Refreshing!!

© 2023 hanna-one.com℠
(오이백김치 | White Cucumber Kimchi)
When I was stationed in Korea, elder Koreans would often offer me refreshing summer delights as I visited small local Buddhist Temples and other areas that were away from the typical tourist sites.
This is one of the dishes I remember enjoying from that time.

Ingredients
4 or 5 small cucumbers
6 ounces mu (Korean radish), shredded
1 1/2 cups Korean pear juice* (substitute natural white grape/apple juice blend, western style pear juice, or similar clear juice.)
2 cloves garlic, thin sliced
2 cups water
3 tablespoons ginger juice **
1/2 cup coarse salt
1 tablespoon sea salt


Directions
Wash the cucumber and cut each one into two inch sections.
Slice the cucumber sections in a cross, leaving the bottom 1/4 inch un-cut.
Place the cucumber sections into a large bowl.
Add the coarse salt to a pot with about 3 cups of water, and bring to a boil.
Pour hot salted water over the cucumber and let stand for about half an hour, then drain and rinse in cold water.
Add the shredded radish and fine salt to a mixing bowl and mix well.
Carefully stuff the radish shreds into the cuts in the cucumbers.
Arrange the stuffed cucumbers in a bowl and pour the liquid over them.
Cover the bowl and let stand at room temperature for about 24 hours, then Chill before serving as a refreshing afternoon snack, or as part of a banchan array.


* place a few peeled and seeded Asian pears in a blender with just enough water to liquefy, then strain the juice through cheese cloth
** pulse 1 ounce of ginger with three tablespoons water in blender or food processor, let sit for ten minutes, and strain through fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth.