Pickled Cucumbers

Peel the cucumber leaving strips of green on for color.

Cut the ends of the cucumber off and rub one piece against each end of the cucumber. Rubbing that sliced end against the cucumber will release a white, foamy substance, which contains an organic compound called cucurbitacin. This is the cause of the bitterness in cucumbers. Keep rubbing till it stops producing foam.

Cut the cucumber lengthwise into quarters.

Use a spoon to deseed the cucumbers.

Cut into the quarters making slits every ⅛" leaving ¼" along one long edge, so that all pieces remain attached to the cucumber.

Cut the cucumber into 1" chunks.

Salt the cucumber chunks, and let stand for 30 minutes in the colander.

Heat the sesame oil in a small pot with ginger root over low heat.

Add the vinegar, water, and sugar.

Stir until the sugar dissolves.

Take off the heat and cool. Test for sweetness, or acidity. Adjust to taste.

Squeeze the excess liquid from the cucumber, and drain.

Put cucumber in storage container.

Pour the dressing over the cucumber, and allow to cool completely.

Cover and refrigerate.

Best eaten after one day in the refrigerator. It will keep up to four days.