Preserves · Summer Classics

Old-Fashioned Cucumbers and Onions in Vinegar

Name: Old-Fashioned Cucumbers and Onions in Vinegar
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 3 medium cucumbers, thinly sliced; 1 small white or red onion, thinly sliced; 1 tsp salt (to draw out water); ½ cup (120 ml) white or cider vinegar; ⅓ cup (80 ml) water; ¼ cup (50 g) sugar (to taste); ½ tsp black pepper; 1 tbsp chopped dill (optional)

G By Our Grannies' Kitchen Updated Jul 2026 4.9 (71 ratings)

4.9 / 5

6 servings

Tap + or − to scale every ingredient

Ingredients

Tick each one off as you go.

3 medium cucumbers, thinly sliced
1 small white or red onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp salt (to draw out water)
½ cup (120 ml) white or cider vinegar
⅓ cup (80 ml) water
¼ cup (50 g) sugar (to taste)
½ tsp black pepper
1 tbsp chopped dill (optional)

Method

Salt the cucumbers. Toss the slices with the 1 tsp salt in a colander and leave 15 minutes to draw out water — the crisp-keeping trick. Pat dry.
Brine. Whisk the vinegar, water, sugar and pepper until the sugar dissolves. Taste: more sugar for sweeter, more vinegar for sharper.
Combine. Add the cucumbers, onion and dill; toss to coat and press down to submerge.
Chill. Cover and chill at least 1 hour (better over a day or two). Keeps a week in the fridge.

Granny's tip

Soak the sliced onion in cold water for 10 minutes first if you find raw onion too fierce — it takes the bite off without losing the crunch.

Tips for crisp, punchy cucumbers

Salt first

Fifteen minutes of salting draws out the water that turns cucumbers limp and dilutes the brine.

Slice them thin

Thin, even slices soak up the brine fast and stay pleasant to eat. A mandoline earns its keep here.

Taste the brine

Sweet-to-sharp is a family preference. Balance it in the bowl before the cucumbers go in.

Questions, answered

How do I keep the cucumbers crisp?

Salt them first — 15 minutes draws out the excess water that would dilute the brine and turn them limp. Pat dry before they go in.

How long do cucumbers and onions in vinegar last?

Up to a week, covered, in the fridge — crispest on days one and two, softening gradually after. It's a quick fridge salad, not a shelf-stable pickle.

What kind of vinegar is best?

Plain white for a sharp, clean tang; cider for something mellower and fruitier. Both are traditional — use whatever's in the cupboard.

Can I make it less sweet?

Yes — the sugar's to taste. Start with half and adjust. Barely-sweet or quite sugary are both "old-fashioned," depending on whose grandma you ask.