You have 0 items in your cart
Grandma’s Cucumber Salad
This post may contain affiliate links. View my privacy policy and disclosure policy for more details.
Grandma’s Cucumber Salad combines the crisp freshness of cucumbers with the tangy zest of a vinegar mixture, creating a refreshing and delicious salad that’s perfect for those hot summer days. Using simple ingredients like English cucumbers, thinly sliced onions, and bell peppers, this recipe is both easy to make and packed with flavor. If you’re in a cucumber kind of mood, you must also try my Cucumber Tomato Salad!
Why You’ll Love this Perfect for Summer Cucumber Salad
This easy Cucumber Salad recipe is one of my Grandma’s beloved recipes. I use the term ‘recipe’ loosely because she never really wrote any recipes down. “Just make it until it tastes right” is really hard to do with any of Grandma’s recipes, especially this cucumber salad. But don’t worry, I have cracked the code! “Just make it until it tastes right” is today’s “measure with your heart”.
This salad is a perfect side dish for a family dinner, a summer bbq, or even a picnic. Plus, it’s a great way to use up those fresh garden cucumbers. And, of course, it’s a classic recipe straight from Grandma’s kitchen, bringing a touch of nostalgia to your table.
Ingredients Needed for Cucumber Salad
Just a few, very simple ingredients are needed to make this fresh cucumber salad! Here’s what you’ll need:
- English cucumbers: Fresh, crisp cucumbers with thinner skin, perfect for salads.
- Onion: Thinly sliced; red onions or yellow onions work great.
- Green bell pepper: Adds a nice crunch and color.
- Garlic: Smashed for a subtle hint of flavor.
- White vinegar: The base of the tangy dressing.
- Cold water: To dilute the vinegar mixture.
- Sugar: Balances out the acidity.
- Salt and ground black pepper: For seasoning.
Variations
- Persian cucumbers instead of English cucumbers for a different texture.
- White onion or sweet onions for a milder flavor.
- Red bell pepper for a pop of color.
- Fresh herbs like fresh dill weed or fresh basil for added freshness.
But, Where is the Sour Cream?
The most common question I get about this recipe is how to make this cucumber salad recipe with sour cream. Lots of German grandmas used to make their cucumber salads with sour cream and mine did not, hence this recipe. The best answer I have for you is to add your sour cream sparingly and taste as you go. Find what is most delicious to you and go from there. Some stir in half a cup to the entire recipe while others just dollop it on top at the end. It’s totally up to you!
Or try using Plain Greek Yogurt, Ranch Dressing or Mayonnaise or Miracle Whip as your creamy stir in. Whatever floats your boat.
How to Make Cucumber Salad
This simple cucumber salad is filled with fresh crunchy ingredients. For full recipe details, including ingredient measurements, see the printable recipe card below. Here are my step by step instructions for making this cucumber salad:
1. Peel + Slice Cucumbers
You can use a knife or a mandoline slicer. You want your cucumbers 1/4-1/8 inch thick. The thinner they are, the easier they absorb the dressing. If you’re buying from a store, English cucumbers are the best choice, but if you have fresh garden cucumbers, feel free to peel, slice in half lengthwise and scoop out the larger seeds if needed.
Pro Tip: Use a paper towel to pat the cucumbers dry and remove excess water.
2. Thin Slice the other Veggies
Slice onion, green pepper, and garlic. These don’t have to be nearly as thin as the cucumber but small enough to be bite sized.
3. Make the Dressing, Pour over Veggies + Marinate
This vinegar and water based marinating liquid is as good as it gets. Stir it together with salt, pepper, and sugar.
Pour the dressing over the cucumbers and marinate. The longer it sits, the better it tastes!
Refrigerate for minimum of 6 hours (or even overnight!) and then serve.
Pro Tip: You need to store your cucumber salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator . You’re essentially pickling your cucumbers and the best way to do that is in an air-free environment. Also, you don’t want your fridge to stink! So, a bowl with a good lid, a large jar or a plastic container all would be great. My grandma used to use larger jars with a little plastic wrap under the seal for a little extra anti-leak insurance.
Storing + Make Ahead Directions for Cucumber Salad
Because this is vinegar based and essentially pickles, this cucumber salad can last in the refrigerator for up to two weeks, if stored in an airtight container like a mason jar kind of container. Of course it won’t last that long because it’s so good, but it should be good for at least two weeks.
To Make Ahead: This salad is one that actually tastes better after it has sat in the fridge for at least 6 hours! Prepare it the day before and let it chill overnight for the best flavor.
