Sweet And Sour Cucumber Pickles (Sugar Free)

Are you a fan of those yummy Sweet and Sour Pickles at your local japanese restaurant?  Want to try something different but stay on the diet track? Try these pickles!!!!!

This Japanese sokusekizuke method of letting vegetables marinate in a vinegar based marinade is similar to Western pickling methods, but there’s no canning and sterilization and things involved since these are meant to be eaten within a couple of days like all quick pickles. The vinegar marinade is simply meant to enhance the flavors of the vegetables rather than preserve it for long keeping.

These cucumber pickles are sweet, sour and a bit salty all at the same time. The flavor is quite mild and fresh, so I can eat these several days in a row and not get tired of them. The pickles can be eaten anytime from a couple of hours after putting them in the marinade to about 3 days later or so, if you keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Unlike the regular kind these are sweetened with Splenda!!! 

Sweet and sour cucumber pickles 

Note: this amount of marinade is enough for one large English-style cucumber - the long, relatively thin kind that often comes shrink-packed in plastic. If you’re using other cucumbers, aim for about 4 to 5 cups cut up.

The marinade:

• 8 Tbs. rice wine vinegar (not sushi vinegar - read the label)
• 1/2 tsp. dashi soup stock granules, OR 1 4 inch square / 10 cm square piece of kombu seaweed (I use Hon Dashi this adds the umami)
• 1 1/2 Tbs. Slenda
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• 4 Tbs. boiling water
• 1 whole dried red chili pepper (optional; leave out if you don’t want any spiciness)

Combine and mix until the sugar is melted.

The vegetables:

• 1 large English-style cucumber
• Optional 2 Tbs. dried pre-cut wakame seaweed (fueru type or the kind that just requires soaking)

De-seed and cut up 1 English-style cucumber or equivalent other kind of cucumber. (Japanese cucumbers don’t need de-seeding.)

Put the marinade in a small glass, ceramic or plastic bowl (not metal) or the good old ziplock plastic bag. Put the cucumber and wakame seaweed in. Stir or shake around, seal well and let marinade in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours or overnight.

Drain off the marinade and serve in small bowls. This should be eaten within 2-3 days.