cucumber chow Archives | CaribbeanPot.com

Over the years I’ve shared many traditional (mango, cucumber, pineapple and Pommecythere), along with nontraditional type Chow recipes with you. Including ones made with Cherries, Grapes, and Strawberries. Surprisingly I’ve never shared my Peach Chow with you. Until today!

You’ll Need…

5 Peaches (firm)
3-5 cloves garlic
3 leaves Shado Beni (aka chando Beni or culantro)
1 scotch bonnet pepper
1 fatali pepper
2 lemons (juice)
1 lime (juice)
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 small red onion (sliced thin)
* water

Note! Please watch the video below to see how easy it was to cut the peaches into wedges and why using firm peaches which are air-dried first, gives you best results. The type of hot pepper you use is up to you. Chow is supposed to be spicy, but you’re free to tailor this to your own liking and heat tolerance. Reminder – wash you hands with soap and water after handling hot peppers.

Give the peaches a rinse then remove the seeds (stone, pit) and cut into segments. At this point I like for the pieces to air dry for about 30 minutes.

Try you best to get firm peaches as the more ripe (softer ones) will have the tendency to go to mush easily.

Add the salt, garlic and hot pepper you decide on using to your mortar and crush until smooth. To control the heat a bit you may adjust the amount of pepper you use and should you want… remove and discard the seeds and white membrane surrounding the seeds. Be mindful that the smashing action may cause it to splatter and get to your eyes.

I like squeezing the citrus juices directly into this mixture so I can somewhat rinse the mortar out with it and collect all that spicy garlic goodness.

In a large bowl with the peach wedges, add the thinly sliced red onion and top with the chopped Shado beni. Then pour the spicy juice directly over it all.

Since we air-dried the peaches for a bit, you’ll find that the chow base (juices) will soak in and get deeper into the peach and not just sit on the surface. Give it a good mix and allow it to sit for about 30 minutes in the fridge before you jump in to enjoy. Yea, taste for salt and adjust.

Providing you used firm peaches, it will keep in the fridge for about 1 week. Feel free to add a bit of water should you want more of the sauce. Yes, as a lil fella on the islands we enjoyed that juice as much as the actual fruit we used.

Should you not be able to source the shado beni, cilantro (aka coriander) is an excellent replacement.

Smashed Cucumber Chow.

May 28, 2025June 15, 20212 Comments

After sharing this video on YouTube, the comments were very interesting. From “Why?”, to “Only a man would do this”, and “brilliant on it’s own or on the side of grilled salmon”. Chow is basically a quick spicy pickle we make in the Caribbean. Usually made with tart fruit (like green mango or Pommecythere aka golden apple ) and enjoyed as a snack by both kids and adults alike. Except adults tend to enjoy it better when there’s beer and cocktails involved. Note! typically the cucumber is cut into slices or wedges when this chow is done the traditional way.

You’ll Need…

2 Medium English Cucumbers (any cucumber will work)
1 tablespoon sea salt (divided)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 Wiri Wiri Peppers (any spicy pepper will work)
3-4 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon Shado Beni (chopped) * Cilantro will work too
2 shallots (or a small red onion – sliced thin)
1 lemon (juice)
1 tablespoon Korean pepper paste (Gochujang)

Important! If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the full list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs. If you cannot source Wiri Wiri (coffee) Peppers, any spicy pepper will work.

Wash the cucumbers, then smash then using a rolling pin or as in my case, my wooden pestle. It will get messy! Then give the pieces a rough chop. Finally, add the pieces to a bowl and toss them with 1/2 the salt mentioned above.

The salt will do two things for us. It will help to pull out some of the water or tart juice from the cucumbers and two, in doing so allow the cucumbers to absorb the flavors we’ll add later.

As this sit in the salt, place the remaining salt, garlic and Wiri Wiri peppers in your mortar and crush to a paste. After 30 minutes, drain the cucumber to get rid of the liquid which will naturally sprout.

Now top the drained cucumber with that crushed pepper/garlic paste.

Basically all you have to do after is add all the other ingredients mentioned and give it a good toss.