Freezing: I don’t recommend freezing it. Cucumbers break down and don’t hold the same texture after they are frozen. They would be mushy. No thank you. Also if you added any sour cream or mayo to the dressing, it would separate and really compromise the entire salad texture. Enjoy it fresh!
Cucumber Salad FAQ:
What kind of cucumbers should I use?
If I don’t have garden fresh cucumbers, I used English Cucumbers. I like these because they have thinner skins and don’t have to be peeled, but you certainly can. Persian cucumbers are another option. If you have garden fresh cucumbers coming out of your ears, feel free to use those too! You’ll want to peel or peel strips on your garden cucumbers because they typically have a thicker skin and can taste bitter. They also have bigger seeds that you can scrape away with a spoon.
What kind of onions are best with cucumbers?
For a sharp, strong oniony taste, use white onions. If you’re looking for a more mild flavor, try using red onions.
What about the green peppers?
Green pepper is the most bitter and unripe of all of the bell pepper colors. It goes perfectly with this cucumber salad.
How do you cut the cucumbers for this salad?
Use a knife or a mandoline slicer. You want your cucumbers 1/4-1/8 inch thick. The thinner they are, the easier they absorb the dressing.
How do you eat cucumber salad?
Remove cucumbers and vegetables from the jar using a slotted spoon to drain the liquid. Serve in a small bowl as a snack or easy side dish.
Main Course Ideas to Serve with Cucumber Salad
Here are a few of my favorite dinners that pair well with this delicious salad. Trust me, you’ll be making this salad all summer long!
- Goulash
- Easy BBQ Pulled Pork
- Easy Oven Baby Back Ribs
- Stuffed Peppers
- Smoked Pork Butt
- Smothered Pork Chops in Oven
More Summer Salad Recipes to Try…
Here are a few other simple summer salads that are delicious and perfect for potlucks, family get-togethers and BBQ’s:
- Simple Macaroni Salad
- Classic Coleslaw
- Amazing Broccoli Salad
- Creamy Potato Salad (no eggs!)
- Southwest Chicken Chop Salad
With this easy recipe for my Grandma’s Cucumber Salad, you’ll have a fresh and delicious side dish ready for any occasion. Whether you’re serving it at a family dinner, a summer cookout, or just enjoying it on a hot summer day, this cucumber salad is sure to be a hit. The printable recipe card is below! Have a great day, friends! 🙂
This recipe can become an heirloom to pass down for your family too, so try making it the next time you’re looking for a salad. If you make this recipe, I would really appreciate it if you would give it a star review! If you have a picture of your finished dish, post it on Instagram using the hashtag #laurenslatest and tagging me @laurens_latest.
Grandma’s Cucumber Salad
Grandma's Cucumber Salad recipe is cool, crunchy, refreshing, and easy to throw together on a hot summer day! Great for BBQ's or potlucks.
Ingredients
- 2 English cucumbers
- 1/4 small onion sliced thin
- 1/4 green bell pepper sliced thin
- 1 clove garlic smashed
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 2/3 cup cold water
- 4 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Peel cucumbers and slice very thin. Place into a bowl with onion, bell pepper, and garlic.
- In a liquid measuring cup, stir remaining ingredients together. Pour over veggies and stir. Cover and refrigerate 6 hours (at least!!) to overnight before serving.
Video
Nutrition
Calories: 56kcalCarbohydrates: 12gSodium: 779mgPotassium: 155mgSugar: 9gVitamin A: 125IUVitamin C: 7.2mgCalcium: 19mgIron: 0.3mg
Rate This RecipePlease consider Leaving a 5-Star Review!
These have become a family favorite. A great side dish to a rich meaty dish!
Very good!!! Seasonings are just right
“If you have garden fresh cucumbers coming out of your ears, feel free to use those too! You’ll want to peel or peel strips on your garden cucumbers because they typically have a thicker skin and can taste bitter. They also have bigger seeds that you can scrape away with a spoon.”
That would depend on which type you grow. Try planting Silver Slicers!
I love using fresh garden veggies in this recipe! Very good salad.
Has anyone tried a good balsamic vinegar in this recipe?
It’s great as it is, just looking for variations.
This is so delicious!! I do the cooking in the house and my mother-in-law if she was alive would be proud !! She is from German decent! I only wished I took notes when she did the cooking!! But I believe I have someone just as talented You!!! Thanks so much for all the great recipes ?
Darryl
Awesome recipe, and it’s unbelievably easy to make.
It tasted soo delicious! Thank you for the Amazing recipe.
This looks amazing! Making it right now. :))
Just so many ads. Seems like all blogs these days are monetized with so many ads. Do you really need to make $ from all these ads or could you cut back & make blog easier to read, more user friendly? Just too little space owing to being crammed with ads.
