Lightly Pickled Cucumbers with Garlic and Dill – Recipe with no vinegar and brine

An easy step-by-step recipe for lightly salted pickles. The recipe is a staple of Russian cuisine. It is the easiest way to get crunchy flavorful pickled cucumbers in a short time. There is nothing you can do to make this recipe go wrong. We won’t be using any brine or vinegar. You simply combine vegetables with seasoning and leave them to get slightly fermented. Let the salt do its magic!

Follow us on Pinterest

In four hours, you will have a tasty appetizer ready to serve. Unfortunately, this time is not enough to produce Lacto bacteria that you have in a fully fermented pickle. However, if you want to try some new side dishes to go with your main meal, this Lightly Salted Pickles are a perfect option.

I have only one more thing to add. Choose the type of cucumbers wisely. Handpick each of the cucumber. Make sure to choose crispy and fresh vegetables. They should be small in size and look slightly blocky. The skin should be bumpy and color on the darker side. It would be nice if you pick all the cucumbers in the same size. It is not for the appeal of the overall dish but for cucumbers to be fermented at the same time. This is the key to get crispy light pickled cucumbers in the end.

Here are some other ideas for a quick appetizer or a side dish:

Ingredients for Lightly Salted Cucumbers

Ingredients for Salted Cucumbers

  • 1 kg fresh cucumbers, all similar size;
  • 1 bunch of fresh dill;
  • 4 garlic cloves;
  • 5 black peppercorns;
  • 1 tbsp. salt;
  • ½ tsp sugar.

How to make naturally fermented pickles without vinegar:

  • Nicely rinse cucumbers under cool running water. Place them in a deep bowl and cover with cold water. Leave them for 30 minutes to crisp them up (you also can add ice cubes).

Leave cucumbers in cold water

  • Take cucumbers out of the water and pat them with paper towels until dry. Cut off the ends from both sides.

Cut off ends

  • Find a new plastic bag (a zip-lock bag will be more convenient to use, but, unfortunately, I had none). Put all the cucumbers inside.

Put them inside a plastic bag

  • Rinse dill under running water, let it dry and cut off the thick stalks. I like to chop dill coarsely and cut garlic into thin slices instead of chopping or pressing.

Cut garlic and dill

  • Add dill and garlic into the bag with cucumbers.

Add them to the bag

  • Grind fresh black peppercorns with sugar. Pour this mixture together with salt into the bag.

Add salt sugar and black pepper

  • Tie the bag tightly and properly shake it for several minutes. All the cucumbers should be evenly covered in the seasoning. Let the cucumbers sit at the room temperature for an hour and then put them in the fridge. Do not forget to shake them from time to time!

Tie the bag and leave it for an hour at room temperature

  • Leave fermenting cucumbers in the fridge for 3 hours. In three hours, our fermented pickles should be ready to be served as one of the appetizers at the table or a salad! Enjoy your meal!

Put the bag into the fridge for 3 hours

If you liked this Lightly Salted Cucumbers Recipe, I would appreciate it so much if you would share it on Pinterest or you could give the recipe a star review!

Lightly Salted Cucumbers Recipe

I cannot stress enough how easy this recipe is to follow. As a result, you get delicious flavorful pickled cucumbers in less than five hours. They will be a perfect snack; you can have them sliced for some type of sandwich and add to salads and soups.

Lightly Pickled Cucumbers with Garlic and Dill
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

Lightly Pickled Cucumbers with Garlic and Dill

Learn how to make this tasty lightly pickled cucumbers for dinner!
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Russian
Keyword lightly pickled cucumbers, lightly salted pickles, no-vinegar fermented cucumbers, simple salted cucumbers, slightly fermented cucumbers
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 40 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 12kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 kg fresh cucumbers, all similar size
  • 1 bunch of fresh dill
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 5 black peppercorns
  • 1 tbsp. salt
  • ½ tsp. sugar

Instructions

  • Nicely rinse cucumbers under cool running water. Place them in a deep bowl and cover with cold water. Leave them for 30 minutes to crisp them up (you also can add ice cubes).
  • Take cucumbers out of the water and pat them with paper towels until dry. Cut off the ends from both sides.
  • Find a new plastic bag (a zip-lock bag will be more convenient to use, but, unfortunately, I had none). Put all the cucumbers inside.
  • Rinse dill under running water, let it dry and cut off the thick stalks. I like to chop dill coarsely and cut garlic into thin slices instead of chopping or pressing.
  • Add dill and garlic into the bag with cucumbers.
  • Grind fresh black peppercorns with sugar. Pour this mixture together with salt into the bag.
  • Tie the bag tightly and properly shake it for several minutes. All the cucumbers should be evenly covered in the seasoning. Let the cucumbers sit at the room temperature for an hour and then put them in the fridge. Do not forget to shake them from time to time!
  • Leave fermenting cucumbers in the fridge for 3 hours. In three hours, our fermented pickles should be ready to be served as one of the appetizers at the table or a salad!

Notes

*calories per 100 g

Our Lightly Salted Cucumbers with garlic and dill offer a refreshing burst of flavor. This simple, crisp side dish is a perfect complement to any meal. Elevate your culinary experience with the subtle blend of salt, garlic, and dill, transforming humble cucumbers into a delightful sensation. Enjoy the light, refreshing goodness in every bite!

I hope that you enjoyed this recipe and you will share it with your friends! If you have any questions, write them in the comment section below.

Share and enjoy!

Julia Miller is the founder of FreeFoodTips. Julia loves to travel and test new recipes. Here you will find recipes that are simple, delicious and perfect for everyday meals. FreeFoodTips is also packed with cooking tips and tricks.

2 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Cucumbers turned out just perfect! Still crunchy while being pickled. Totally adding the recipe to my favorites! I have only one question: How long can you store them in the fridge?

    • You better keep pickled cucumbers in an air tight container or a zip bag that has no access for air. In such a way you can store them up to 14 days in the fridge.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




We use cookies in order to give you the best possible experience on our website. By continuing to use this site, you agree to our use of cookies.
Accept
Privacy Policy