Cheater's Pickles

4.5 from 2 ratings

These fresh, almost-instant pickles start off with the cucumber slices getting a big chill with a little bit of sugar, which draws out some of their water. Then just a splash of vinegar and a little salt, and you’ve got a really refreshing side dish for barbecues, picnics, or anything fried. They’re great plain, but you can add snipped dill, chives, or mint, or even some thin-sliced Vidalia onion. Excerpted from A Real Southern Cook in Her Savannah Kitchen, © 2015 by Dora Charles. Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

Servings

servings

Ingredients

2 english cucumbers
2 tablespoon sugar
handful of ice cubes
1/4 cup rice vinegar, champagne vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or distilled white vinegar
several pinches of flaky salt, such as maldon
several grinds of black pepper (optional)
2 tablespoon snipped fresh dill, mint, or chives, or a mixture (optional)
1/2 vidalia onion, sliced into thin half-moons (optional)

Directions

Cut off the ends of the cucumbers and use the tines of a fork to draw long stripes down their lengths. Slice the cucumbers like bread-and-butter pickles, about 1⁄8 inch thick, and pile them into a large shallow bowl. Sprinkle the sugar over the cucumbers and stir it in well. Scatter the ice cubes over the cucumbers and cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap. Chill in the freezer for ½ hour.
Drain the cucumbers in a colander and pat dry with a clean kitchen towel. Put the cucumbers in a bowl, sprinkle the vinegar evenly over them, and stir well. Add the salt and pepper, if using, and stir well to combine. Toss in the herbs, if using, and the onions, if using. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
They’ll still be good the next day, though not quite as crisp.