Re: recipe. I grew up in my Grandmother’s restaurant kitchens. She was a great cook & friend of the man who created The Tavern or Maid-Rite Sandwich in LeMar, Iowa. She did a free fish fry every Friday nite at 1 of their cafes in Sioux City, IA & people drove from all over for the food & friendship. Her “Bellyache” (cuke-onion salad) is famous along with her BBQ,, spaghetti & Maid-Rites & dozens of pies she baked @3a.m. each morning. Her recipe calls for lot less sugar & ratio of vinegar/water of 4:1. We love tart bite using more vinegar. I use a well known brand of distilled white vinegar & at times change it up using 1/2 apple cider vinegar or white balsamic. Also add lots fresh dill from my herb garden or bit of celery seed.
Like many women my age I just go out & pick more cukes out of our garden & keep adding to solution. I finally have to stop making so much bellyache so I can get to making my home canned bread & butter, dill & sweet pickles. Put up 87 jars last summer cuz we love pickles. I entered 3 to 5 midwest state fairs for years then became a county & state fair judge in MN, IN, FL, & KY. Love teaching the mini-4H kids home preservation, gardening & bread baking. Nothing like the toothy grin of a 5yr old!
I grow 13 varieties organic fresh fruits: apples, blueberries, red currants, grapes,figs, raspberries, blackberries, rhubarb, peaches, sour cherries, pears, elderberries for wine & immune tincture & last year added gooseberries-wow! Talk about tart! I’m making cordials with Tito’s gluten free vodka & they’re so yum.
Okay time to close & water my garden beds. 91°! Best regards,
Chris in IN.????????????????
Hi Christine, thanks for your comment! Running a website is actually pretty expensive (hosting, domain, photography equipment, editing software, computers, groceries, etc..) and instead of asking you to pay for a monthly subscription to access my recipes, you ‘pay’ for my free recipes by having to scroll through the ads. Pro tip: wait 5 seconds for everything to load and then close them with the “x” or the “close” buttons. If this is too much of a hassle, feel free to use a cookbook.
Enjoy your garden! Sounds wonderful!
Christine, wish you were my neighbor!
very sharp taste, too much vinigar.
[…] terms of an ingredient for a salad on a hot summer day they can’t be beat! Check out this recipe from Lauren’s […]
Made it today and loved it! I’m trying to save some for tomorrow. Really really thought. Will make again soon!
This is so good! I have extra cucumbers and peppers and this is a nice gift to give someone. I love this recipe and love that I can prepare it in the late morning and we can eat it with our dinner.
[…] Cucumber Salad Recipe […]
[…] a little lighter and a little greener. Try Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Sweet Balsamic Syrup, Grandma’s Cucumber Salad Recipe or Perfect […]
To cut sugar, try making the dressing with Splenda. I make it this way all the time including sweet simple syrup. I can detect no difference in the finished dish.
Love this salad. I’ve made it several times. I’ve even just made the dressing so I can put it on other salads and veggies.
[…] for more of my family’s recipes? Try these: Grandma’s Cucumber Salad Recipe, Goulash Recipe with Nookedly, Broccoli Salad Recipe with Bacon & Hungarian Chicken Paprikash […]
Have6tried your recipe yet although I’ve had similar. My German mother made a cucumber salad I’ve never seen on the internet before. She would use a potato mandoline and slice the cucs thin after peeling them first. She would then mix equal parts water, white vinegar and vegetable oil along with some finely diced onion and salt and pepper and chill that in the fridge for a couple of hours. She would then drain the cucumber slices and add the dressing mixture just before serving. She also used this dressing mixture on cut up iceberg lettuce in the same manner. She would cut her lettuce in 1/4″ slices so it was quite thin and stringy. Everyone in our family always requests this salad at family get-togethers. It is light and tasty. She always 3 Tbls each water, vinegar and oil for a large bowl of salad. It goes a long way.
The Nutrition Facts have to be off. No way is there 345 calories in vegetables marinated in a vinegar/water dressing with a little sugar & salt. 59g of sugar & 4679mg of salt?! None of this correlates to the ingredient amounts.
This was calculating the entire bowl of cucumber salad! I changed it so it’s now per serving.
[…] Coleslaw isn’t your summer salad of choice, be sure to check out my macaroni salad, cucumber salad, broccoli salad or southwest chicken chop salad. All fabulous sides for the hot summer […]
[…] broccoli salad isn’t your thing, try these other tasty salads: Grandma’s Cucumber Salad Recipe, Simple Macaroni Salad Recipe, Chinese Chicken Salad, Chicken Salad with Grapes & Grilled […]
[…] Grandma’s Cucumber Salad Recipe […]
[…] Grandma’s Cucumber Salad […]
I love to add dill to my cucumber salad—adds another dimension. I also omit the peppers since I have difficulty digesting them.
