Pickled pressed cucumber is a charming classic side dish to many Swedish recipes, including roasts, grills and, not to mention Swedish meatballs with cream sauce, mashed potatoes and lingonberries.
Best of all, it is both easy and quick to do, requiring just 15 minutes of prep. Did I mention the taste? It’s ridiculous good!
Fun facts: Is Cucumber a fruit or a vegetable?
Cucumber is a fruit! Well, according to science it is.
A fruit is the part of a plant that grows from the flower and contains its seeds. And since a cucumber develops from the flower of the cucumber plant and holds its seeds, it’s deemed a fruit.
But in the culinary world, cucumber is considered a vegetable. The reason being that it’s not considered sweet and is most often used in savory dishes.
Pickled Pressed Cucumber
Equipment
- Mandolin
Ingredients
- 1 cucumber
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp distilled white vinegar 12%
- 1 dl water
- 2 tbsp sugar
- ½ tsp white pepper
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
Instructions
- Prepare the ingredients
- Slice fresh cucumber thinly with a mandolin, thinnest settings. I do, however, not peel the cucumber, as I think it make a really good presentation and tastes good.
- Mix with salt in a wide bowl. Place a dish and a weight (i used a mortar) over for a least 30 minutes, preferable 1-2h. When time is up, pour off the liquid and discard it. Place the drained cucumber in a jar
- Mix the water, vinegar, sugar and pepper in a jar/bowl, stirring until all the sugar is dissolved. Add the chopped parsley and stir.
- Pour the mixture into the jar so that the slices are covered. Optional: You can if you like, slice a few chilies and mix them with the cucumbers. Spicy and delicious. I like to do a 50:50 split and make both variants.
- Seal the jar and keep in the fridge for at least an hour. Then serve and enjoy!The Joy of Cuisine
