Oiji (Korean Pickled Cucumbers, No-Water Method)
Korean pickled cucumbers made with no water at all — just salt, sugar, vinegar, and soju. Easy to pack yet crisp and savory, and they keep for up to a year.
Ingredients
Ingredients (for 20 cucumbers)
- Cucumbers20
- Sea salt1 cup
- Sugar2 cups
- Vinegar2 cups
- Soju1 cup
- Baking soda (for washing)as needed
Directions
- 1
Soak the cucumbers in baking soda water for about 10 minutes, wash clean, and drain in a colander until completely dry. Leaving them overnight dries them thoroughly.
- 2
Trim the stem ends if they're long.
- 3
Pack the cucumbers neatly into a kimchi container or jar.
- 4
Sprinkle 1 cup of sea salt evenly over them. (Any sea salt works.)
- 5
Sprinkle 2 cups of sugar evenly.
- 6
Pour in 2 cups of vinegar.
- 7
Finally, pour in 1 cup of soju and the packing is done — no water added.
- 8
Weigh the cucumbers down with something heavy. In 3-4 days they turn golden, and after about a week they're crisp and well-pickled. (For 10 cucumbers, halve all the ingredients.)
Tips
Drying the cucumbers completely keeps them from going soft and helps them last. Slice the finished oiji, rinse, and season for a quick oiji-muchim side dish.