My Mom made it too. Use ordinary white vinegar, water and sugar, finely sliced cukes and onion (not a lot). Optional herbs: parsley, chives, dill.

IIRC Joy of Cooking has it.

Try looking up recipes for marinated cucumbers. Many have the sugar, white vinegar, celery seed and herbs. Very yummy.

I soak thinly sliced cukes in salted water, like sea water, all day with just a splash of vinegar, dried chopped onions and chopped dill. Before serving, drain in a strainer then squeeze and squeeze and squeeze with your hand to wring a lot of water out of the cukes. When most of the water is out, you can serve as is, or mix it with mayo. If you don't wring it enough, the salad will be watery. May add pepper if you want. It's always a winner.

I make Annie's version but it MUST be made with malt vinegar! This is a Michigan recipe!

Actually, this version was handed down from my Polish grandmother....we also add dill to our stuffed cabbage which makes it taste fabulous. For me, it isn't golumpki without it....

From my trusty 1972 Betty Crocker cookbook: Old Fashioned Cucumber Salad

Thank you, thank you, thank you for the recipes!!! I'm going to make this for DH today.

By the way . . . Jmc: I'm a born and raised Michigander, so that malt vinegar sounds very familiar to me. I really miss my Michigan and it's beautiful Great Lakes, but will get back there again this Autumn. Can't wait!
Lynn

I make mine with cucumber, onion, rice vinegar, sugar and grated ginger.

Here is the recipe I use, rave reviews from everyone who tastes it ! It is on All Recipes :

4 cucumbers, thinly sliced

1 small white onion, thinly sliced

1 cup white vinegar

1/2 cup water

3/4 cup white sugar

1 tablespoon dried dill, or to taste

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Directions

Toss together the cucumbers and onion in a large bowl. Combine the vinegar, water and sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, and pour over the cucumber and onions. Stir in dill, cover, and refrigerate until cold. This can also be eaten at room temperature, but be sure to allow the cucumbers to marinate for at least 1 hour.

Here is a link that might be useful: Cucumber Salad

The malt vinegar, which our family make the trek from 13 and Woodward to Windsor to buy, makes ours a Michigan version.

This is a well known and loved salad in England. I have been making it for at least 50 years.
I thinly slice onions and cucumber. I add boiling water to some sugar (depending on the quantity of vegetables) and stir until dissolved. I pour this over the cukes and onions and then add malt vinegar. I sometimes add a little chopped fresh mint too. The secret is to let it steep for a few hours but preferably at least overnight. Yummy! For me it brings back memories of summer picnics!

My version is fairly simple to make ...

1 cup white vinegar
2 cups sugar
2 medium cucumbers, sliced at an angle with thin slices (i use a berinrer slicer)
1 medium onion (peeled, sliced with berinrer to make rings)
1 large carrot or 2 medium (peeled, sliced with berinrer to make fine carrot sticks)
1 tsp black pepper \
1 tsp onion salt = or add seasonings as you desire
1 tsp garlic salt /

Toss all ingredients and place in fridge for an hour before serving. It should keep for at least a week. enjoy!

My mom used to make cucumber salad and I knew it was a simple recipe (which I also never wrote down- duh)... but I decided to google and I ended up using the same recipe rheba posted. It's excellent. I have made is numerous times. (my mom didn't heat up the liquid but I think it really works better). I actually don't always use dill, but I love me purple onions in this (so colorful).

My hubby loves this stuff too. I don't have an exact recipe as I just mix and taste, but it's very similar to the Betty Crocker one Graywings posted. I have never added vegetable oil, but may try it next time.

This is the same recipe that my husbands Polish/Ukraine grandmother made along with pirogi and pickled eggs.

Sour cream is a necessity! Dill is optional at my house. I love it, DH not so much. Just the basics he tells me!

Such delicious sounding recipes . . . thank you, All! Wish I could tell you that I've made a few of them, but best intentions aside, I've been slogging away painting DD's 2 end tables and her new/old drop-leaf desk that I found at a consignment shop. They need to get done in time for her to take them back to college next week. But, DH is beside himself that I now have dependable recipes for his beloved cucumber salad. I have the cucumbers in my fridge. Now I just need to free up the time to make it . . . hopefully tomorrow.
Lynn

Here's my tried and true. You can see how old it is by the index card. My mother used to make it but had never written it down so many years ago, by trial and error I succeeded. If you've ever gone to Amish dinners, this tastes exactly likewhat they serve.

I usually double the quantity and pack it into 2 large glass jars. We wouldn't even consider eating it until at least 3 days have passed. It keeps for at least 2 weeks in the fridge.

Helene

I've been following this thread as I too, have been meaning to make a cucumber salad. I have so many cukes coming out of my garden and need to find some ways to use them up. I can't even give to neighbors as one of my neighbors has several cuke plants and has already picked about 50 cukes! I only have one plant and mine has produced at least 12. Today I made a cuke, tomato, feta salad - I had so many tomatoes I needed to use them up too. That's our side dish with dinner tonight.

Tomorrow I'm going to make a cucumber salad using one of the several recipes listed above. Now to figure out which one!

A similar thread has popped up on the cooking forum, I thought of you Lynn, more suggestions !!

Here is a link that might be useful: Cucumer salad recipes on cooking forum

We use Seasoned Rice Vinegar, sweetened with a little Aquave Sweetener. Salt, pepper and a little oregano. Sliced onion if I have one. We grow Lemon cucumbers so we depend on a simple recipe.

What is the purpose of soaking cukes in water?

I've also made it using fresh tomatoes! Still the same vinegar/sugar/water/onion just add 'maters. Have used the same recipe with tomatoes, only. Any which way, it's hard to beat. YUM!!!

I am sure there is a different recipe for everyone who grows cukes. Made my first of the season last night. Used FF sour cream, cider vinegar and artificial sweetener, dill, celery seed, onion, tomato. I have never heard of heating the liquid before..will have to give it a try. I also do not bother with all the soaking and ringing out of the natural cuke liquid, (there goes the vitamins)

For a change of pace, I like to add a bit of tarragon (instead of dill) to the basic sugar/ vinegar/ water recipe.

Also, it's a great salad when you use chunked tomatoes & bell peppers plus the cukes.

Don't use white vinegar.

Sicilian style cucumber salad:

1. Cut the skin off and toss it away
2. Cut the cucumbers into small chunks or thick slices
3. Mix: either Red Wine Vinegar (Chianti is best) or Champagne Vinegar with an equal part of Olive Oil.
4. Add: Turbinado sugar, Oregano, Garlic, Red Pepper flakes
5. Put the cucumber chunks in a large bowl and dump the dressing on them
6. Mix thoroughly and cover with saran wrap
7. Don't refrigerate! Let it sit on the counter for at least an hour and then serve

Have never used red wine vinegar. Mom always used apple cider vinegar , probably because that was the only kind back in the '50's. That's all I've ever used also, but would think the red wine would change the taste, even slightly.