[…] Grandma’s Cucumber Salad Recipe […]
[…] Grandma’s Cucumber Salad Recipe […]
Amazing salad! I was given eight cucumbers this year and searched for interesting recipes. This salad is wonderful and thank you for sharing your grandmother’s recipe. I will be adding dill leaves and radishes, but followed your recipe exactly and I can’t stop eating it. Thank you so much.
I’m so glad you liked it!
Just stirred this together, can’t wait to try it! Yummy!
This is delicious, I have given jars to friends and family, Thank You!!!!
[…] Grandma’s Cucumber Salad by Lauren’s Latest […]
Thank you for sharing your Grandmas Recipe ….i make this too.But, With no garlic..Gonna make this soon…
Thanks for sharing your grandma’s recipe. I will be making this soon.
My Nana is still luckily with us and has a very similar recipe. We do ours only with cucumber vinager sugar and salt. And I’ve always loved it. She always says to make it to taste some like it sweeter than others and some like more vinegar than water. In the end we are all very fortunate to have tried some classic old style European dishes. My Nana is Hungarian and so I have become a master at nookedly and cook it when ever I can. Will have to try this version and see what she says. Thanks Lauren
Thanks for sharing this, as it was timely for me because I needed something similar to the cucumber recipe, that was called Summer Salad in my family circles. What I like the most about yours, is that it is very basic and is delicious alone, but can be adaptable with many variations. My Dad use to spoon some on to his sandwich in the Summer. An Aunt, added small shrimp and capers and allowed it to marinate overnight. A real Greek salad, has no lettuce, but is a basic cucumber salad with some additional ingredients, including Olive Oil, Olives, Feta. and stuffed grape leaves (Domathes). Thanks you for sharing, It brought a smile to my face, remembering Family and Summers of the past! Opa!
Thank you so much for this recipe- I am a recently diagnosed Celiac and this is a wonderful (and delicious!) salad option for me.
I’ve made this, what I call Summer Salad”, for years!! I’m a Grandma, also! I use 1 cup water, 1 cup sugar and one cup vinegar. It is delicious!!!
Try it
Great recipe. Just like Grandma use to make.
Yummmmmmm!
[…] Grandma’s Cucumber Salad | Lauren's Latest […]
Hope is comes out tasty
Looks delicious!
Ive been looking for a recipe for what we call refrig pickles, your s sounds a lot like what I want, I will try it. Just wondered how long you can keep it in the refrig?
Your grandma’s cucumber salad reminds me of the Fire and Ice Salad from Christy Jordan’s Southern Plate blog. The main difference is the Fire and Ice Salad has tomatoes along with the same ingredients in your Grandma’s salad.
http://www.southernplate.com/2009/06/fire-and-ice-salad-and-southern-plate-cookbooks.html
Like it, will make it soon. Thanks
Looks good
My grandma always made hers with sour cream but these sounded good so I gave them a try. They are wonderful!! Will definitely make them again. Thanks for the recipe.
That you enjoyed!
Delicious!
Do you add the sour cream just before you serve it or do you put the sour cream on the table for people to add it themselves if they wish?
My recipe doesn’t call for sour cream, so I don’t really have an answer for ya. 🙂
Can’t wait 2 try this
I made this last night! It is delicious!! Thanks
I love your grandmother for having this incredibly scrumptious recipe and I love you for sharing it with the world. emd
Need to try this recipe!
Make this today!
My favorite of yours because it reminds me of both my parents who are now passed, but they introduced this salad to me and finally about a year ago I found this recipe which matches what my mm always made. Thank your.
Sounds like my Nagymamas recipe.
Absolutely goes great with goulash and nokedly! A comforting Hungarian meal ????
I really want to make this tonight but do not have any bell peppers. Do you think it would be ok to add radish slices instead, for color?
How long does it last in frig
1-2 weeks. It’s a vinegar solution it’s sitting in so as long as it’s in an airtight container, it can last a long time 🙂
Doh, I meant delish, not relish. Darn auto correct..lol
I made this and it was relish! Thanks for sharing your Grandma’s recipe. I love recipes that are passed down.
Love this. Make it year round. Instead of water add ice cubes. Crisps it quicker and melts down to balance the vinegar taste.
Amazing! Just the right amount of sweet and sour Thanks for the recipe
Can you re-use the marinade for another batch?
This looks so good!
