A Refreshing Summer Side Dish: Quick Pickled Cucumbers from My Hydroponic Harvest

A little while ago, I harvested some cucumbers I had been growing hydroponically at home and decided to make a quick and refreshing Japanese-style pickle, known as asazuke. 💚

Asazuke is a type of lightly pickled vegetable that’s super easy to make—perfect for busy days when you still want a healthy, flavorful side dish. It only takes a short time to prepare, and it’s extra refreshing during the hot summer months!

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🥒 How to Make Quick Pickled Cucumbers

1. Blanch the cucumbers for about 10 seconds.
   Hydroponically grown cucumbers can have a slightly strong, green smell, so a quick blanch in boiling water helps mellow it out. (You can skip this step if you’re using store-bought cucumbers in Japan.)
2. Trim off the stem end and rub the cut surfaces together.
   As you rub the ends, you’ll notice a white foam forming—this is the bitterness (aku) being drawn out. It makes a big difference in taste!
3. Rinse off the foam.
4. Sprinkle salt on a cutting board and the cucumbers, then roll them with your palms.
   This traditional step is called itasuri, and it helps improve both the texture and color of the cucumbers.
5. Peel off a bit of the skin with a vegetable peeler.
   This helps the flavors soak in more deeply later on.
6. Rinse off the salt and cut the cucumbers into chunks.
   I used thick hydroponic cucumbers, so I chopped them into small, irregular pieces instead of a perfect “random cut.”
7. Place the cucumber pieces in a plastic bag with your seasonings and give it a good massage.
   I switch up the flavors depending on my mood, but I always include both kombu dashi (kelp stock powder) and Chinese-style soup stock powder—those two add amazing depth of umami flavor!
   I also add soy sauce, salt, and a dash of chili flakes.
8. Let it sit in the fridge for a bit.
   Since I’m from a region where we like our food on the salty side, I usually season it generously. That way, even a short rest time is enough for the cucumbers to release their moisture and absorb all the flavor. No need to wait—just serve and enjoy!

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That evening, I had my homemade pickles with rice topped with oname (a miso-based condiment I bought in Nagatoro), some frozen gyoza, chilled eggplant, and homemade chicken char siu. 💫

It was too hot to eat in the dining room, so I turned a chair into a makeshift table and enjoyed dinner in the air-conditioned room instead 😅

I’d just gotten home late from work—another long day, thanks to Japan’s love for overtime…
But even a solo dinner like this, with the TV playing in the background, turned out to be a lovely little moment of comfort 🧡

夏のおうちごはんに♡水耕栽培キュウリで作る、さっぱり浅漬けレシピ

ちょっと前のことなんだけど、
自家栽培で採れた水耕栽培のキュウリを使って、
さっぱりおいしい「浅漬け」に挑戦してみたの🍃

浅漬けって、短時間でサッと作れる漬物だから、
忙しい日でも副菜にぴったり◎
特に夏は、冷たくてシャキシャキの浅漬けが最高なんだ〜！

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【浅漬けの作り方（OL風簡単レシピ♡）】

① キュウリを10秒くらい湯通し
水耕栽培ならではの香りをやわらげるために、熱湯でさっと下処理。
市販のキュウリはそのままでOKだよ！

② ヘタを切って、断面同士をこすり合わせて灰汁抜き
断面同士をこすり合わせると白い泡が出てきて、それが灰汁。
取り除くことで、グッと食べやすくなるんだよ〜！

③ 灰汁を洗い流す
④ まな板とキュウリに塩をふって、手のひらでコロコロ（板ずり）
地味だけど大事な工程！食感も色も格段に良くなるんだよ〜✨

⑤ ピーラーで皮を一部むく
こうすると、味が染みやすくなって美味しさアップ！

⑥ 塩を洗い流して、乱切りにカット
今回はちょっと太めの水耕キュウリだったから、それっぽく小さめにカット✂

⑦ ポリ袋に調味料を入れてモミモミ♪
私はその日の気分で味を変えるけど、
昆布だしと中華だしの粉末はどっちも必須！
この2つを入れると、旨味のレベルがぐんと上がるの💥
あとは醤油・塩・一味唐辛子などで味を整えてるよ。

⑧ 冷蔵庫で少し寝かせる
私は塩強めの味付けが好きな地域出身なので、
漬けてすぐでもしっかり味が染みてて、そのまま食卓へGO🍽

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この日の夜ごはんは、
長瀞で買った「おなめ」をごはんにのせて、
冷凍餃子、茄子のお浸し、鶏チャーシュー、
そして手作りキュウリの浅漬け💚

でもね、テーブルのある部屋は暑くて…
ちょっとお行儀悪いけど、椅子をテーブル代わりにして、エアコンの効いた部屋で夕食を済ませちゃった😅

実はこの日も残業で帰りが遅くなっちゃって💻
（日本ってほんと残業多いよね…）
ひとりごはんだったけど、テレビ観ながらのんびり美味しくいただきました📺

The list below also includes pronunciation symbols for English words and idioms.

以下の一覧には英単語とイディオムの発音記号も含まれています。

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