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    Home » Recipes

    Oiji (Korean Pickled Cucumbers)

    Published 08/16/2017. Updated 07/19/2018

    Jump to Recipe

    These Korean cucumber pickles are fermented simply in salt water. It is an age-old technique to preserve cucumbers beyond their growing season. No canning and no acidic liquid is used!

    DSC 0144 e1502940317897 - Oiji (Korean Pickled Cucumbers)

    This is not your ordinary cucumber pickles! Oiji (오이지), Korean cucumber pickles, is fermented simply in salt water. It is an age-old technique to preserve cucumbers beyond their growing season. No canning and no acidic liquid is used! During fermentation, a deep tangy flavor develops, the color turns golden yellow, and the texture becomes crunchy and slightly chewy.

    My mother’s generation used to pickle a large earthenware (hangahri, 항아리) full of cucumbers (100 or more) in early summer to consume throughout the summer and until the next growing season. Many households still do. Oiji is a humble but essential food item in Korea.

    These days, commercially prepared oiji is also available in the deli section of Korean markets. That’s an option if you don’t get to make your own.

    Korean cucumbers are light in color, slender, and bumpy with thin skin. They are available in Korean markets around here in summertime. Use Kirby pickling cucumbers if you can’t find Korean cucumbers. Look for the freshest ones that are thin and small.DSC 1870 e1502940082553 - Oiji (Korean Pickled Cucumbers)

    How to make oiji

    The process is quite simple, but the ratio of water to salt is the key. I use the ratio of 10 to 1, using Korean coarse sea salt. The salt water is boiled first and then poured, while still boiling hot, directly over the cucumbers. No, this will not cook the cucumbers. It’s a technique Korean homes traditionally use to keep the cucumbers crisp and crunchy during fermentation.

    Make sure the cucumbers are entirely submerged in the salt brine at all times, or the exposed part will turn soft. I use a heavy plate or two to weigh them down.

    In 2 to 3 days, the cucumbers will have released a lot of water, diluting the salt brine. Pour the brine out into a pot, and boil for a few minutes. Cool it this time, and pour back over the cucumbers.

    You may see a white film develop on the surface of the water. That’s called golmaji (골마지), which is not harmful. Just remove it with a strainer.

    DSC 0021 e1502942838796 - Oiji (Korean Pickled Cucumbers)

    How to serve oiji

    These Korean fermented pickles are not meant to be eaten right out of the jar because they are quite salty. They are soaked in fresh water for the purpose of reducing the salt content before being used.

    Sometimes, they are served in the water used to soak the pickles to be eaten like water kimchi (e.g., dongchimi). Oiji muchim (오이지 무침) is another common way to serve these cucumbers. After being soaked, thinly sliced cucumber slices are squeezed tightly to remove the water content, and seasoned with gochugaru and other seasonings. Both are summer staple banchan! 

    DSC 1845 e1502940537928 - Oiji (Korean Pickled Cucumbers)

    For more Korean cooking inspirations, follow  along on YouTube, Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

     

    DSC 0144 150x150 1 - Oiji (Korean Pickled Cucumbers)

    Oiji (Korean Pickled Cucumbers)

    4.89 from 9 votes
    Servings: 40
    Print Recipe

    Ingredients

    • 10 to 12 Korean white cucumbers small and thin (or 20 kirby pickling cucumbers, small and thin)
    • 10 cups water
    • 1 cup Korean coarse salt about 7 ounces

    Instructions

    • Rinse the cucumbers, and air dry or pat dry with a paper towel.
      DSC 0069 e1502941213610 - Oiji (Korean Pickled Cucumbers)
    • Bring the water and salt to a boil, and continue to boil for 3 or 4 minutes.
    • Place the cucumbers in a jar or a container (heat proof, BPA free). Pour the boiling water directly over the cucumbers, or you can put the cucumbers in the pot with the boiling water.
      DSC 0091 e1502941292908 - Oiji (Korean Pickled Cucumbers)
    • Keep them entirely submerged in the water by weighing them down with a heavy plate or bowl. When the salt water has cooled down, close with the lid, and let stand at room temperature.
      DSC 0107 e1502941387480 - Oiji (Korean Pickled Cucumbers)
    • After 2 to 3 days, pour the brine out into a large pot, and boil it for a few minutes. If there’s a while film (golmaji) on the surface of the water, strain it out before boiling. Then, cool completely.
      DSC 1799 e1502941442969 - Oiji (Korean Pickled Cucumbers)
    • Pour the cooled brine back over the cucumbers. Close with the lid, and ferment at room temperature for 5 to 7 days, and then refrigerate. The color of oiji should be between olive green and yellow at this point. They can be eaten, but the flavor will further develop with more time, 2 to 3 weeks to a few weeks.
      DSC 1807 e1502941482238 - Oiji (Korean Pickled Cucumbers)
    • To serve, thinly slice the cucumber and soak in fresh water until the desired salt level is achieved. You can also cut the cucumber into about 2-inch logs and quarter each one lengthwise. Sprinkle with some gochugaru and/or sesame seeds and garnish with chopped scallion, if desired. You can also add a little bit of vinegar to taste and drop in a couple of ice cubes.
    Tried this recipe?Mention @koreanbapsang or tag #koreanbapsang!

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    Hi! I'm Hyosun, and I am a Korean-American mom of two wonderful grown-up children. Here, you will learn how to cook Korean dishes the way we Koreans traditionally eat at home. Read More...

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