Add this dish to one of my least favorite dishes when I was growing up, mainly because the only cucumbers that were available at the local grocery store were the Garden cucumber with its thick, dark green, and bitter skin. So whenever my mom made this kimchi back in the day, I was less than excited and rarely touched the stuff. So now I really want to take a stab at making my own oi (cucumber) kimchi since 1) it’s summer, 2) there is a wider variety of cucumbers and 3) it’s my husband’s favorite kimchi.
Typically, oi kimchi is only served during the summer when cucumbers are at their best. Its flavors are more “fresh” than the more fermented and spicy cabbage kimchi. The Kirby variety work best for pickling, but I prefer English cucumbers for oi kimchi. If you prefer a little more crunch, then give this recipe a go with your harvest of Kirbys. And if you have access to an Asian or Korean market, see if they have Korean cucumbers. They have characteristics similar to that of a Kirby, but they are longer and more slender with a paler green skin.
Oi Kimchi
4 English cucmbers (each about 9-10 inches long)
1 Tablespoon kosher salt
1/4 cup kochugaru (red pepper powder, coarse)
3 stalks scallions, thinly sliced crosswise
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon minced ginger
2 Tablespoons fish sauce
1/2 cup shredded carrots (or 1 medium carrot, julienned)
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 – Rinse and clean the cucumbers. Trim the ends and cut into 2 1/2 inch sections. And with each section, cut into quarters, but leaving one end intact.
2 – In a large bowl, toss the cucumbers with salt. Make sure you get some salt into the quartered section. Set aside at room temperature for about an hour.
3 – Drain the cucumbers in a large colander. Do not rinse the bowl.
4 – In the same large bowl, mix together the kochugaru, scallions, garlic, ginger, fish sauce, carrots, and sugar. Mix until thoroughly combined.
5 – If you have some food-safe plastic gloves, you may want to put them on now. You will thank me later. Take a fingerful of the red pepper mixture and loosely stuff each cucumber section. Place the section into a large clean jar. Repeat for the remaining cucumber sections. If you have any remaining red pepper mixture, just pour it over the cucumbers. Seal the jar.
6 – Let the cucumbers sit at room temperature for about 24 hours.
7 – They are ready to eat right away, but they are best served chilled. Keep the kimchi in the refrigerator and they will be good for up to a week.
Heather at Hezzi D’s Books and Cooks is hosting this week’s #SundaySupper event: Preserving the Harvest. Take a look at how to preserve all of your favorite summer fruits, vegetables, and even meats.
Cool Condiments:
Chow Chow Relish from Magnolia Days
Homemade Hot Dog Relish from Juanita’s Cocina
Fabulous Fruits:
Apricot Ginger Jam from Happy Baking Days
Banana Jam from Killer Bunnies, Inc
Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream from Gotta Get Baked
Blueberry Lemon Basil Jam from Daily Dish Recipes
Candied Watermelon Rind fromWhat Smells So Good?
Fig and Strawberry Jam from Jane’s Adventures in Dinner
Mixed Berry Rhubarb Jam from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
Mulberry Jam from Curious Cuisiniere
Quick Peacharine Chutney from Shockingly Delicious
Pineapple Upside Down Cake Freezer Jam fromCookin’ Mimi
Strawberry Butter from The Urban Mrs
Other Outstanding Recipes:
Fireweed Jelly fromThe Foodie Army Wife
Flavoured Butters from Small Wallet, Big Appetite
Gravlax fromThat Skinny Chick Can Bake
Vivacious Vegetables:
Corn Cob Jelly from Blueberries and Blessings
Deep South Dilly Beans from Eat, Move, Shine
Fermented (Sour) Pickles from Growing Up Gabel
Fire Roasted Salsa fromPeanut Butter and Peppers
Hot and Spicy Giardiniera from The Messy Baker
Hot Italian Giardiniera from Healthy. Delicious.
Jalapeños en Escabeche (Pickled Jalapeños) fromLa Cocina de Leslie
Oi Kimchi (Korean Cucumber Kimchi) from kimchi MOM
Refrigerator Dill Pickles from Country Girl in the Village
Spicy Sweet Tomato Chutney fromFood Lust People Love
Traditional Escabeche (Pickle) fromBasic N Delicious
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Wow Amy! Beautiful, spicy, and something my life won’t be complete until I try it.
Thanks Renee! Give it a whirl!
These looks gorgeous! The orange really shines against the green cucumbers. I’m going to have to try this one.
Thanks Heather! And thanks for hosting this week!
Wow, this looks amazing! I love the colors and love the cucumbers in it!!
Thanks Jennifer!
My tongue is getting all puckery jut looking at this. I love those flavors! I had some sort of cucumber kimchi recently (it did’t look like this and I don’t remember there being carrot) and the peppers flavor with the cool cucumber was so nice together.
Did your cucumber dish have vinegar or soy in it? The crunch and coolness of the cucumbers really make this kimchi light and refreshing!
This is me…DROOLING!!!
Awesome! 🙂
Amy, I love this!!! this is my husband’s fave too! I’ve been wanting to make this so now I can! insert happy dance! definitely trying this recipe soon!
Awesome! Let me know how it turns out!
This looks wonderful! However, I have a question. Is it possible to make this with the red pepper paste rather than the powder? Would the taste or the texture be different? Thanks!
I would imagine the taste AND texture would be totally different. I’ve never had or made kimchi with kochujang (red pepper paste). The paste has other ingredients in it, like soybean powder and malt barley. The paste is also fermented so has a bit of a tang.
The pepper gives it the right amount of heat, but keeps the kimchi light and refreshing.
That really looks like something … lovely and delicious … something to try!
Whoa, now this I would eat by the ton!
So colorful and full of flavor! What a fantastic #SundaySupper contribution!
This looks fantastic. Just need to find a sub for the fish sauce.
Thanks Shannon. You can omit the fish sauce if necessary.
Cucumbers are my favorite summer veggies and this looks fantastic!
This looks so tasty! What a great way to use cucumbers!
These are beautiful, Amy! I have never had any kim chi besides the usual cabbage, even after living more than 14 years in Asia, so this is a revelation to me. The colors are extraordinary and I can just imagine the wonderful flavors! I am pinning on my Recipes to Try board. We get English cucumbers here so I definitely want to make this. Thank you!
Thanks Stacy! Where in Asia were you? Did you live in different countries during those 14 years??
We lived in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia, Amy. And, of course, traveled around quite a bit on holiday to all the surrounding countries. Not Korea, unfortunately, but many of my good friends were fellow moms at school – Korean expats – so I was introduced to Korean dishes by them, just never this beautiful one.
Super yummm! I agree, oi kimchi is the best during Summer, though not all restaurants carry them though. Thankfully, you post the recipe here and I can’t wait to make my own oi kimchi.
Thanks! I agree, it’s not often that restaurants serve oi kimchi. It’s pretty easy to make at home!
Ooooooh, the red innards of those cucumbers look pretty fiery! I’m a major wimp when it comes to spicy foods – I didn’t grow up eating them so my tolerance is pretty low. I’d probably only do a light filling of the cucumbers – I’m sure a little bit plus the cool, refreshing cucumber would be perfect! Thanks for the step by step photos – they’re super helpful. And girl, where are your food safe plastic gloves? You’re such a boss you didn’t need them when you made these 😉
They’re surprisingly not so spicy so you may be able to handle these!
Oh my these look amazing! I’m so glad I got to meet you and hang out with you this weekend, Amy!
Thanks! Same here…so glad to have met you at the conference!