In a cup or bowl, combine the sugar, vinegar, and 1 cup of cold water and stir until the sugar is dissolved.
Using a mandoline slicer is easiest for this recipe. If you don’t have one, slice the cucumbers as thinly as you can by hand.
(Cucumbers are mostly comprised of water). To remove as much “water/liquid” as possible from the cucumbers requires a two-step process.
Step #1 - Place sliced cucumbers into a large bowl. Add salt and mix the cucumbers slices and salt together to evenly coat the cucs. Let sit for 15 minutes and then drain. The cucumbers will release about 1/4+ cup of liquid. Discard the liquid.
Step #2 you will need to roll up your sleeves and take handfuls of cucumbers and squeeze out as much additional liquid from each handful. You’ll be surprised at how much additional liquid gets released, usually an additional 1/4+ cup. Place the balls of squeezed cucumbers back into the bowl. Discard the liquid.
Add the vinegar mixture and chopped garlic to the squeezed cucumbers and mix together. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
When ready to serve, transfer the cucumbers (with as much or as little of the vinegar liquid as you desire) to a medium-sized bowl and serve as is. For a truly Hungarian-style cucumber salad simply sprinkle with paprika and ground black pepper and serve.
To jazz it up, add thin slices of white or red onions, sliced scallions or chives and/or chopped fresh dill.