This summertime, stay cool as a cucumber with this piece of cake technique for salting and draining cucumbers. All you need is a healthy pinch of salt and a fiddling time, and you're well on your mode to the crispest salad ever.

Sliced cucumbers in a colander resting in a clear bowl.

When it comes to making the best cucumber salads, I find that unless yous take the time to properly salt and drain the cukes, the end product is watery, limp, and less than tasty.

This easy extra step makes extra crunchy slices, takes almost no endeavour at all, just gives a big payout in the crunch department.

Salting and draining notes:

  • Osmosis:Adding table salt to sliced cucumbers draws out the actress moisture in the vegetable, through a process called osmosis. Over fourth dimension, the salt absorbs the water from the cucumber. What you're left with is a slightly drier cucumber, which won't ruin your salad.
  • Time: Some people insist that 20 to 30 minutes is plenty fourth dimension to bleed salted cucumbers, only I like the dryness that an hour gives. You can't actually overdo it. In the Midwest, some cooks brand German language way cucumber salads by salting the cucumber slices, placing the layers between paper towels, and letting them drain for up to 2 days!
  • Texture: If you're using a dairy or mayonnaise-based dressing, the extra water in the cucumbers could curdle. No one wants that. Even if you're making a cucumber salad with a vinaigrette, salted cucumbers don't h2o downwardly the dressing, so every bite is flavorful.

Step-past-step instructions:

  1. To beginning, y'all will need a colander or a mesh sieve, and a bowl. Skin the cukes if you lot want to (or not). Cut, chop, or slice your cucumbers into your preferred shape.
    Sliced cucumbers in a white bowl.
  2. Next, layer the slices in the bottom of a colander, and sprinkle a generous compression of salt over them. Place another layer of cucumbers over the first layer, and salt once more. You lot don't really accept to measure, simply I ordinarily utilize about ¼ teaspoon common salt for each layer. Make sure you lot place the colander over a basin to catch the liquid as it drains out so you don't have a mess (or set your strainer over your kitchen sink). If your kitchen is warm or you accept the space, popular the colander and bowl in the fridge to exercise its piece of work.
    Cucumber slices being drained through a metal strainer over a clear bowl.
  3. After one hr, your cucumbers should be set to go. Using a make clean newspaper towel, gently pat the extra salt off the slices, then proceed with your salad.
    Cucumber slices being patted dry with a towel.

Put your cucumbers to piece of work:

  • Creamy cucumber salad
  • Greek salad
  • Mediterranean chopped salad
  • Cucumber sandwiches

How to Bleed Cucumbers

This summer, stay cool as a cucumber with this piece of cake technique for salting and draining cucumbers. All you need is a healthy compression of salt and a petty time, and you're well on your way to the crispest salad e'er.

Prep Time five mins

Resting fourth dimension one hr

Total Time 1 hr 5 mins

Servings ii

Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Calories 18

  • 1 cucumber
  • 1 teaspoon common salt

  • Layer cucumber slices in the bottom of a colander, and sprinkle a generous compression of salt over them.

  • Identify another layer of cucumbers over the get-go layer, and table salt again. Continue layers until all cucumbers are salted.

  • Permit cucumbers sit down for i hour with the colander over a bowl to take hold of liquid, or set the colander in your kitchen sink.

  • Using a clean paper towel, gently pat the extra common salt off the slices, and and then go along with your salad.

  1. Osmosis:Adding salt to sliced cucumbers draws out the extra moisture in the vegetable, through a process called osmosis. Over fourth dimension, the salt absorbs the h2o from the cucumber. What you're left with is a slightly drier cucumber, which won't ruin your salad.
  2. Time: Some people insist that 20 to 30 minutes is enough time to drain salted cucumbers, but I like the dryness that an 60 minutes gives. You tin can't really overdo it. In the Midwest, some cooks make High german style cucumber salads by salting the cucumber slices, placing the layers between newspaper towels, and letting them drain for up to 2 days!
  3. Texture: If you're using a dairy or mayonnaise-based dressing, the extra water in the cucumbers could curdle. No 1 wants that. Fifty-fifty if y'all're making a cucumber salad with a vinaigrette, salted cucumbers don't water down the dressing, then every bite is flavorful.

Calories: xviii kcal Carbohydrates: iii g Protein: 1 g Fat: ane m Saturated Fat: i k Sodium: 1166 mg Potassium: 204 mg Fiber: 1 g Sugar: ii g Vitamin A: 108 IU Vitamin C: five mg Calcium: 21 mg Iron: 1 mg

I'm the Executive Chef and head of the Culinary Hill Test Kitchen. Every recipe is adult, tested, and approved only for y'all.

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