How to Drain Cucumbers
This summer, stay cool as a cucumber with this easy technique for salting and draining cucumbers. All you need is a healthy pinch of salt and a little time, and you’re well on your way to the crispest salad ever.
Ingredients
- 1 cucumber
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Layer cucumber slices in the bottom of a colander, and sprinkle a generous pinch of salt over them.
- Place another layer of cucumbers over the first layer, and salt again. Continue layers until all cucumbers are salted.
- Let cucumbers sit for one hour with the colander over a bowl to catch liquid, or set the colander in your kitchen sink.
- Using a clean paper towel, gently pat the extra salt off the slices, and then proceed with your salad.
Video
Notes
- Osmosis: Adding salt to sliced cucumbers draws out the extra moisture in the vegetable, through a process called osmosis. Over time, the salt absorbs the water from the cucumber. What you’re left with is a slightly drier cucumber, which won’t ruin your salad.
- Time: Some people insist that 20 to 30 minutes is enough time to drain salted cucumbers, but I like the dryness that an hour gives. You can’t really overdo it. In the Midwest, some cooks make German style cucumber salads by salting the cucumber slices, placing the layers between paper towels, and letting them drain for up to 2 days!
- Texture: If you’re using a dairy or mayonnaise-based dressing, the extra water in the cucumbers could curdle. No one wants that. Even if you’re making a cucumber salad with a vinaigrette, salted cucumbers don’t water down the dressing, so every bite is flavorful.
Nutrition
Calories: 18kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 1166mgPotassium: 204mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 108IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 21mgIron: 1mg
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