Dilly Cucumber Salad
In England, where I was born and raised, friends get together twice a year for English tea. We'd serve an assortment of dishes, and this cucumber salad was always a favorite.
In England, where I was born and raised, friends get together twice a year for English tea. We'd serve an assortment of dishes, and this cucumber salad was always a favorite.
- Carbohydrate 8.18262839672129 g
- Cholesterol 3.7375000031595 mg
- Fat 1.7971443090682 g
- Fiber 1.40070869055202 g
- Protein 2.22388275609885 g
- Saturated Fat 0.911583969081717 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (292g)
- Sodium 12.5405750133587 mg
- Sugar 6.78191970616926 g
- Trans Fat 0.268522828374298 g
- Calories 57 calories
Step-by-step
- In a saucepan, combine the sugar, vinegar, water, dill and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from the heat. Place cucumbers in a large bowl. Pour vinegar mixture over and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- Drain and discard vinegar mixture. Stir sour cream into cucumbers. Cover and refrigerate until serving.
Osmosis and the Hot Pour Method
Standard quick-pickling relies on raw brine to draw moisture out of plant tissues over days. This preparation uses a heated vinegar and sugar solution boiled in a saucepan. Thermal energy breaks down cell walls faster, allowing the 1 cup of vinegar and dissolved sugar to penetrate the sliced cucumbers immediately during the overnight chilling phase.
Fresh versus Preserved Dill
Dried herbs undergo dehydration that strips away volatile aromatic compounds like carvone and limonene. Using 1 tablespoon of fresh dill snipped provides fat-soluble essential oils that bind effectively to the dairy fats introduced later. Dried variants yield a grassy, muted profile because those delicate top notes evaporate during processing.
Preventing Sogginess
Cucumbers consist of roughly ninety-five percent water. Leaving the initial liquid past the designated overnight window causes cellular collapse and limp vegetables. Drain the liquid entirely before adding the quarter cup of sour cream to prevent the dairy solids from breaking into a watery emulsion.
