Easy Pickled Cucumbers – Tart & Spicy, with Garlic and Dill
Ingredients
- 200 g Cucumbers- 4 small, thin – 4-5 inches (10-12 cm) long Small Persian cucumbers are excellent- select thin cucumbers, rather than thick ones – the flesh is more tender and the seeds are smaller; other small cucumber varieties OK too; if only large cucumbers available, that's OK too.
- 2-3 cloves Fresh Garlic cloves – halved lengthwise, then sliced thin, lengthwise about 2 tbsp sliced; omit if you wish to avoid garlic
- 2 cups Water 475 g / 16oz
- 2 whole Dried red chillies if not available, use 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (chilli flakes); add more/less as per taste preferences
- 1/2 tsp Dill seeds called Vajrapushpa / Shatapushpa in Sanskrit; Baalant-Shopa in Marathi; Savaa/Suva in Hindi; Shepu in Gujarati; Sadapa Vittulu in Telugu; Shataapu in Kannada, etc.; if not available, use fennel or cumin seeds, or simply omit.
- 1/2 tsp Coriander Seeds Dhanaa/Dhaniya seeds
- 1/4 tsp Rainbow (black) pepper – Whole peppercorns looks colorful and pretty; if not available, use black pepper
- 1/2 tsp Citric Acid powder/crystals
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/3 cup Vinegar 80g / 2.7 oz ( about 2 3/4 oz); apple-cider vinegar. white wine vinegar, rice vinegar work well; distilled vinegar is fine too.
Instructions
Remove any bitterness from cucumber before slicing
- Wash the cucumbers; trim the ends, slice a little piece from each end and taste it (take a tiny bite) to check for bitterness. If it is not bitter, proceed to cut the cucumber: quarter the cucumbers lengthwise.Note:a) If your cucumbers are "fat", you might want to make 6 spears from each cucumber – after cutting each cucumber in half, lengthwise, cut each half into 3 long spears.b) If your cucumbers are very long, you might want to cut each spear in half, to make shorter pieces – easier to store in a medium-sized jar, also easier to serve straight from the jar.
- What to do if it tastes a little bitter?Firmly rub the small end slice over the cut end of the cucumber in a circular motion – this helps to draw out the bitter juices which are just under the skin.You will see the collected juices gather near the edges -sometimes they are a little foamy. Slice and discard about 1/4 inch (3/4 cm) piece, and taste-test a new thin slice: it should not taste bitter.Repeat this process for the other end, as well as for the rest of the cucumbers.After you make sure that both ends are not bitter, proceed to cut the cucumber as directed. Note: If this rubbing technique does not remove the bitterness, please discard the cucumber: unfortunately, it is NOT salvageable!
Prepare the pickling brine
- Lightly roast the coriander seeds and dill seeds on a small frying pan for about one minute – it helps release the flavor: Do not brown the seeds.Remove pan from heat and add rainbow (or black) peppercorns and dried red chillies – stir for 10-15 seconds while pan is hot.Add salt, citric acid and cold water,
- Bring the mixture to a gentle boil – about 3-4 min.
Make the pickle
- While waiting for the pickling broth to boil, transfer the cucumber spears to a medium glass bowl (1 1/2 quart / 1 1/2 liter)
- Peel and slice the garlic cloves thinly. Note: If the garlic cloves are "fat", cut them in half lengthwise, then thinly slice each half, lengthwise.
- Transfer the garlic to the bowl with cucumber spears.
- Pour the hot pickling broth on top of the cucumbers.
- Stir and allow to cool – uncovered – for about 30 min, stirring gently a few times as it cools. The color soon changes from a bright green to a dull olive green.
- When cooled to room temperature, add 1/3 cup of vinegar – I like to use apple-cider vinegar; white wine vinegar or distilled vinegar OK too. Stir to distribute the vinegar evenly, then taste-test the broth to check for saltiness. Add up to 1/8 tsp more salt if needed. Avoid adding too much! This is meant to be a low-sodium pickle!On a large cutting board, lay a medium-sized glass jar (tall enough to accommodate the 4-5 inch spears lengthwise ) on its side. With a slotted spoon, lift the spears from the bowl, one at a time, and slide them into the glass jar.
- Gently turn the jar upright and pour the pickling broth into the jar. There should be enough to cover the top of the cucumber pieces completely.It is ready to serve right away, but will definitely taste better the next day. Set the jar on the countertop for a day (it marinates faster at room temperature), then store in the refrigerator to prevent spoilage.