The Korean pepper paste (Gochujang) is NOT traditional to this recipe (nor the shallots), but ever since our trip to Seoul a few years back I just enjoy adding it to this type of chow. There’s a deep fermented (almost smoky too) flavor it adds to the finished chow, that takes it to different level (IMHO).

I like placing it in a container with a lid and allow it to chill in the fridge before I tuck in. As a snack or a spicy salad, there’s no denying that it’s refreshing and an excellent way to make use of cucumbers.

Drop me your comments below, tag me on Instagram and don’t forget you can now get my cookbook – The Vibrant Caribbean Pot, 100 Traditional And Fusion Recipes @ CaribbeanPot.com/CookBook/

Gluten Free Side Dishes Vegetarian

Incredible Cherry Pineapple Chow (pickle).

May 27, 2025December 18, 20202 Comments

CHOW! That spicy pickle we make in the Southern Caribbean, which bring tears of joy running down our cheeks… and a rush for ice cold water to help with the onset of the heat from the ‘Caribbean Sunshine’ (scotch bonnet peppers) we use in making it. Our love for “Chow” is so strong, we find creative ways to make this when green mangoes are not in season. This time, I’ll quickly show you how I rock it in Canada when cherries are in season.

You’ll Need…

1 pineapple (cut into chunks)
2-3 cups cherries (seeded & cut in half)
1 large grapefruit (juice)
1 teaspoon sea salt
bird’s eye pepper (as much as you can handle)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3-4 leaves shado beni (aka culantro)
4 cloves garlic (crushed)
1/2 medium red onion (sliced thin)

Important! If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the full list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs. Please wear gloves and wash your hands with soap and water immediately after handling hot peppers.

Peel and Core the Pineapple. Basically you trim off the top and bottom, then using your knife with a sawing motion, work your way down the side of the pineapple to remove the skin. Cut in 1/4s length-wise and remove the core. Watch the video below to see how I did it. Rinse with cool water, cut into 1/2 – 1 inch pieces and set aside.

It will take some time, but cut the cherries in half and remove the seeds. Place them in a deep bowl as all the other ingredients will go in here. I washed the cherries before removing the seeds.

Pour the grapefruit juice over the cherries then add the black pepper, salt and finely chopped Bird’s Eye Pepper. Yes keep the seeds for the kick.. chow is meant to be spicy!

Top with the finely chopped shado beni (culantro), if you can’t source it, use cilantro.

It’s time for the crushed garlic and thinly sliced red onions. Toss in the juicy pineapple chunks and give everything a good mix. In tossing I like to use my hands, so I can bruise the pineapple and squeeze out some of it’s juice to the mix. But be mindful of the hot pepper we added, so you may want to use a large spoon instead.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or do I as normally do and place in a glass jar with a lid and let it sit in the fridge for an hour or so to fully soak in all the flavors. Be sure to give it a toss before serving.

Pro Tip! The juice at the end is the real highlight for me. BTW if you don’t know what Chow is, it’s basically a spicy snack made with unripe fruit that’s in season (traditionally mango). Like a pickle or spicy salad.

Drop me your comments below, tag me on Instagram and don’t forget you can now get my cookbook – The Vibrant Caribbean Pot, 100 Traditional And Fusion Recipes @ CaribbeanPot.com/CookBook/

Gluten Free Side Dishes Vegetarian

Grapes Chow (spicy pickled grapes).

May 27, 2025January 29, 2020Leave a Comment

CHOW! A beloved spicy pickle (quick) made in the Southern Caribbean with green mangoes or other tart fruit. Over the years I’ve shared several “chow” recipes with you all. From the traditional mango, to cucumber, orange, apple and the Applewood Smoked Pineapple (still a fav on the website) which was insanely tasty. Like the others, you’re sure to fall in love with this grape version too!

You’ll Need…

2 cloves garlic (crushed)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 lime (juice)
1 orange (juice)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 medium red onion (sliced thin)
2 tablespoon chopped cilantro (chopped)
2 bird pepper (bird’s eye pepper – chopped fine)
1/2 lb each – assorted grapes (cut in half)

Important! Be sure to wash your hands with soap and water after handling such hot peppers.

