Cucumber Salad Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What does a cucumber salad contain? ›

This cucumber salad recipe features thinly sliced cucumbers, red onion, fresh dill, and a sweet and tangy vinegar dressing. Cooling and refreshing, this summer salad is a perfect BBQ or picnic side dish.

Happily, salting cucumbers requires only 20 minutes or so and virtually no effort: You just put them in a colander or strainer, toss them with a big pinch of salt or two — the exact quantity doesn't matter, since most of the salt will flow away with the liquid — and let osmosis do its thing.

Taste Test: Fresh cucumber salad will taste fresh and delightful. A sour or unpleasant taste is a red flag. Check the Storage Duration: Cucumber salad is at its optimum within 3-4 days of being stored in the refrigerator. After four days, it is best to toss the cucumber salad.

Long English Cucumber

Long English Cucumbers have a good crunch with thin, delicate skin that's easy to digest. The best part: you don't even need to peel them—just slice 'em up and eat them as the perfect quick snack. This type of Cucumber is great in salads as well as a ton of other things, too!

In a bowl combine the white vinegar, Splenda, garlic and dill and just stir until the Splenda is dissolved. Pour wet mixture over the cucumber slices and stir so that the mixture has coated all of the slices.

But even cucumbers can be elevated to greater deliciousness and versatility with a clever kitchen tip that you may not be aware of—salting. When you salt cucumber pieces or slices and let them sit for 30 minutes in a colander, the salt draws out excess moisture which then drains away.

What Makes Cucumbers Bitter? A specific compound called cucurbitacin is responsible for the bitter flavor. "Cucurbitacin is generally more concentrated in the skin and towards the stem end of the fruit," says Tucker Taylor, director of culinary gardens at Kendall-Jackson Wine Estate & Gardens in Sonoma County.

Should you peel your cucumbers for cucumber salad? Again, it depends on the variety and maturity of the cucumber. English or Persian cucumbers have thin skins which you do not need to peel. Regular market cucumbers may have thicker peels that can be tough and bitter, so it's best to peel those.

Can Dogs Have Cucumbers? Cucumbers are perfectly safe for dogs to eat, and offer a low-calorie, crunchy snack that many dogs love. Cucumbers only contain about 8 calories per one-half cup of slices, compared to the 40 calories in a single medium dog biscuit. Cucumbers are also very low in sodium and fat-free.

How far in advance can you cut cucumbers for salad? ›

The best way to store cut cucumbers is to wrap them in a damp paper towel and place them in an airtight storage container. The tight, locking seal on the cover of the container will help to keep them extra fresh. Place the container in your refrigerator or in the crisper drawer and use the cut cukes within five days.

Cucumber Salad Ingredients

Cucumbers: Start with four thinly sliced cucumbers. Onion: A thinly sliced white onion lends flavor and texture. Vinegar: A cup of white vinegar gives the cucumber salad a bright flavor. Sugar: White sugar lends subtle sweetness.

Cucumber salad can be eaten at any meal, therefore there isn't a particular time of day when it is best appreciated. Cucumber salad is low in calories and can aid in weight loss, therefore some individuals like to eat it as a light lunch or dinner alternative.

Because cucumbers have seeds in the middle and grow from the flower of a cucumber plant, they are botanically a fruit. Botanical vegetables may be other edible structures of a plant, such as the leaves, stems and roots, and they do not have seeds.

Raw cucumber (with peel) is 95% water, 4% carbohydrates, 1% protein, and contains negligible fat. A 100-gram (3+1⁄2-ounce) reference serving provides 65 kilojoules (16 kilocalories) of food energy. It has a low content of micronutrients: it is notable only for vitamin K, at 16% of the Daily Value (table).

It's high in beneficial nutrients, as well as certain plant compounds and antioxidants that may help treat and even prevent some conditions. Cucumbers are also low in calories and contain a good amount of water and soluble fiber, making them ideal for promoting hydration and aiding in weight loss.

(E,Z)-2,6-nonadienal and (E,Z)-2,6-nonadien-1-ol give fruits a typical cucumberlike flavor, which is the most important constituent of the cucumber flavor. Nonanal and nonanol give citrus and rose notes, and (Z)-6-nonenal gives melon-like notes [12, 26].