Published: · Modified: · by Renée B. · This post may contain affiliate links.
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Swedish Cucumbers are a snap to make! Ready to eat in just hours, you will love the fresh, briny sweetness these easy quick pickles bring to the plate. (No canning required!)
Swedish Cucumbers are a snap to make! They require no canning, and virtually no clean-up.
This recipe makes exactly one quart of quick pickles in less than ten minutes. Once you get them jarred, simply let them rest in the fridge for a few hours, and they’re ready to eat! (They are even better the next day; so if you can, let them chill overnight!)
Jump to:
- What's the Story on this Recipe?
- What Goes into Swedish Cucumbers
- How to Make this Quick Pickle Recipe
- Variations
- Storage
- More Pickle Recipes
- Pairing
- Swedish Cucumbers
What's the Story on this Recipe?
When I was a little girl, no matter what time of year, I could always count on finding a jar of Swedish Cucumbers in my Auntie's refrigerator. When she made her cucumbers during summer canning season, they were miraculously ready to eat just in hours – months before the first lid came off our homemade dill pickles. I loved their crisp sweet-and-sourness, and ate them every chance I got.
As an adult, I learned that our version of Swedish quick pickle – made with allspice – is known in Nordic pickling circles as the “winter variation,” but we eat these tasty little cucumber slices year-round. (The everyday version uses dill and peppercorns in place of the allspice in our “family” recipe.)
What Goes into Swedish Cucumbers
The ingredients needed for Swedish cucumbers is short and simple. All you need is few simple pantry staples and a pound and a half of cucumbers.
- Cucumbers: We’ve always used regular cucumbers for these quick pickles; however, I’ve recently started making them with English cukes, and really like how they turn out. So, in my experience, you can use either one.
- Vinegar: Use white vinegar. I suppose you could use cider vinegar, but that will change the flavor profile somewhat.
- Water: The water you use matters. Be aware, if your water is treated and has an overpowering taste because of it (i.e, municipally added chlorine, chloramine, etc.), that flavor may taint your chicken stock, which will in turn negatively flavor whatever you make with it.
- Sugar: Use plain, granulated sugar
- Salt: Use kosher salt
- Whole allspice
How to Make this Quick Pickle Recipe
Prep the cucumbers
Peel and then slice the cucumbers ⅛ to 3/16-inch thick.
If the cucumber slices are any thinner than ⅛-inch, the quick pickles will lose their tugor (i.e., crispiness) too fast. If they are thicker than about 3/16 inch, they don’t absorb the brine as quickly.
Fill a one-quart jar with cucumber slices up to the very top. It’s OK if it is very full. The cucumbers will settle when the hot brine is added.
It is also OK if slices are stacked in the jar; however, make sure each slice has been separated from the others before placing it.
Prepare the Brine
Combine water, sugar, vinegar, allspice and salt in a medium saucepan. Over medium heat, bring vinegar mixture to a simmer, stirring just until the sugar has completely dissolved.
Remove the prepared brine from the heat.
Pickle the Cukes
Use a measuring cup with a pour spout and/or a canning funnel to carefully pour the hot vinegar syrup over the cucumbers.
Put a lid on the jar and refrigerate until brine has completely cooled; preferably overnight.
Variations
Interestingly, these "winter version" Swedish Cucumbers bear a striking similarity - both in flavor and texture - to the pickled cucumber salad that is ubiquitous in our local Thai restaurants. If you're in need of a quick little Thai-food-friendly side, simply add a little red onion to some Swedish cukes and you're set! (#swedishthaifusion)
Not surprisingly, Swedish cukes are a great accompaniment to our Greek Turkey Burgers, too!
Storage
As with most quick pickles, Swedish Cucumbers should always be stored in their own brine in the refrigerator. They are best eaten within the first week; after that, they will begin to lose their signature crunch.
FAQs & Expert Tips
Should I let the brined pickles cool on the counter before refrigerating them?
I usually let the cucumbers set out for a few minutes, but putting a warm, freshly brined jar in the fridge should be fine.
As most of us have learned the hard way at least once, very hot glass and very cold surfaces do not play well together. Cracking from the sudden temperature change is called thermal shock.
I've always used this rule of thumb: If you can comfortably hold the jar in your bare hand for 10 seconds, then it's probably cool enough to put in the fridge. On the other hand, if the jar is too hot for that, then it is too hot for the fridge.
In the case of Swedish Cucumbers, the prepped cucumbers in the jar are cold (or room temp at the warmest), so when the brine is poured over them, the liquid cools and the jar warms simultaneously, balancing the overall temperature in a matter of a minute or two. In other words, the jar never gets hot enough to pose any real threat of thermal shock.
More Pickle Recipes
- 23 Quick Pickle Recipes for Your Garden Bounty
- Pop's Spicy Garlic Dill Pickles
Pairing
Because the acidity of the vinegar works as a palate cleanser, Swedish cucumbers are a great all-round complement to almost any lunch or dinner. They make an excellent lunch side for things like sandwiches, tuna hand pies, and chicken pillows, go well with all kinds of salads (we love them with carrots salads), and provide a refreshing complement to heavier meals like Salisbury steak.
- Chicken Pillows
- Homemade Salisbury Steak
- Walnut-Citrus Tuna Hand Pies
5 from 3 votes
Swedish Cucumbers
Ready to eat in just hours, these easy quick pickles bring a crisp, briny-sweet freshness to any plate. (No canning required!)
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Course: Condiment, Snack
Cuisine: American, Scandanavian
Diet: Gluten Free, Low Lactose, Vegan, Vegetarian
Prep Time:10 minutes minutes
Total Time:10 minutes minutes
Servings: 24 servings
Calories: 22kcal
Author: Renee
Equipment
1 Mason jar with lid
1 medium saucepan
Ingredients
US Customary - Metric
- 1½ pounds cucumbers about 2-3 large cucumbers
- ⅔ cup white vinegar
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 8-10 whole allspice
Instructions
Peel and then slice the cucumbers ⅛ to 3/16-inch thick.
Fill a one-quart jar with cucumber slices up to the very top.
Combine water, sugar, vinegar, allspice and salt in a medium saucepan.
Over MEDIUM heat, bring vinegar mixture to a simmer, stirring just until the sugar has completely dissolved.
Remove the prepared brine from the heat.
Use a measuring cup with a pour spout and/or a canning funnelto carefully pour the prepared brine over the cucumbers.
Put a lid on the jar and refrigerate until brine has completely cooled; preferably overnight.
Notes
If the cucumber slices are any thinner than ⅛-inch, the quick pickles will lose their tugor (i.e., crispiness) too fast. If they are thicker than about 3/16 inch, they don’t absorb the brine as quickly.
Swedish Cucumbers be stored in their own brine in the refrigerator. They are best eaten within the first week; after that, they will begin to lose their signature crunch.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 22kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 98mg | Potassium: 42mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 22IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 1mg
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
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Originally published August 15, 2013. Post has been updated with new images, content, and recipe instructions to improve reader experience.
