Crisp Nogak Muchim (Seasoned Old Cucumber)

Ingredients

• Choose one that is yellowish with thick, rough skin, and feels heavy and firm when held.
• Pickle the sliced overripe cucumber in salt, sugar, and vinegar for 30 minutes.

Steps

1. Prepare the overripe cucumber

   

   

   

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   Rinse thoroughly under running water, then peel the overripe cucumber.

   Trim off both ends, cut it in half lengthwise, and scrape out the seeds in the center.

   Slice to a thickness of about 0.4 cm so it is not too thin.

   A 1 kg overripe cucumber weighs 700 g after trimming.

2. Pickle the overripe cucumber

   

   

   

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   Place the sliced overripe cucumber in a wide bowl, add 1 tbsp salt, 2 tbsp sugar, and 4 tbsp vinegar, mix well, and let it pickle for 30 minutes.

   Toss it halfway through so it pickles evenly.

   Through osmosis, the sugar and salt draw out moisture from the cucumber while seasoning it lightly.

   Adding vinegar when seasoning can release too much liquid, so it is added during pickling to bring out the tangy flavor.

3. Season

   

   

   

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   Squeeze out as much moisture as possible using a cotton cloth, just like squeezing pickled cucumbers.

   After pickling and squeezing out the liquid, this large cucumber shrinks down to less than the volume of 2 regular cucumbers.

   It already has a subtle base seasoning when you bite into it, so only minimal seasoning is needed now.

   Add 1 tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes), 1 tbsp gochujang (Korean red chili paste), 1 tsp sugar, 2 tbsp minced green onion, 1/2 tbsp minced garlic, 1/2 tbsp toasted sesame oil, and 1/2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds, then toss well so the seasonings coat evenly.

   

   

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   This is all that came out of 1 overripe cucumber.

   Overripe cucumber releases a lot of liquid, so removing moisture is the key.

   Adding vinegar during pickling allows you to keep liquid to a minimum when seasoning.

   The seasonings need to cling tightly to taste delicious.

   Prepared this way, it stays moist without becoming watery even after sitting in the refrigerator.

4. Finish

   

   With its crisp texture and refreshing aroma, nogak muchim whets the appetite and is in season right now.

   It is wonderful piled generously over rice for bibimbap, or you can lightly stir-fry the pickled cucumber for a mild nogak namul.

   Try serving it on your table as a summer delicacy side dish.

Ppunwife's tips

• Adding vinegar when seasoning causes too much liquid to form, so add it during the pickling stage to impart a tangy flavor.
• Overripe cucumber releases a lot of moisture, so the key is to squeeze out as much liquid as possible using a cotton cloth, just like squeezing pickled cucumbers.
• When pickled with vinegar and squeezed well before tossing, it stays moist without turning watery even after being kept in the refrigerator.

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