Quick Pickled Cucumber Slices

These quick pickled cucumber slices will add crunch and flavor to your favorite plant-based sandwiches, salads, bowls, sushi rolls and more! They are easy to prepare and keep in the fridge for a full two weeks.

An overhead image of thinly sliced, pickled cucumbers and mustard.

Yes, I am all about pickled vegetables this spring!

Quick pickled vegetables are simple things. Yet for all their simplicity, they really add a lot to recipes.

That’s why I’ve been focusing my recipe sharing on them lately, Quick Pickled Onions, Quick Pickled Carrot Ribbons, and today, Quick Pickled Cucumber Slices.

Quick pickled cucumber slices vs. traditional pickles

While not everyone makes or eats pickled carrots or onions regularly, most of us have had pickled cucumbers before.

In fact, when we say or hear the word “pickle,” what we’re often referring to is pickled cucumber spears.

There are many types of pickles: dill pickles, kosher pickles, sweet pickles, cornichon and bread and butter pickles, among others.

I love all the above rituals. But the quick pickled cucumber slices I’m sharing today are a little different.

Traditional pickles are made with canning baths. This allows them to be stored for a long time. That long storage time deepens their flavor.

These quick pickled cucumber slices are made by simply pouring a warm, homemade brine over the cucumber slices and transferring them to the refrigerator for storage. In fact, quick pickles are sometimes referred to as “refrigerator pickles.”

The result is cucumber slices that can be ready to eat in thirty minutes. The taste is sour and salty, but not as intense as traditional pickles.

How to Make Quick Pickled Cucumber Slices

If you’ve seen my other ritual-themed content lately, you may already be familiar with my process.

If you haven’t, or if you want a refresher, here are the steps to make my favorite quick pickled cucumber slices.

Crosswise sliced cucumbers resting on a white plate. — A vegetable slicer or paring knife will make it easy to make very thin, crosswise slices of cucumber.

Step 1: Slice your cucumber

I recommend using some seedless cucumbers here. Often, I use a seedless English cucumber to prepare the recipe.

There is no need to peel the cucumber to make this recipe. However, you’ll want to make thin, crosswise slices. I aim for 1/16-inch / 2 mm thick.

A slicer will make this task especially easy. But you can work carefully with a paring knife to make those thin slices.

A small pinch bowl is filled with water, vinegar and mustard. — Water, vinegar, salt, sugar and mustard seeds add flavor to quick pickles.

Step 2: Make a peeling liquid

In this case the liquid mixture is simple: water, vinegar, salt, and sugar.

Technically, you can just pour this mixture on the cucumber slices, transfer them to the fridge and let them chill.

Quick pickling can be even faster if you pour the hot pickling liquid over the pickling. I usually heat my water and vinegar in a small saucepan or microwave for 2 minutes.

Then, I dissolve the salt and sugar in the hot mixture.

A glass mason jar is filled with crisp, bright green shredded vegetables and pickling liquid. — Pour the hot pickling liquid over your cucumber slices to make a quick pickle.

Step 3: Pour the liquid over the cucumbers

Once your pickling liquid is ready, you need to pour it over your cucumber slices to start the pickling process.

A glass jar is filled with very thinly sliced pickles, liquid and brown mustard. — Quick pickled cucumber slices can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Step 4: Store

Allow the cucumber slices to marinate in their hot liquid for about 30 minutes. Then, cover them and transfer them to the fridge.

The slices will keep for up to 2 weeks, giving you plenty of time to use them in a variety of dishes.

What type of container should I use?

I like to use wide-mouth, 16 ounce (1 pint, or 480 ml) mason jars for my quick pickles at home. The wide mouth makes it easy to add my hot liquid and the shape is versatile for all kinds of vegetable shapes.

That said, any container with an airtight lid will work. Be sure to leave at least an inch of headspace at the top.

Is cane sugar necessary?

Last week when I posed for my pickled carrot ribbons, a reader asked if cane sugar was necessary in the recipe. He mentioned that he is not a big fan of sweet pickles.

The answer is no – cane sugar is not strictly necessary. It’s definitely okay to omit it from this recipe and my other quick pickle recipes.

With that being said, I think you’ll find that the very small amount of sugar in the pickling liquid here (just 2 teaspoons for the entire recipe) isn’t enough to make a sweet pickle.

Quick pickled cucumber slices don’t taste like bread and butter pickles or taste like sweet pickles.

In fact, the sugar is present to help create some balance with all the tartness added by the apple cider vinegar.

This is the same reason I add very little maple syrup to vinaigrettes. The goal is not to create something that is too salty and sweet (although I love the combination of salty/sweet flavors), but rather to keep the flavors of the recipe in harmony with each other.

What to do with quick pickled cucumber slices

My favorite thing to do with these crispy, tangy slices is to pile them on my sandwiches. They are such a fun, fresh addition!

Some sandwiches that I love using slices include my Miso Tahini Vegetable Sandwich, Green Goddess Club Sandwich, and Tofu Egg Salad Sandwich.

Two slices of whole grain sandwich bread being combined into a vegetable sandwich. They rest on a white surface.

Slices are also really nice in summer salads. You can chop them up and toss them in, for example, my spinach rice salad, chickpea Greek salad, lentil beet salad, or tofu and udon noodle salads.

Cucumbers also make a nice topping for toast — try piling them on avocado toast for a contrast of texture and flavor.

A battered white bean salad is placed in a white, ceramic bowl, resting on a white surface.

Lastly, I like hummus or garlic tahini crumbled white bean salad, then round crackers with one of the pickle slices. This is such a fun, delicious hors d’oeuvres or snack.

Q Time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 5 minutes

Production: 2 the cup

1/2 Seedless cucumber
1/2 the cup Apple cider vinegar, distilled white vinegar, or unseasoned rice vinegar (120 ml)
3/4 the cup the water (180 ml)
2 teaspoon sugarcane
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon mustard seeds (optional)

Using a vegetable slicer or a sharp chef’s knife, slice the cucumber crosswise into thin slices (ideally 1/16 inch/2 mm, or as close as you can get).
Place the slices in a 1-pint/480ml mason jar. Add mustard seeds to the jar if using.
Stir vinegar and water together in a heatproof measuring cup. Pour this mixture into a saucepan and bring to the boil, then stir in the sugar and salt. Alternatively, microwave the water and vinegar for 2 minutes, then stir until the sugar and salt dissolve.
Pour the hot pickling liquid over the cucumber slices in the jar. Immerse them completely.
Let the slices sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Use immediately, or cover the jar tightly with a lid and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

And now, I’ll take a brief step away from pickle-themed content—although I don’t promise to stop all vegetable pickles and write about them when I do.

I hope you enjoy these crisp, cool, flavorful slices for summer. And I’ll be back later this week with a sweet new recipe to celebrate blueberry season.

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