Sweet and Salty Cucumber Rings

A great side or a refreshing snack, Sweet and Salty Cucumber Rings are the result of summer fresh cucumbers being paired with toasted pecans, crumbled feta, and lots of drizzled honey. Serve at room temperature immediately after preparing for the best results!

Is it a side dish; is it a salad; or is it a snack? Well, it really doesn’t matter as long as it tastes great and you love it! Sweet and Salty Cucumber Rings just might be a new obsession for me. It’s the hollowing out of the cucumbers that really makes this dish so special. Let me explain why!

The middle of cucumbers, where the seeds are held, has the most water content. By removing the seeds, you can cut out most of the water content in your cucumbers. I think this is especially important when making a dish like this with honey and toasted pecans. Left to sit, the moisture will release and as a result, will mix with the honey. This will thin the honey which will affect the level of sweetness in every bite.

All of that excess moisture will also affect the texture of the toasted pecans. I like to think that if I’m going to go through the trouble of toasted pecans, then they had better stay fresh and retain that slight crunch afterwards! Also, I’m not sure about you, but in some cucumbers, the seeds tend to have a slightly bitter taste. So, removing them just makes sense.

One last thing before we move on here. I’m not a huge fan of cucumbers, but I can tolerate them. Over the years, I have noticed that if I remove the seeds and cut down on the amount of skin left on cucumbers, I don’t suffer from heartburn. Yes, Dear Reader, cucumbers give me heartburn for some reason! I take out the seeds for that reason, even when making a side salad for dinner.

THE BEST TYPE OF CUCUMBERS FOR SALADS

To be honest, you can use any type of cucumber you like the most. In this particular case, I’m using the pickling cucumbers that I grew in my garden this summer. It was my first time growing cucumbers and to be quite honest, I wasn’t a huge fan of eating the pickling cucumbers raw – even though they are totally fine that way! I’m not a huge cucumber lover, but John.e is, so I asked him. He thought that pickling cucumbers were fine, but the skin is thicker, which he didn’t care for.

So, if I had to make a recommendation, it would most certainly be English cucumbers here. These are sometimes known as hothouse cucumbers as well. English cucumbers are usually a little more expensive, but because there are so few ingredients in this salad, it would be wise to use the best. Unlike other generic cucumbers, English cucumbers are seedless, which means they will release much less water when sliced – this will keep your salad from getting too watery!

You will know English cucumbers by three criteria – they are a really deep green colour, the one end looks rather pinched instead of evenly rounded like the end of most cucumbers, and lastly, English cucumbers are almost always wrapped in plastic at the grocery store.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

• Cucumbers – You can use any cucumber that you prefer, although, as previously mentioned, I would recommend English cucumbers.
• Salt – Salting the prepared cucumbers will encourage the moisture out of them, leaving you with a seasoned, tastier cucumber.
• Pecans – You can use walnuts or even peanuts here. Be sure to toast them first to get the best results.
• Honey – One of the major flavour components, so don’t skip this.
• Feta – Crumbled feta adds saltiness as well as creaminess to the dish.
• Ground Black Pepper

HOW TO MAKE SWEET AND SALTY CUCUMBER RINGS

Wash the cucumbers well. Trim the ends and discard. Cut the cucumbers into 1/2-inch rounds. Place the rounds flat onto a cutting board. Use a large piping tip, an apple corer, or even a small, round cookie cutter to cut out the center of each cucumber slice.

Place the cucumbers into a mixing bowl.  Sprinkle in the salt and toss to coat.  Transfer cucumbers to a colander for one hour, allowing the excess water to drain.  

Once the cucumbers are drained, transfer them back to the mixing bowl. Add in the crumbled feta, toasted pecans, and ground black pepper. Toss well to coat. Transfer the cucumber rings to a serving platter and drizzle over the honey. Serve immediately.

TOASTING PECANS

The first thing you should do it to toast your pecans. How do you do that? It’s very simple! To be perfectly honest, this applies to any nuts or seeds, not just the nuts in this recipe. If you are not familiar with toasted nuts, then please try it just once. You will probably never revert to using nuts in your cooking or baking again without toasting them first!

I have tried using non-stick frying pans for toasting, but nothing works as well as a stainless steel pan. You could use a cast iron pan, but since they get very hot and retain heat so well, it’s easier to burn the nuts. See the frying pan in this picture? That’s the exact one that I use all the time. I’m not suggesting you run out and buy this same cookware set, but I want you to see the pan – remember, do not use non-stick if possible. You’ll get better results will plain stainless steel.

So, unlike most cooking where you’re required to preheat first, you don’t want to apply that same rule to toasting nuts. Add the nuts to a cold pan. Place the pan on the burner and turn the heat on – no higher than medium and probably even less if using a gas burner.

Keep the nuts moving about. I use a rubber spatula. Once you start to smell that warm and toasty aromatic smell, pay close attention. The nuts will take on a darker colour. Don’t let them get too dark. Once you’re satisfied, immediately remove them from the hot pan and transfer them to a dinner plate where they can be spread out to cool.