How to Crisp Cucumbers

Reviewed by Ashley Crawford

Last Updated: June 9, 2022

Making cucumbers crisp for the salad increases their appeal and crunch factor. Ready to make yours even more fresh and delicious? We've put together a quick tutorial to help get you on your way.

1

Cut the cucumbers.

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2

Place the slides in a colander.

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3

Put the colander into a bowl.

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4

Add salt and ice to the cucumbers.

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5

Place the bowl and colander into the refrigerator.

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6

Remove the cucumber from the refrigerator and pat dry.

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If you're not quite ready to serve, simply pop the slices back into the fridge; they'll stay crisp. ^{[3]
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Question

How do I deal with excess salt?

Community Answer

I put the sliced cucumbers into a bowl filled with heavily salted ice water and let it stand for about 1/2 hour. Then I rinse the slices in a colander with cold water, making sure all the salt is rinsed off. Then I pat all the slices dry with paper towels (plain white ones). This may take some time and can be done in several batches. The cucumbers are now ready to use. They stay crisp and are not salty.

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How do I keep sliced cucumbers fresh to use the next day?

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You can just put them into a sealed bag or plastic container and keep them in the fridge.

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Tips

This method can also be used to crisp up radishes and celery.

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Things You'll Need

Knife and chopping board for slicing
Colander
Bowl
Refrigerator

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How to Crisp Cucumbers

Steps

Cut the cucumbers.

Place the slides in a colander.

Put the colander into a bowl.

Add salt and ice to the cucumbers.

Place the bowl and colander into the refrigerator.

Remove the cucumber from the refrigerator and pat dry.

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