This was my grandmas recipe EXCEPT no green pepper and seasoning salt instead of plain salt!! We always used apple cider vinegar and today I mix up the recipe a lil by adding red wine vinegar and garlic vinegar!! We make this for every family gathering, “who’s bring the cukes and onions!?!”
This is very close to my grandmother’s recipe, except I put tomatoes in mine. Great for summer!
My sister-in-law and I love refrigerator pickles of all kinds. This looks like a particularly good recipe. I thank you and hope to find more like it on your site.
How long will it keep. Is it like pickles and will keep a while in the refrigerato? I remember my Aun’ts dill pickles and I wish I had her recipe. But she’s gone now. She would tell me how to make it, but I never wrote it down… …..
My mother in-law used to make it for me and I haven’t had it in over twelve years since just before she passed away. Thank you so much for sharing the recipe. Have a blessed day.
Sounds yummy I sometimes makes this without the peppers and use balsamic vinager but I am going to try your Grams way tonight with our dinner. My husband is on a diet and driving me crazy! He doesn’t need to diet! Lol thanks for sharing!
Hi Lauren, it’s your Aunt Valerie here, I was recently going through Grandma’s recipes and did find a some what recipe for cucumber salad. Here it is, like you said there are no quantities for the cakes, onion and peppers but here goes ;
Cucumber Salad
Cukes sliced
Onions sliced
Green peppers -smaller pieces
Garlic minced
1cup white vinegar
1cup water
2 level tablespoons salt
4 level tablespoons sugar
Oil
Mix and pour over cuke mixture.
Thank you so much for your grandma’s recipe, they are usually the best! I love cucumbers, so I just pinned it.
Will try it and let you know!
FABBY
LOVED the salad. Have you ever canned it or do you know if it could be,I have a ton of cucumbers! Thank you
This recipe is like my Mother in law’s as well. She was Hungarian and was a very good cook.She also made a tomato,onion and cucumber salad that was pure summer! Mmmmmmm she has passed away,when we make one of her recipes we always see if it comes close to hers!!!
What’s missing is grandma’s love-that’s why you can’t get it exactly right.
Soak your cubes in salt water for about an hour, then drain and make your salad. That is what my granny and others used to do. It does make a difference, maybe that is the missing step to getting her recipe exactly the same.
With cucumbers abundant at this time of year, I’ve tried this recipe several times over the past couple of weeks. It is very similar to the “Sweet and Sour Cukes” my mother made as we were growing. Like your Grandma, my mother never wrote down the recipe. I am glad to have this as my “go to” recipe.
Add some mustard seed and turmeric and it kicks this recipe from good to great!
When I saw the picture of the salad it looked familiar. As I read the ingredients – even more. Then the clincher was the mention of goulash and nookedly. Lol Hello, my fellow HungarIan friend!
My mother has made the same salad for years, often with paprikas csirke, paprikas krumpli and porkolt. ?
!!!!!!!! This makes my heart happy 🙂 High five for Hungarian food!
I would love to know where your Grandma came from. As my Grandma made a similar cucumber salad and like your Grandmother she would not write any of her recipes down. My Grandmother was Austrian. I so miss my Grandma’s cucumber salad thank you for sharing this one.
She was from Germany.
Just bought the ingredients and I’m also putting in some fresh dill and some chopped chilli
Is the white vinegar distilled or wine vinegar?
Yes, white distilled vinegar.
Made this and it was delicious! Reminded me of my own grandmother’s.I think I will try pickling so beets with this recipe. Thank you so much for sharing!
my grandma made the world’s most amazing apple pie, and though she showed me and i tried several times, i can never get it right. the closest i’ve ever come is my mother-in-law’s apple pie, and she doesn’t bake any more. needless to say, no more apple pie for me. 🙁 glad to hear you’ve got your grandma’s cucumber salad close enough!
My mother and grandmother made this all the time only they didn’t slice quit so thin and never put peppers or garlic in it. For better flavor use apple cider vinegar as it has a much better flavor than white vinegar. My mother got to where she would use equal brand sweetener after finding out she and dad were diabetic. Believe it or not it even was better than with sugar. I am going to try it with the garlic and peppers in it cause I think they will be delicious in it but going to use my mothers recipe for the liquid. Have everything I need so plan to make it tomorrow.
