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Cucumber slices being patted dry with a towel.
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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 crunchiest, tastiest salad ever.
Course Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Prep Time 5 minutes
Resting time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 2 servings (1/2 cup each)
Calories 18kcal

Ingredients

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.
  • Rinse the cucumbers well with cold water. Spread out on a clean kitchen towel or layers of paper towels and pat dry.

Video

Notes

  1. Cucumbers: This recipe works for any cucumbers (standard, hothouse, Persian). Peel and/or seed cucumbers (if you plan to) before slicing and salting. Cucumbers can be sliced, halved and sliced, or cut into chunks before salting, depending on what your recipe calls for.
  2. Salt: Some recipes call for a blend of salt and sugar, and that works well too. Just rinse the cucumbers before patting dry.
  3. Yield: Your true yield will depend on the size and weight of whatever cucumbers you use. On average, 1 8-inch, 8-ounce cucumber will yield about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups of sliced or diced cucumbers.
  4. Storage: Store drained cucumbers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days (ideally in paper towels to keep the process going).

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5cup | Calories: 18kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1166mg | Potassium: 204mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 108IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1mg