Preserve Your Bounty With This All-Purpose Quick Pickling Recipe (2024)

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Turn your excess vegetables into flavorful pickles using this quick and easy recipe. Quick pickles, also known as refrigerator pickles, don’t require canning and will keep in your fridge for months.

By

Laurel Randolph

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Laurel Randolph

Laurel has over 10 years of experience developing recipes and writing about food. She is the author of 4 cookbooks, including the bestselling "The Instant Pot Electric Cookbook."

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Published October 12, 2022

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It happens to me every summer: I grow too many of a vegetable (I’m looking at you, zucchini) or I get excited and buy too much of something at the farmers’ market. I hate to waste food, so instead of letting the excess go bad, I pickle it.

Pickling extends the life of fresh produce, allowing you to enjoy it for months to come. It infuses it with tons of flavor, turning it into something familiar but new. And nothing could be easier than quick pickling. There’s no canning equipment involved, no worrying that the jars properly sealed. You just need some vegetables, vinegar, salt, sugar, and jars.

What Is Quick Pickling?

Quick pickles are made by adding hot brine to fresh veggies and letting them sit in the fridge. You can eat them almost immediately for a crunchy, lightly flavored snack, but they’re best if you give them at least 24 hours. For true pickle flavor, wait a week. While they don’t have the same shelf life as canned pickles, they will last at least 3 months in the fridge.

What Vegetables are Best for Quick Pickling?

It’s almost easier to list veggies that aren’t good for quick pickling (potatoes come to mind). When assembling refrigerator pickles, you can pickle a singular vegetable or use a mix. The following are great options for quick pickling:

  • Cucumbers: The most pickled of all vegetables, cucumbers reliably make a great pickle. Small, crunchy varieties are especially good, but any kind will do. Consider peeling thick-skinned varieties and removing any big seeds.
  • Carrots: Cut into rounds or spears, carrots make a deliciously crunchy pickle. Peel and remove the tops before pickling.

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  • Zucchini or squash: Zucchini and yellow squash pick up the flavors of brine easily. While they aren’t crunchy, they are a nice addition to sandwiches and antipasti.
  • Onions: Pickled onions are one of the most versatile pickles. Peel and slice large varieties thin and leave pearl onions whole before brining. Serve atop burgers, tacos, hot dogs, and more.
  • Peppers: From bell peppers to jalapeños, all peppers are good for pickling. Slice them into thin strips or rounds. Seed bell peppers, but leave the seeds in hot peppers for extra heat.
  • Green beans: Pickled green beans are a fun snack and make a unique addition to salads. To prepare, snap or cut off the tough ends. Leave them whole for an attractively long pickle.
  • Cauliflower: Raw cauliflower retains its crunch while absorbing the flavors of the brine, making it ideal for pickling. Mix it with carrot, onion, and jalapeños to make escabeche.

Other fun quick pickle ideas include radishes (trimmed and sliced or cut in half), fennel (cut into thin slices like onion), grape or cherry tomatoes (halved or left whole), and garlic (peeled).

The Brine

I like a ratio of 1 part vinegar to 1 part water, which imparts the perfect amount of tangy acidity. I also prefer a mix of white vinegar and apple cider vinegar for a clean but flavorful brine. You can use all white vinegar or all apple cider vinegar if you like.

You can flavor the brine in a number of ways. The only musts are salt and sugar, both of which can be adjusted to suit your tastes or the particular type of pickle you want to make.

  • For a sweet pickle, use up to 3 tablespoons of sugar and 2 teaspoons of salt.
  • For a milder pickle, use 4 teaspoons sugar and 2 teaspoons salt.
  • For a more savory pickle, use 2 teaspoons sugar and 3 teaspoons salt.

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The Aromatics, Spices, and Herbs

Just as there are plenty of options when choosing what vegetables to pickle, there are even more options when it comes to flavoring them. I’ve listed some good options below and you can use any combination that sounds good to you.

