How to Pickle Any Vegetable
Quick pickling is an easy method that doesn’t require time-consuming canning or bushels of vegetables. With this quick pickling method, you can take any vegetable and combine with vinegar, water, salt, and sweetener to create a brine, and then refrigerate. Use within 2 months.
Choose Fresh Vegetables
Begin with fresh vegetables that are in good shape, save those bruised veggies for soups and stews. Almost any type of vegetable can be pickled, so it’s entirely up to you. Preparation varies. Carrots should be peeled and can be cut into coins or matchsticks. Green beans, wax beans, or asparagus, can be blanched in boiling water for two-three minutes and then shocked in ice water to preserve color and stop the cooking process.
Preparing Vegetables for Pickling
Thinly slice: onions, cucumbers, carrots, summer squash.sweet peppers,
Cut into spears: cucumbers, asparagus, green beans
Peel: carrots
Blanch: green beans, asparagus, cauliflower, carrots - optional but helps preserve color
Brine
Quick pickling requires a basic brine of equal parts vinegar and water. Of course you can adjust the ratio to your flavor preference. You have plenty of vinegar options; white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar or rice vinegar. Avoid aged vinegars such as balsamic and malt vinegar.
Customized Flavor Profiles
For flavorful pickling, feel free to add spices to the brine. For traditional dill pickles you’ll add garlic, dill seed and red pepper flakes or whole dried red pepper. You can snazz up carrots with ginger and turmeric. Use your imagination, the possibilities are endless.
Fresh herbs: dill, thyme, oregano, tarragon, and rosemary
Dried herbs: thyme, dill, rosemary, oregano, or marjoram
Whole Spices: mustard seed, coriander, peppercorns, allspice, cloves, red pepper flakes, pickling spice
Ground spices: turmeric
Garlic cloves, peeled and sliced or minced
Fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
How to Quick Pickle Any Vegetable
Ingredients
1 pound fresh vegetables; onions, cucumbers, carrots, summer squash, green beans, asparagus, cauliflower
1 cup vinegar
1 cup water
1 tablespoon kosher salt or 2 teaspoons pickling salt
1 tablespoon sweetener; cane sugar, maple syrup, sucanat - less or more based on your preference
Optional Ingredients
2 springs fresh dill
1 - 2 teaspoons black peppercorns
Instructions
Prepare the jars: wash 2 wide-mouth pint jars, lids, and rings in warm, soapy water and rinse well. Set aside to dry, or dry completely by hand.
Prepare the vegetables: Wash and dry the vegetables. Peel the carrots. Trim the end of beans. Cut vegetables into desired shapes and sizes.
Add the flavorings. Divide the herbs, spices, or garlic you are using between the jars.
Add the vegetables. Pack the vegetables into the jars, making sure there is a 1/2 inch of space from the rim of the jar to the tops of the vegetables. Pack them in as tightly as you can without smashing. Also add fresh herbs if using.
Make the brine. Place the vinegar, water, salt, sugar, and dried herbs or spices (if using) in a small saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the salt and sugar and simmer for 3 minutes.
Add brine to vegetables: Pour the brine over the vegetables, filling each jar to within 1/2 inch of the top. You might not use all the brine.
Remove air bubbles. Gently tap the jars against the counter a few times to remove all the air bubbles. Top off with more brine if necessary.
Seal the jars. Place the lids on the jars and screw on the rings until tight.
Cool and refrigerate. Let the jars cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Then store vegetables in the refrigerator. The vegetables will improve with flavor as they age — try to wait at least 48 hours before cracking them open.
Storage: These pickles are not canned. They can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.