Crisp and Crunchy Oi Jangajji (Pickled Cucumber)
A soy sauce oi jangajji side dish drawn out with sugar for a pleasantly crisp, crunchy texture.
Translated from Korean by AI and not yet checked by a native speaker. Amounts and numbers are taken directly from the original recipe. Read the Korean original →
This oi jangajji uses sugar to draw out plenty of moisture, leaving the skin chewy-crisp and the inside delightfully crunchy. Reusing the extracted cucumber liquid in the soy brine adds subtle natural sweetness while cutting down on added sugar. Pour the boiling brine directly over the vegetables, let it cool, stir in soju, and refrigerate for one day to complete this clean, refreshing side dish.
- Servings
- about 8–10 servings
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spiciness
- Mildly spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Cucumber10, 1 kg (after cleaning)
- Chili pepper10
- Sugar1 cup
Soy sauce brine
- Cucumber pickling liquid2 cups
- Regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang) (or brewed soy sauce (yangjo-ganjang))2/3 cup
- Coarse sea salt1 tbsp
- Vinegar1 cup
- Sugar1/2 cup
- Soju1/3 cup
- Pour 1 cup of sugar over the cucumbers, mix well, and let pickle for about 6 hours.
- Includes 10 total of Cheongyang chili peppers and red chili peppers.
Steps
Prepare the ingredients
Here are 10 washed cucumbers. There are 10 chili peppers in total, including both Cheongyang chili peppers and red chili peppers.
Slice the ingredients
Slice the chili peppers into bite-sized rounds.
Rinse them once in water while gently swirling to remove the seeds.
Halve the cucumbers lengthwise, scrape out the seeds, and cut them into bite-sized pieces.
Pickle the cucumbers
Pour 1 cup of sugar over the cucumbers, toss evenly, and let pickle for about 6 hours.
Because the cucumbers are somewhat thick, they need to pickle longer than you might think to cure evenly and release enough moisture.
Toss them a few times while pickling.
The cucumbers will turn pleasantly chewy-crisp as a lot of liquid is drawn out. Do not discard this liquid, as we will use it later.
Drain the cucumbers in a colander.
Place the cucumbers and chili peppers together in a bowl.
Boil the soy sauce brine
Measure 2 cups of the cucumber pickling liquid.
If it falls short of 2 cups, add water to make up the difference, then add the brine ingredients: 2/3 cup of regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang), 1 tbsp of coarse sea salt, 1 cup of vinegar, and 1/2 cup of sugar, and bring to a rolling boil.
Let it boil vigorously for about 30 seconds...
Pour the soy sauce brine
Pour the hot soy sauce brine directly over the ingredients as soon as it boils.
Do not let it cool down; pour it right away.
Stir occasionally until the brine cools, then finish by stirring in 1/3 cup of soju.
Transfer to a container, place in the refrigerator, and enjoy starting the next day.
Finish
After one day in the refrigerator, the flavors have soaked in nicely.
The skin is chewy-crisp and the inside is crunchy, just like traditional aged cucumber pickles.
Ppunwife's tips
- Because the cucumbers are somewhat thick, they need to pickle longer than you might think to cure evenly and release enough moisture. Toss them a few times while pickling.
- If the pickling liquid falls short of 2 cups, add water to make up the difference, then add the brine ingredients: 2/3 cup of regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang), 1 tbsp of coarse sea salt, 1 cup of vinegar, and 1/2 cup of sugar, and bring to a rolling boil.
- Do not let it cool down; pour it right away.
- This recipe uses a moderate amount of vinegar, so if you prefer a sharper tang, add another 1/2 cup to 1 cup compared to my recipe.
FAQ
How long should the cucumbers pickle in sugar?
Because the cucumbers have some thickness, pickle them for about 6 hours so enough moisture is drawn out, tossing them a few times in between.
Should I let the boiled soy sauce brine cool before pouring?
No, pour it straight over the cucumbers and chili peppers while it is still boiling hot.
How can I adjust the recipe if I want a more sour taste?
You can suit your taste by adding an extra half cup to one cup of vinegar compared to the base recipe.
What should I do if the liquid drawn from the cucumbers is less than 2 cups?
Simply add plain water for whatever amount is lacking to bring the total up to 2 cups.
