Today, I want to share my easy recipe for Japanese Pickled Cucumbers (tsukemono). You can make it at home with ingredients you already have in the kitchen, namely salt and sugar (and preferably Japanese karashi mustard). There are so many ways to make Japanese pickles, and this is just one recipe that we enjoy regularly at our house. Cool and crisp with a nice crunch, this Japanese cucumber pickle makes a wonderful counterpart to any grilled dishes in the summer. Once you try it, you’ll be hooked!
What Are Japanese Pickles (Tsukemono)?
Tsukemono (漬物) or Japanese pickles are an essential part of the Japanese diet. They are served typically with a meal, alongside rice and miso soup. Pickles are used as a garnish, relish, or digestive food. It is also considered a palate-cleansing side dish—what we call hashi yasume (箸休め), literally meaning “chopstick rest” in Japanese.
Varieties of Tsukemono in Japan
Here’s a quick list of the types of pickles that we enjoy in Japanese cuisine, named for the main pickling ingredient. For a more in-depth look, read my post Tsukemono: A Guide to Japanese Pickles.
salt – shiozuke 塩漬け rice bran – nukazuke 糠漬け sake lees – kasuzuke 粕漬け soy sauce – shoyuzuke 醤油漬け rice vinegar – suzuke 酢漬け or amazuzuke miso – misozuke 味噌漬け
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
3 common ingredients – you just need kosher salt, sugar, and cucumbers quick and easy – ready in as soon as a few hours light and refreshing – counterbalances the richer components of your meal
Ingredients You’ll Need for Pickled Cucumbers
Japanese cucumbers or Persian cucumbers – these varieties are crunchier and don’t have a lot of seeds in the middle kosher salt – I use Diamond Crystal brand Japanese hot mustard (karashi) – optional; you can substitute Chinese mustard powder or Colman’s English mustard that are made from a hot, yellow mustard seed sugar
Substitutions
If you want to try pickling other vegetables instead of cucumbers, try this recipe with one of these alternatives:
napa cabbage green cabbage carrot celery turnip (kabu in Japanese) eggplant
Depending on the vegetable, adjust the pickling time to your preferred taste. Choose a vegetable and enjoy making pickles to serve with rice this week!
How To Make Japanese Pickled Cucumbers
The active prep time to make my Japanese pickled cucumber recipe is quite short! Take out of the pickling solution, then slice and serve. Removed from the pickling liquid, the pickled cucumbers will keep in the fridge for 2–3 days.
Other Japanese Palate Cleansers
In Japanese cooking, we eat pickles between dishes for a change of flavors and textures and to refresh our palate. Besides pickles, chawanmushi (steamed egg custard), sunomono (a light salad made with sweet and sour vinaigrette), aemono(vegetable, meat, or seafood dressed up in some sauce), and suimono (soup) are also considered hashi yasume.
More Japanese Pickles You’ll Love
Everyday Japanese Pickles (Asazuke) Japanese Pickled Cabbage Homemade Fukujinzuke (Japanese Pickles for Curry) 4 Easy Soy Sauce Pickles 12 Japanese Pickles You Can Make At Home
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