Thursday, July.23.09

cut cucumber

So you want to prepare cucumbers for sushi…

Sounds easy right?  Well it depends… if you have someone to guide you through it, then YES!  Here it is.  How to prepare cucumbers for sushi.  The way the cucumbers will be prepared can be to put inside sushi or for sushi to be wrapped with the cucumber, aka naruto.  Yes, sushi can be wrapped with cucumber.  It must be cut very thin and not break.  Sounds tricky but the tricks on you when you find out how easy it is with some practice.

Sushi Video : How to Prepare Cucumbers for Sushi



First, you will need:

  • Japanese Cucumbers (If you do not have these readily, you can use regular cucumbers.  Big, long, and straight cucumbers are easiest to cut.)
  • A sharp knife.
  • A veggie/fruit skin peeler
  • A big container (bowl)
  • A drainer
  • and a Cutting Board

Start off by peeling the cucumber skin off.  Next, cut the round edges off to make the cucumber look like a cylinder.  Cutting some of the cucumbers can be tricky because some cucumbers are shorter or longer than others.  The ideal size is to cut the cucumbers into 4inch cylinders.  Give or take.  Once you have the chopping board filled with 4inch cucumber cylinders then we will be ready to begin.

Remember to sharpen your knife as sharp as possible.

Place the cucumber in your left hand and the knife in your right hand.  Now place the edge of the knife flat down in the middle of the cucumber.  Use your left hand’s fingers to push the knife into the cucumber.  Remember to keep the knife kind of flat not too diagonal or else you will cut too deep into the cucumber.  The ideal insertion would be thin enough that you can see the knife through the cucumber.  Now use your left thumb and palm to rotate the cucumber slowly against the knife.  Your left hand is used only to rotate the cucumber.  The knife in the right hand should only move up and down.  When I say up and down I mean by millimeters or 1 cm.  Just a steady minor up and down movement.  Remember to take it slow in the beginning and try not to break the cucumber.  If the cucumber breaks, its okay, try again until you get it.  Those broken pieces still can be used.  You can stop cutting when you reach the middle part or the seeds.  The middle is not used in this method of preparing cucumber.  You can either eat it or throw it away.

Once you have finished slicing away, either with whole pieces or broken pieces, wrap them together and place it into a bowl or container that is able to store it.  Fill the container up with water and let the cucumber soak for about 15-20 minutes.  This process gets rid of the slimy residue  on the cucumbers and at the same time allow the cucumbers to absorb water for longer shelf life.  Usually I let the water run very lightly, almost a stream of dripping water, so the slimy residue will wash off the brim of the container while soaking.  When the minutes are up, place the cucumber into a drainer, empty the container, and place the drainer into the container.  Sounds like a tongue twister.  Now wrap the container of cucumbers in plastic wrap and place into the fridge until use.

When ready to use, lay out the stripes of cucumber on a chopping board.  If you have broken or thin pieces place those on the bottom first, side to side. Then layer on the longer pieces.  Make sure the you do not stack it too high or else it will be hard to cut.  It is better to have a thin and long trail than a thick and short stack.

Get ready to cut.  Place your left hand on the right side of the cucumbers.  The way your hand should be positioned is as if you were making a loose fist with your hand.  Use the middle 3 fingers to guide your knife.  The knife should touch the knuckles that are sticking out.  Make sure not to pull the knife higher than your knuckles or else you will risk cutting your fingers.  The thumb and the pinky should be placed in back of the knuckle lining and on the sides of the cucumbers to hold it straight.

Now cut! Slice away with your right hand and slowly move back with your left hand.  Try to cut thin stripes of cucumber.

Remember, these cucumbers can also be used to wrap sushi! So don’t waste it all for placing into rolls.

Best of luck to you.

Practice makes perfect.