I remember mom making it without the green peppers and would make a small amount for dinner after letting it set for awhile. There was never any left to save, I always liked it but mom only made once in a time. Thank you for the recipe. I’m going to make it more then she did even if my boys don’t like it. Lol
Cucumbers were on sale today, so I looked for a recipe on my smart phone, and here I am! This might be a “duh” question, but I am wondering how you use sour cream with it? Do you just serve a Dollop of cream on top or on the side after removing the salad from the container with a slotted spoon?(or is the cream stirred into the liquid brine while its sitting?)… also, would red onion be ok to substitute for yellow? I also bought some Mexican style table sour cream that I want to try with this…thanks for honoring your grandma by talking her up for us, giving us a peek at her throwing around the dammit doll (great for my imagination!) and writing out and sharing her recipe(now YOUR recipe too!) I love it….thank you and God Bless!
I wouldn’t know how to serve this with sour cream because I never have and my Grandma never did. So, I’m no help. Red onion would be a fine substitution. Thanks for your comment 🙂
hey Lauren I’m really looking forward to trying your grandmothers cucumber salad, but can I use like olive oil? Or is the white wine and cold water better? Plus I’m making it for like a group of almost 30-40 people, should I double the ingredients and make 8 servings?
You might want to make two small batches: one my way and one with your variations to see what you like the best. Then, you can make the best one as a larger recipe for the group.
We have a similar salad in Malaysia using cucumbers, sliced onions and peppers with vinegar, salt and sugar but we omit the water and black pepper, add in fresh pineapple slices and replaced the green pepper with red pepper. Very refreshing and lovely to eat with hot Indian curries which tends to be oily
Looks delicious! Especially after a long winter. I will be making this for the first time. How long would you say this keeps in the fridge? I am single and not sure how long I would take to eat a batch at time.I enjoy your recipe ideas. Keep them coming!
Up to a week.
Does this taste more like “sweet pickles” or “dill pickles”?
It’s more sweet than savory.
Very much like my mother’s recipe–except she always used cider vinegar, and probably more sugar than this recipe. Yummy! We always had a jar of it in the refrigerator all summer, with the veggies from our garden.
This sounds so yummy!! Can’t wait to make it 🙂 Any chance you know the nutritional values for this? Thank you so much for sharing your Gramma’s recipe 🙂
I love this recipe my Mom & Grandma made this all the time in the summer time. Sometimes if the mood hit them they would add sour cream. Thanks for sharing this recipe with us. Brought me back to so many good memories 🙂
.
What would happen if you omitted the salt or at least cut it in half, we need to be on a low sodium diet in our home.
Give it a try and see how you like the taste!
Hi Lauren! Can you tell me what happened to the Ziplist save option on all of these blogs lately. I used to save the majority of the recipes that I like to Ziplist and now I can’t see a save button. Thanks so much!!
Ziplist shut down!! Totally sucks, right? It was a good service.
so funny – I’m doing thanksgiving this year and want to do my grandma’s recipe for cucumber salad but i don’t remember it. so looked up cucumber salad and found Lauren’s Grandma’s cucumber salad. 🙂
Enjoy –
Also Lauren
Thank you for this recipe! It is the closest I’ve had to recreating my grandmother’s. Don’t feel bad about giving out the family secret! I gave out my grandmother’s Passover sponge cake that was NEVER to leave the family. If I Haden’s, a great recipe would have been lost forever!
Stupid question… are you supposed to drain the salad before serving or eat it as is?
I just serve it with a slotted spoon!
[…] found this cucumber salad recipe on Pinterest from Lauren’s Latest, and I just had to try it. Just like Lauren, my Grandma used to make a similar version to it. I […]
I was unsure about the amount of sugar but decided not to cut back. Added a little extra garlic. Delicious! I’d like to try adding sour cream as others have suggested. Any ideas how to do so?
Love the sound (and comments) for this recipe. How long does this keep-?? Thanx much-!!
2 weeks in the fridge! But it shouldn’t last that long because it’s so tasty 🙂
Just wanted to say thanks SO MUCH for sharing this recipe — I’ve been craving a really vinegar-y cucumber salad ever since last week when I saw a girl at work chowing down on some salted cucumber spears. 🙂
One dip of the finger confirmed it — this is EXACTLY what I was looking for. I’m sure it’ll taste even more amazing once it sits overnight!
So…thanks a million!
Am thankful to have many of my dear Mother’s recipes to pass on. It’s like sharing my memories
with future generations! I will try your grandma’s cuke recipe when I return home as am out of town. Thanks for sharing!
I have to ask where one can find the measuring cup in the photo – it’s AWESOME!
I just made this salad tonight. Sorry to say, but my husband and I both thought there was too much vinegar in it. I added more water and sugar; but still too sharp. Sorry.
Ginny
How long can you keep this??? I have a lot of cukes …
This looks so yummy! Pinning to use when my cucumbers grow! Question: can you can this for later use? I’m sure it would give it more of a pickled taste, but I’m thinking that would taste good?