  • Smashed garlic cloves
  • Fresh ginger slices
  • Fresh dill sprigs or heads of dill
  • Fresh thyme sprigs
  • Bay leaves
  • Black peppercorns (black, white, or a mix)
  • Mustard seeds (yellow or black)
  • Red pepper flakes (1/2 teaspoon or less)
  • Coriander seeds
  • Celery seeds
  • Fennel seeds
  • Whole cloves
  • Cinnamon sticks (one small stick or less per batch)
  • Dried oregano
  • Ground turmeric
  • Basic pickling spice blend

Tasty Flavor Combinations

If you’re looking for a specific place to start, here are some options for flavor combinations:

  • Italian-inspired pickles: Zucchini and red bell peppers with 1 tablespoon sugar, 2 teaspoons salt,6 smashed garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, 1/2 to 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • Sweet and spiced carrot pickles: Carrot coins with 3 tablespoons sugar, 2 teaspoons salt, 1-inch piece of fresh ginger cut into thin slices, 1 cinnamon stick, 6 cloves, 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • Spicy pickles: Cucumber rounds or spears and jalapeño rings with 2 tablespoons sugar, 3 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon black peppercorns, 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds, 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

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Embrace the Excess

  • Whole Clementine Cake
  • Pickled Eggs
  • Kale Pesto
  • Zucchini Fritters
  • Whole Banana Bread

How to Make Quick Pickles

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time5 mins

Total Time25 mins

Servings12 servings

Yield2 pints

Avoid table salt when pickling vegetables, since it can make the brine cloudy. Pickling salt, sea salt, and kosher salt are all good options.

This recipes is not intended for water bath canning.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound fresh vegetables like cucumbers, carrots, peppers, zucchini, or onions

  • 1 cup water

  • 1/2 cup white vinegar

  • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

  • 1 to 3 tablespoons sugar

  • 2 to 3 teaspoons pickling, sea, or kosher salt

  • 2 teaspoons dried whole spices, like black pepper, red pepper flakes, coriander, mustard seeds, and/or celery seed

  • 4 sprigs fresh dill, optional

Special Equipment

  • 2pint jars

Method

  1. Prepare the vegetables:

    Wash the vegetables. You can use all one variety or a mix of a few.

    Slice carrots, cucumbers, radishes, and zucchini or squash into rounds or spears. Core and seed bell peppers, then slice into strips. Slice smaller peppers into rounds.

    Snap the ends off of green beans. Peel and cut fennel and onions into thin slices; simply peel garlic. Trim cauliflower into small florets. Cut grape or cherry tomatoes in half or leave whole.

  2. Pack the jars:

    Pack the vegetables tightly into 2 clean pint jars leaving about 1 inch of headspace.

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  3. Make the brine:

    Combine the water, vinegars, sugar, salt, spices, and dill (if using) in a medium saucepan.

    Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the salt and sugar have dissolved. Let come to a boil and turn off the heat.

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  4. Pickle the vegetables:

    Pour the hot brine over the vegetables, submerging all of the vegetables and leaving a 1/2-inch of headspace.

    Wipe the rims and screw on new, clean lids.

    Tip

    If you have extra brine, you can discard it or use it to pickle something else (refrigerate if not using right away). If you don’t have enough brine, add equal parts water and vinegar to the jar until the veggies are covered.

  5. Cool and store:

    Let the jars cool on the counter until room temperature, about 1 hour.

    Once cool, store in the fridge. The quick pickles can be enjoyed right away, although they’ll taste much better after 24 hours and even better after a week.

    Quick pickles will keep for about 3 months in a sealed jar in the fridge.

    Did you love the recipe? Leave us stars below!

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
20Calories
0g Fat
4g Carbs
0g Protein

×

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories20
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g0%
Saturated Fat 0g0%
Cholesterol 0mg0%
Sodium 316mg14%
Total Carbohydrate 4g1%
Dietary Fiber 0g1%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 0mg2%
Calcium 7mg1%
Iron 0mg1%
Potassium 38mg1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

Preserve Your Bounty With This All-Purpose Quick Pickling Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the formula for quick pickling? ›

The classic ratio is super easy to remember and is easily scale-able depending on how many pickles you're making. It's 100% vinegar, 50% water, 25% sugar and 12.5% kosher salt by weight. So for example, 200g vinegar, 100g water, 50g sugar and 25g kosher salt (again, you can scale this up or down!).