Wash the grapes and set them aside to drain/air dry. Then in a large bowl, add the salt, black pepper, thinly sliced onion, crushed garlic and bird’s eye pepper. Feel free to add more if you want this more spicy or use a hotter pepper. I did use the seeds of the peppers as well.. in case if you’re wondering.

Now slice the grapes in 1/2 and add them to the bowl. Feel free to use as many as you like (just adjust the salt later on). A variety of colors will make for better presentation and I find that different color grapes got their own specific flavor and juicy profile. Add them to the bowl.

Chop the cilantro (use shado beni Chadon beni or culantro…if you have that instead) and juice the orange and lime. Add everything to the bowl and give it a good mix.

Its ok if you’re a little rough when stirring as it will bruise the grapes and allow some of the juices to escape and add to overall flavor of the chow.

Feel free to adjust the salt to your own liking and enjoy right away. But may I suggest that you place the bowl (covered) in the fridge for an hour so to chill and allow the grapes to marinate in the spicy pickle sauce – you’ll thank me later. Remember, this is spicy, but you have the control in your hands to adjust to your own liking.

Served as a snack, as a side when enjoying grown people beverages or as a salad? If you can, please support. And should you have questions about this recipe or anything food related, be sure to Ask Chris.

Gluten Free Side Dishes Vegetarian

Zesty Cucumber Chow (Salad).

May 27, 2025September 8, 20151 Comment

As a young fella on the islands my brother and I would always volunteer to go help dad in the garden whenever we knew cucumbers were in season. We had a stash of salt and a few cloves of garlic in the make-shift shed, where dad would take his breaks from the midday sun. With scotch bonnet pepper (congo as we’d say) and shado beni fresh from the garden.. we’d always make a huge bowl of this ‘chow’ with the ‘baby’ cucumbers (always the sweetest). Immediately after we’d hit the river to go fishing, followed by hours of swimming in the cool refreshing waters of the Guaracara river. Funny thing is dad never got our assistance, but he never peeped a word to mom!

You’ll Need…

6 Dill cucumbers
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 lemon (juice)
8-12 cherry tomatoes
1/2 scotch bonnet pepper (no seeds)
2 tablespoons cilantro (chopped)
1 clove garlic (crused or diced fine)
1/2 small red onion (optional)

Note: you can use any cucumber you have on hand and the option to peel or not is totally up to you. Remember to wear gloves when handling scotch bonnet peppers and to wash your hands immediately after with soap and water. You can cut back or use more of the pepper if you wish. Traditionally we would use shado beni (culantro) instead of the cilantro.

It was early summer when I did this recipe so I had access to what’s called dill cucumbers (basically small cucumbers) for this recipe, but you can use any cucumber you have on hand. You have the option of peeling or not. In my case, these small cucumbers are quite sweet and I find that the skin adds a lovely texture to it all. What I would recommend doing is not only washing them very well, but to soak them in cool water to make sure all the dirt and sand drops of them.

Cut the stems and bottoms off and cut into spears and place in a large bowl. I also had some cherry tomatoes, so I opted to add them to the salad/chow for some added flavor, color and texture. You can use any tomato you have.

Crush or dice the garlic very finely, chop the cilantro and you can dice the scotch bonnet or cut it into large pieces so when you serve it, your guests can easily identify the pieces and avoid them.

Basically all you’re doing at this point is assembling everything together and giving it a good toss. For best results, allow it to chill and marinate in the fridge for about 1/2 hour.

If you’re new to Caribbean cuisine or this website, ‘chow’ is basically a spicy pickle we make with tart fruits.. in most cases green mangoes, pineapple etc. In this case we used cucumbers with the same sort of effect.. except, you’ll get a more juicy and refreshing finish.

If you don’t have lemons you can use lime or orange juice for a different flavor profile and if spicy is not your thing.. you can leave out the scotch bonnet pepper. In the video below you’ll notice that I didn’t add any red onions.. so that is totally optional.

cucumber chow

Peach Chow.

Smashed Cucumber Chow.

Incredible Cherry Pineapple Chow (pickle).

Grapes Chow (spicy pickled grapes).

Zesty Cucumber Chow (Salad).

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