This recipe for cucumber salad is very popular in Denmark and a lot of Danes will remember having had these their entire life. In Danish this side dish is called Agurksalat which directly translated means Cucumber Salad and is a kind of variation of sliced pickles. These cucumbers have a thin peel which is very crisp and together with the salty vinegar mixture they have a very refreshing and delicious taste.
See also: Recipe for Danish Hotdog
This is the original recipe for cucumber salad, it's super easy to make and the taste is way better than the ones you can buy at the supermarket. We have used this recipe many times and can highly recommend it. We normally serve these as a side dish to pork meat, as topping for a hotdog or maybe as topping for hamburgers. If you are looking for a great recipe for homemade burger buns we can recommend this one.
Ingredients
- 1 cucumber
- 2 tbsp salt
- 2 dl white vinegar
- 1 dl sugar
- 1/2 dl boiling water
- 1 tbsp peppercorn
Instructions
- Mix the vinegar, boiling water, sugar and peppercorn in a bowl. Stir until the sugar has completely dissolved.
- Rinse the cucumber and cut it in very thin slices. Put them on a plate or similar and add the salt. Let them soak in the salt for about 10 minutes.
- Use your hands to press out the water from the cucumbers. Put them in a strainer and rinse them shortly in cold water.
- Clean a glass jar using boiling water. It's important that it's completely clean - this will make the cucumber salad last longer.
- Pour the vinegar mixture and the sliced cucumbers in the jar. Let the cucumbers soak in the vinegar for at least an hour. Keep them refrigerated.
Notes
kara
Hi there!
Thanks for sharing this recipe.
I was just wondering how long this cucumber salad will last in the fridge once opened?
Thanks :)
Kara
Kim Nielsen
Hi Kara. Your are welcome - I hope that you like this recipe :-) Since the cucumbers are kept in the vinegar it will last for a long time. I'm not able to answer your question directly. However, I've never had a glass of pickled cucumber which has gone bad. My guess would be around one month. You can with advantage clean the glass first with a little boiling - this will kill bacteria and extend the shelf life.
Jelmer Hoekstra
Hi Kim, I have used other recipes that require the vinegar / sugar / water to be boiled then cooled first. Is yours made cold?
Thanks,
Jelmer Hoekstra
Kim Nielsen
The boiling is only to make sure all sugar is dissolved. Be heating the liquid the dissolving process is quicker. But it is also okay to just dissolve it cold.
kell nielsen
Tak for det.
Brings back many great memories for me.
I used to eatv this way back in 1952.
cheers and Beers,
kell.
Kim Nielsen
Hi Kell. You are welcome - I'm happy that my site can help bringing back some great memories.
Kenneth Lee
How do I join you site. I'm of Danish decent and very interested in authentic Danish cooking
Inise
Thank you Kim for sharing this recipe.
Just made a jar few minutes ago; taste good already.
Kim Nielsen
You are welcome - I'm happy that you can use the recipe :-)
Christian
Ah, my! Reminds me of my wonderful times in Aalborg on the ‘70s!
I still eat Danish food. I bake my own rugbrod, make agurksalat and pickled beetroot as well as preparing gravlaks. My local winestore has Aalborg taffel......
Thanks, Kim, for this excellent web site.
Now, if I could only find some roget aal life would be perfect! (Or even some fresh eel, since I have, and use, a smoker.)
Chris
Kim Nielsen
Hi Chris. You are welcome. I'm happy that you like my site. That was a good request - I'll add smoked eel to my list of recipes. Hopefully, I'll be able to post some good recipes in the future. Regards Kim (NordicFoodLiving.com)
e
Thanks for the recipe, my Danish boyfriend often wants some Danish favourites but we can't always find the recipes.
p.s. Pepper grain is peppercorn in English
Kim Nielsen
Thanks for your comment. I am happy that you like my Danish recipes. And Thanks for the correction regarding the "pepper grains" :-) I will update the recipe. Regards Kim (NordicFoodLiving.com)
Fred
Very good! My Swiss grandmother and mom used to make this. The only difference is they put some very thinly-sliced onions in as well.
Maria
Hi, my ex Mother-in-law used to live in Denmark in the 70’s and she used to make this for us, however, she used lemon juice instead of vinegar. Was she right to do this?
Kim Nielsen
Hi - The most traditional way of making pickled cucumber in Denmark is by using vinegar. The lemon juice might also work but it would just be a slightly different way of making them. Regards Kim (NordicFoodLiving.com)
Karin Taylor
Hi Kim
This recipe sounds just like the one my father's Danish friend's wife, Ulla, used to make, and will be a great way to use up my surplus home-grown cucmbers. I'm a bit confused by the measures though - what is "dl"? Decilitre? How does this work for sugar?
Many thanks,
Karin
Kim Nielsen
Hi Karin. Yes you are right "dl" means decilitre and is a way of measuring volume (like the US cups, just smaller). If you find the recipe on my site, then there is a blue button called "US Customary". If you click that button then you get the US units. I hope this answers your questions. Regards Kim (NordicFoodLiving.com)
Laura Lundborn
i grew up with this salad, but couldn't find my mother's recipe. After a trip to Denmark, I am really happy to find this recipe.
Thank you.
Annie
Thanks for this tasty recipe! Any suggestions as to how to use up the vinegar marinade? Seems a pity to waste this...
Kim Nielsen
You are welcome. You can always reuse the vinegar marinade to make a new batch :-) Regards Kim (NordicFoodLiving.com)
Annie
Thanks Kim :) Yes, I guess so, perhaps to make one more batch, then perhaps best to start with a fresh marinade. I've thought since that maybe the liquid can be used when making braised red cabbage, as this also contains sugar and vinegar; I might try it out!
Sheila
Want to try this recipe. I grew up with agurksalat, but haven’t had it in many years... would it be ok to use cucumbers that are starting to go soft??
Thank you
Kim Nielsen
Yes it would be OK to use soft cucumbers :-) Regards Kim (NordicFoodLiving.com)
Conny
What is the acidity on the vintage ? 5 % or
Thanks
Kim Nielsen
It says 5% on the bottle I have. Regards Kim (NordicFoodLiving.com)
Michael
I enjoyed visiting your website. Thank you.
Mike
I have made it twice now and happy with a nice balance of flavours ( used a white wine vinegar). Would some added dill be Danish? In my garden in Sydney I have many cucumbers after a wet, warm summer, so this goes nice with my Australian lamb chops on the BBQ. My country gave you a princess; you gave us our opera house design - but your cucumber salad wins, ( plus "Danish" Fetta and "Danish" pastries). We are most grateful.
Kim Nielsen
I am happy that you enjoy the recipe for Danish cucumber salad. You can totally add some dill - this will give a great taste to the cucumbers. I have seen that several times before :-) Regards Kim (NordicFoodLiving.com)
Gretchen
I have enjoyed reading the comments. Your recipe is the same as my Mom’s who grew up in Denmark. My question is - I’ve never used English Cucumbers. Do you??
Kim Nielsen
In this recipe you just use regular and cheap cucumbers.