This looks so wonderful! Just one question- what size of jar would you recommend for storage? I’d be making this without the green peppers due to a food allergy. Thanks in advance. =)
Maybe one quart? Or just do a bunch of smaller jars.
My great-grma & grma made what was called “Bellyache” similar to this. No garlic. Just super tart & crisp. If you ate a lot of it you could end up w/a bellyache.
These are the best cucumbers I’ve ever tasted. I shared with my facebook page today. I can’t stop eating them. I eat them for breakfast lunch and dinner, then snack all day. Thank you for sharing this. 🙂
My mother in law makes this as well (hungraian style) she some times adds paprika to it and even cream and i love it
I made and LOVE !!! This cucumber salad…..thanks grandma!!! I used a red pepper because well, that’s what I had, I also used a bag of Persian cucumbers I got from my 99cent store., they worked great. My cucumber plants outside are starting to flower, now when I have too many home grown I know what I’m making…..
My grandma made the best cucumber salad – it was very similar to yours but none of us has ever been able to duplicate it. She showed us and showed us and tried to write it down but something was always missing. Her salad dressing was the same. No salad has ever come close. I’m going to try this one and see if it’s close. I sure miss my Grandma. She was an amazing cook!
if you just use onions and peppers it is great as a relish on burgers and sandwiches
I sprinkle the sugar salt n pepper over the onion and cucumbers let it stand for a while. It draws the natural juices out add vinegar no water needed. I have never added garlic but love it. Trying it today! I can’t handle green pepper so I’ll omit it. Thanks Does anyone have a picture of a dammit doll?
http://www.amazon.com/Dammit-Dolls-Doll-Leopard-Rose/dp/B00DEUCHWW
Just an example. Amazon has many different patterns available.
haha, thanks!!
I had all the ingredients and a bit of free time this morning so I just stirred it up and put it in the fridge. We’ll have it for dinner this evening. Can’t wait to see how it turns out! Thanks for sharing it with us.
Love the sounds of this, and headed to the grocery store soon, does this require pickling salt, or regular table salt?? all I have in the house right now is light sea salt, I am assuming that will not work? thanks for the great, simple, recipes….
What is light sea salt? I think that or regular table salt is just fine 🙂
So sorry, I meant to say fine sea salt, Mortons brand, no clue where light came from, think it might have been a senior moment, lol….ok, thanks for the fast reply…
My grandmother made dammit dolls for the church bazaar! After she died and I was going thru her patterns & recipes, I chuckled at all the little slips of paper she had typed the explanation which included, “dammit, dammit, dammit”. She was the cutest little granny and that always cracked me up. We also ate a similar version of refrigerator pickles.
My Grandma used to make something like this all the time when she was living … Except she didn’t use water …
Her’s was: Cucumbers, Onion, Vinegar, Salt, Pepper, and Sour Cream … and Dill if you like …
LOVED it!!!
oooh I’m trying this one too! sour cream and dill…my favs!
Made it, tasted it, loved it! I’m going to make this a uk classic now
My gramdma never wrote her recipie down either, but I think they used the same recipie sans the bell pepper, made it today and I could almost close my eyes and be back in her kitchen. Thanks for restoring the memory!
My grandmother measured by handfulls. A hand full of this a hand full of that. She poured liquid in until it looked right. Hard to duplicate that. I do the same when i am cooking. My bicuits neve turn out like hers.
Ours is similar also, except we add dill weed
This is the exact recipe I have used forever– except mine doesn’t have bell peppers in it. I will have to try that!
My mother is Hungarian and she makes cucumber salad all the time a little different, lots of garlic, and salt. sit the cucumber in water then she squeeze all the liquid out. And sprinkles paprika over the top, sometimes she adds sour cream.
My mom covered the cucumbers and sliced onions with salt first and let them sit…the cucumbers will them have to be drained. You will have abit of liquid, then add sugar, vinager, and salt & pepper. No green pepper or garlic in ours. Some add sour cream…..not us.
DeeDee- Yours is more like my mother made. Peeled the cucumbers and sliced very thin (she used her potato slicer) and salted. Sometimes, we had to rinse them if it seemed too salty. We used a LOT more sugar than this called for, cider vinegar and water. No green pepper or garlic. My mother liked it with onions but I have never liked raw onions, so I make it without. I can’t wait until fresh cucumbers come in season in the summertime so I can make a big batch!
