If you've ever visited Japan in the summertime, you might've seen street vendors selling whole salt pickled cucumbers on sticks—like a giant cucumber pop. Crisp, cold, and hydrating, they're the ultimate grab-and-go snack, but they are also the perfect accompaniment for a Japanese meal. Shiozuke (塩漬け, literally "salt pickle") is one of the oldest and simplest forms of Japanese pickling. With just salt, water, a splash of sake, and a strip of kombu, you can transform fresh Japanese cucumbers into tsukemono that are crunchy, refreshing, and full of quiet umami. This traditional quick pickle doesn't just preserve vegetables; it elevates them. I love how the brine enhances the seedless cucumbers' snap, while the kombu and sake add a savory-sweet depth that lingers long after the last bite. Here's what makes this salt-brined classic shine.
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Why This Recipe Works
- Salt draws out water to intensify texture and flavor. The salt in the brine draws moisture from the pickled cucumbers through osmosis, which firms up their texture and concentrates their flavor. It's a simple way to extend shelf life while giving them a snappy crunch.
- Kombu and sake infuse natural glutamates. Dried kelp and a small amount of sake contribute natural umami viaglutamic acid. The sake also adds a sweet, fruity aroma that brings out the natural sweetness of the Japanese cucumbers.
- Sugar balances the salt and promotes fermentation. A touch of sugar balances the salinity and encourages friendly lactobacilli, which can kickstart natural fermentation for a tangier pickle if you decide to let these pickle for longer.
Ingredients
- Cucumbers — Choose firm, thin-skinned types without seeds, like Japanese, Lebanese, or Persian cucumbers, for their crunch and delicate flavor. I used baby Japanese cucumbers because they're bite-sized and seedless. If you use larger ones like English cucumbers, you may want to cut them in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds
- Sake — Adds umami and a sweet aroma while mellowing out the harsh green flavor of the pickled cucumbers.
- Salt — The main pickling agent, it draws out moisture while seasoning and preserving the cucumbers. You don't need to be so picky here as long as you measure it by weight, so use kosher salt, table salt, or whatever you happen to have in your pantry.
- Sugar — Balances the saltiness and adds a hint of sweetness for complexity.
- Kombu — Adds depth and umami thanks to its natural glutamates. The white bloom on the surface is a natural compound called mannitol that contributes to the flavor, so you don't want to remove it.
How to Make Japanese Pickled Cucumber
Start by mixing the brine. In a zipper bag, combine water, sake, salt, sugar, and a piece of kombu. Swish everything around until the salt and sugar are fully dissolved.
Next, prep your Japanese or Persian cucumbers. There's no need to peel them, but if they're especially seedy, you can halve or quarter them lengthwise. Add them to the bag, press out the air, and seal it up. Removing excess air ensures the vegetables stay fully submerged in the brine.
Place the bag flat in your fridge. You'll want to let it pickle for at least 2–3 days, giving it a gentle flip once a day to help distribute the brine. If you pickle them for a longer time, they'll start to lacto-ferment, losing their vibrant color but gaining depth and a tangy taste in the process.
To serve them, just remove them from the pickling liquid and cut them into bite-sized pieces. You can put any leftovers in an airtight container and store them in the fridge. Keep in mind they should be eaten within a few days once removed from the pickling liquid.
Serve This With
Crisp and briny, these cucumber tsukemono are the kind of everyday pickle that plays well with just about any dish. Theypair particularly well with Japanese rice dishes such as Salmon Ochazuke for a refreshing bite between spoonfuls of broth-soaked rice. These salt pickled cucumbers also work well in bento box lunches as an accompaniment for onigiri.Try them with my tuna mayo onigiri, salmon onigiri, or Spam omusubi.
Other Classic Japanese Pickles
While shiozuke is one of the most basic forms of Japanese pickling, it's just the tip of the iceberg. Asazuke is another style of quick pickle that can be prepared in a matter of hours from whatever vegetables you have on hand. Shoyuzuke swaps the salt brine for soy sauce, adding savory depth and a gentle sweetness that pairs beautifully with root vegetables. Then there's gari or pickled sushi ginger, which is thinly sliced young ginger that's been cured in sweet rice vinegar. And one of my personal favorites? My grandfather's cucumbers pickled with wasabi and beer; it may sound like an odd combo, but trust me, it works!
📖 Recipe
Equipment
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Ingredients
Instructions
- Add 2 cups water, 2 tablespoons sake, 15 grams salt, 8 grams evaporated cane sugar, and 3 grams konbu to a zipper bag and swish the mixture around to dissolve the salt and sugar.
- Add the 450 grams cucumbers and seal the bag, pressing out as much air as possible so that the cucumbers are fully submerged in the liquid.
- Let the cucumbers pickle in the refrigerator for at least 2-3 days.
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