This post may contain affiliate links, which means I'll earn a small commission if you purchase something through these links. You won't pay any extra; instead, you'll be helping Aloha With Love to thrive. Thank you! Learn more.
--
Mom takes Japanese tsukemono up a notch by adding some spicy sichuan peppers to the mix. These are my favorite so far!
These pickled cucumbers last for a really long time in the fridge. Plus, they only get yummier as time goes on. The pickling sauce really soaks in and the hard crunch with each bite is so satisfying. These aren’t very hot in terms of spiciness. Instead, it’s their signature numbing tingle that sichuan peppers are known for that really steals the show.
Aloha with love,
Amy
Ingredients
- 3 lbs cucumbers About 6 cucumbers.
- 3 tbsp salt
Pickling sauce
- 4 cloves garlic
- Ginger About the same amount as garlic.
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp sichuan peppers
- 2 anise
- 1 c shoyu Soy sauce.
- ½ c vinegar
- ½ c sugar
- Chili pepper flakes Or your favorite hot sauce.
Instructions
Cucumber preparation
- Slice cucumbers to ½ inch thickness. Add salt, mix, and let it sit at room temperature for one hour. Move cucumbers to colander to drain as you work on the pickling sauce.
Pickling sauce
- Add olive oil to the pan and adjust the temperature to high heat. Slice the garlic and ginger and add to the pan when it begins to get warm. Right before the garlic and ginger begin to fry in the oil, add sichuan peppers, anise, shoyu, and vinegar. Stir until it begins to get warm again, then adjust the temperature to low (Mom put it at 3 on the dial).
- Add sugar to the pan. Stir until it dissolves (about 30 seconds). Adjust the temperature to high and bring to a boil, then turn the stove off. Optional: Add chili pepper flakes or your favorite hot sauce at this time. Let the sauce cool on the stove for about 15 minutes.
Add pickling sauce to the cucumbers
- Squeeze the excess water out of the cucumbers with your hands. The more water you can get out, the better crunch and taste you'll get. Transfer cucumbers to a large bowl.
- Pour pickling sauce directly onto cucumbers. Allow pickling sauce to soak into cucumbers for at least 2 hours at room temperature before eating. Store in the fridge. Best eaten when cold.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Looks tasty and a great recipe to try while staying-at home during COVID-19 (sigh). How long can the picked cucumbers be stored in the fridge?
Hi Toni! Mom says “long time, few months, no problem!” Just remember to use clean utensils to take the cucumbers out. No used utensils or fingers that have been in your mouth or have touched other foods.