Sounds like my German grandmother made her cucumber salad. She salted the slices, let sit for 15-20 minutes, then rinsed some of the salt off. She added thinly sliced onions, vinegar, water and sugar, as stated and also added some dill. No green pepper, garlic or sour cream.. Served only icecold. I could have eaten the whole bowl by myself, lol
When you say “sour cream;” instead. Do you make it the same way and when you serve it you add sour cream . Or what do you mean ?
We make a version of this recipe in my family too! Only we use just cucumbers and onions. It’s soooo cute!
We have a cucumber and onion salad in the fridg almost year round. It is a favorite of mine and my husbands. So good as a side dish for just about anything.
I love old timey, Grandma recipes like this. It seems we can never duplicate them exactly because Grandma always added her loving touch to it. Beautiful post, Lauren.
Do you use white onion, Vidalia onion or yellow? And, ever use cider vinegar instead of white?
Yellow onion. And you can use apple cider vinegar, it just won’t taste quite the same 🙂 Still good though!
Lauren…..I have made many cuke recipes. I followed yours to a tee except a smashed a couple of extra cloves of garlic.
This salad was the best ever cuke salad I’ve ever made. So crunchy, refreshing with just the right bite. I cannot thank you enough for being thoughtful enough to share your Grams recipe with us.
Thank you, Karen Barry
I use purple onion. It makes a pretty salad!
My dad used to keep a big bowl of this in the fridge during the summer and snack out of it. I think he used to add some red pepper flakes for a little heat too. I never touched it as a child, but have wanted to try it as an adult. And it will be much less daunting with a recipe. Thanks!
I am also wondering if the green peppers can be omitted I can’t tolerate them very well.
Yes, you totally can!
This just like or almost like mine (but I never measure anything either) – I’ve never put garlic in it but will be giving it a try!
I’m not a fan of bell peppers. Do they give it that distinctive flavor or is it just another taste that blends in and makes it better?
This salad is dear to me as well. It proves that some of the most wonderful gifts we’ve received from our parents and grandparents are cheap, insignificant to some and full of love to us.
Thank you. I will make it today for my too busy daughter to pick up on her way home tonight. It is a special treat to her.
Ha ha…meant to say, your dear Grandmother’s recipe…..sorry!
Thank you for sharing your grandmother’s dear recipe. It looks beautiful in the jar. Next time I make cucumber salad, I will put it in a jar….guess everything looks good in a jar, come to think of it. I got a huge laugh at the dammit doll reference. Thank you for that…I have one!
I laughed at the dammit doll reference too. I bought one when they first came out. My cousin and I each bought one and laughed until we lost our breath because they were so funny. That was either 1962 or ’63. They went out of style for awhile but when my daughter was in late elementary or junior high, they got popular again. They called them trolls and made fun of me because I called them dammit dolls.
My parents used to make a similar cucumber salad that I really liked. I still make it occasionally but prefer it with sour cream.
How do you make this with sour cream
Can’t wait to make it! love recipes with summer veggies
Sorry my phone has a mind of its own! Anyhoo so u need to refrigerate it or u can it on the counter? Can we use other veggies like celery n beets? It looks a lot like te fermented veggies so wasnted to know. TIA
store in frig – it’s best cold. I don’t know about other veggies, sorry.
Thanks a lot for the recipe! Sounds absolutely delish! Will be making it soon. One question though so how do I store it, in the fridge
if you served this with sour cream it would be MY grandmothers cuke salad.
Without the peppers and with the sour cream it is my Mother-in-Loves recipe.
It is always a hit.
Can you tell me how much sour cream? [email protected]
Thank you…
My Eldest Daughter’s Grandmother made it with sour cream. It was her papa’s favorite!
I love cukes and snack on them all day every day even with nothing on them. This recipe is a bit different than what my gramma made but very similar. I know she didn’t use garlic but did use a little dill weed and mayonnaise of all things. It made it creamy and just the right amount of sweet & tangy too! I don’t know how much mayo was used and I was never able to get the exact results when I made it but seeing this now again makes me want to try it over the weekend since its SuperBowl weekend and we will have some snacks etc. I’ll try the mayo and maybe use a half-cup or a cup. I don’t know. If I get it right to where it tastes good & others are wondering how much etc I’ll reply back with that. Stay warm my friends in the mid-west and northeast. I’m from Pittsburgh but living in GA last 2years. I don’t miss the weather but we’ve had our share here this winter, this week with temps in the 20s.
Thank you for sharing it sounds delicious.
Awesome recipe!! Just like my mother made.
This recipe is my comfort food. My Dad had family from NC, who made a salad very much like this and I searched for years to find one that was remotely close. This is it, dead on. I make it as often as possible. My kids will not even try it (another comment for another day) but I don’t care because it’s all mine. Memories abound and it transports me to my happy place.