- Serve with a sandwich, quesadilla, chop and add to pasta salad; if you eat meat/seafood, add finely chopped up cucumbers to chicken salad /shrimp salad, etc.Enjoy!
Notes
How much sodium / potassium per pickled spear?
So, here’s how I went about determining how much sodium and potassium is in each cucumber spear, weighing about 12.5 g each.- The total weight of water in the pickle prepared from 200g cucumbers
- Cucumbers consist of nearly 95% water:
- Weight of water in cucumbers: 190 g (95% of 200 g)
- Water used in the recipe : 475 g (2 cups)
- Vinegar used in recipe: 80 g (1/3 cup)
- Total weight of water in pickle : 745 g
- Amount of sodium in 1 pickle spear:
- Amount of sodium in 1 tsp salt: 2300 mg
- Amount of sodium from seasonings: 6 mg
- Concentration of sodium in pickle: about 3mg per 1 g of pickle
- Amount of sodium in 1 pickle spear, 12.5 g : 38.7mg
- Amount of potassium in 1 pickle spear:
- Amount of potassium in 200g cucumber : 294 mg
- Amount of potassium from seasonings: 100 mg
- Concentration of potassium in pickle: about 0.5 mg per 1 g of pickle
- Amount of potassium in 1 pickle spear, 12.5 g : 6.6 mg
Storing the Pickled Cucumbers:
Store the pickle jar in the refrigerator to prevent spoilage.- Use within 5-6 weeks, but may last longer
- If you see mold around the surface, or under the lid, please discard.
- The texture of the pickle spears upon thawing will be soggy and rather unappealing.
- If you do decide to store it in the freezer:
- Set a few spears on a cutting board for a few min and chop them up finely while they are still a bit icy and firm
- this will be fine for adding to dips, soups, pasta, etc.
- Set a few spears on a cutting board for a few min and chop them up finely while they are still a bit icy and firm
I just tried this recipe to pickle some cucumbers and it was easy and delicious!! It is my new “go to”! Thank you!
Thank you, Frances! I’m so glad you liked it. I’ve been pickling cucumbers and other veggies this way for years! 🙂
I have never made pickles before and this recipe was easy to follow and turned out great! I look forward to trying out more recipes from thins site!
Awesome! I love making these, and I don’t have to feel guilty about high sodium when I have them!
I’d also love to hear from you about whatever else you decide to try from this site!
Thanks, Grayson, for the thoughtful and kind review and star rating. 🙂
We are organic chemistry students from Nevada State University and we made this recipe for a group project. It is an easy-to-follow recipe! We really enjoyed it! The best part of the recipe is that it is lower in sodium. It was also fun using citric acid because none of us had cooked with that ingredient before. Thank you for the recipe!
-Dr. Churchill’s students 🙂 (Group 3)
Yay! So happy to know you all had fun making and sampling this low-sodium recipe! Hope you also looked at the details of how the sodium content was calculated (in Recipe Notes). Thank you for your kind and thoughtful review, Alyssa! Much appreciated ! 🙂
A few friends and I tried your recipe, and it was delightful! My dad is sensitive to sodium, so this recipe was perfect for my family as well. I never had pickles using apple cider vinegar before, but I was eager to try it. Your recipe was easy to follow and resulted in beautiful flavors, tart and spicy with hints of garlic. Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge and recipe. Hands down my favorite pickle recipe right now!
Thank you, Sierra! I’m so glad you enjoyed making it and that the low sodium version is good for your family as well. I think all folks need to try to decrease their sodium intake in general… way better for your health that way!. Thanks for your thoughtful and kind review. Much appreciated! 🙂
This recipe was fairly simple to follow. The photographs that came with the instructions significantly helped when preparing the dish. The equipment needed for the meal was nothing complex. First off, the flavor was great. The vinegar and chili flakes added a good level of spice and flavoring. Surprisingly, the pickles were not soggy and remained crisp. This feature made the food taste and feel fresh. This recipe is easy to do when you are craving a healthy snack. The only downside to this recipe is that it does need to marinate and tastes better as time passes. In other words, it will taste good immediately, but you will have to wait until tomorrow for it to taste better. The preparation was simple. The ingredients are accessible. The flavor is delicious. I recommend it! 5 out of 5 stars.
I’m so glad you enjoyed making it and that you liked it too! Thank you for your thoughtful and kind review, Jadrienne! Much appreciated! 🙂