Recipe: Pickled Cucumbers with Sesame Oil (with ginger and hot peppers)

PICKLED CUCUMBERS WITH SESAME OIL

"With its strong flavors of sesame, ginger, and hot pepper, this Japanese pickle shows a Chinese influence."

1 pound Asian or pickling cucumbers, about 3/4-inch in diameter
1 teaspoon pickling salt
1 scallion, cut into 1-inch lengths, then slivered
1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and slivered
1 to 2 fresh hot peppers, such as jalapeno, seeded and slivered
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
5 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil

Halve the cucumbers lengthwise and then cut them into 1-inch-long pieces. In a bowl, toss the cut cucumbers with the salt. Let them stand at room temperature for 1 hour.

Drain the cucumbers and return them to the bowl. Mix them with the scallion, ginger, and peppers.

In a bowl, stir together the rice vinegar, soy sauce, and sesame oil, and pour this mixture over the cucumbers. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let the pickle stand at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours, or in the refrigerator for 24 hours, turning the cucumbers occasionally.

The pickle will keep in the refrigerator, well covered, for about 1 week.

Makes about 1 pint
Recipe copyright 2013, Used by permission from Harvard Commons Press
Source: The Joy of Pickling, Revised Edition by Linda Ziedrich