What is the difference between pickling and quick pickling? ›

Traditional pickle making includes canning, which uses high temperatures to sterilize and create an airtight seal that further preserves the contents from spoilage. Quick pickling uses the same basic ingredients as traditional pickling but you skip the canning process and store them in your refrigerator.

How long does quick pickling last? ›

Quick pickles last for 2-3 weeks when stored properly in the refrigerator. Take note: This is not a canning recipe. This is a simple refrigerator pickle. These pickles stay crisp and are meant to be stored and served chilled.

How does quick pickling preserve food? ›

In quick pickling, the cold of the fridge lets the vinegary flavors of the brine marinate with the fruits or vegetables (and added spices) while forestalling the bacteria growth.

Which vinegar is best for quick pickling? ›

Tips and tricks for making quick pickled cucumbers: White vinegar is the traditional vinegar for this recipe and a great place to start. If you know that you like apple cider or rice wine vinegar they are also good.

What is the 321 pickle rule? ›

This is a basic 3-2-1 pickle recipe—three parts vinegar, two parts water, one part sugar. Salt and spices are totally up to you. You can also reduce the amount of sugar for a more savory pickle brine.

How do chefs pickle so quickly? ›

Quick pickling is simply the act of storing fresh produce in a brine of vinegar, salt, water, and sometimes sugar, in the refrigerator. These pickles are not canned and are ready to eat mere hours after making, though I usually wait at least a day or two.

Why boil vinegar before pickling? ›

You take all of your ingredients, apart from the product that is being pickled, and bring them to a boil. The heating process helps activate the flavors in the brine and marry them together. This hot brine is then poured over what is to be pickled and then stored in the refrigerator.

Is quick pickling safe? ›

In fresh-pack or quick-pickles, the big concern is that sufficient acid be present to prevent growth of harmful pathogens. Cider or white vinegar of 5 percent acidity (50 grain) is recommended for pickling. Often older pickle recipes will call for less vinegar than water.

Why do you soak cucumbers in ice water before pickling? ›

Better yet, grow them in the garden and ferment the day you pick them! Tasting the stem end can give you a sense of whether the pickle will be bitter since that's the end where bitterness concentrates. Soaking your cucumbers in ice water 30-60 minutes before fermenting seems to help keep crispness.

Can I reuse quick pickling liquid? ›

How many times can I reuse pickle juice? To be on the safe side, we wouldn't recommend reusing it more than once, although some say you can safely reuse it 2 or 3 times. Again, watch for changes in the clarity of the brine.

Should I use sugar when pickling? ›

Sugar in pickling is used to balance the tartness of the vinegar. Although the sugar can be eliminated from pickle recipes, the pickles are likely to be too sour. Note: Under no circ*mstances should the amount of vinegar be decreased or diluted to compensate for less sugar.

Which is the cheapest method of food preservation? ›

Cheap food preservation methods include canning, pickling, fermenting, drying, cellaring and making your own vinegar from potato peels or other produce.

What is the ratio for quick pickling? ›

For our base Epi pickle brine, we wanted a solution that could be used with virtually any vegetable to create a simple but satisfying snack. This liquid uses a ratio that's easy to remember: Add equal parts water and vinegar, one-quarter part sugar by volume, and one-sixteenth part kosher salt.

How to pickle something quickly? ›

How to Quick-Pickle Anything
  1. Prep produce. Trim and cut 1 pound vegetables or fruit into evenly thick pieces for uniform pickling. ...
  2. Mix and boil brine. ...
  3. Temper jars. ...
  4. Marry brine with prepared produce. ...
  5. Cool, cover, wait.
May 4, 2022

What is the ratio of vinegar to water for pickling? ›

The basic ratio for quick pickles is 1:1 vinegar to water, and includes some combination of salt and sugar. Another ratio that is commonly followed is the 3:2:1 method, using three parts vinegar, two parts water, and 1 part sugar.

What is the formula for pickles? ›

For quick pickles, a basic brine is equal parts vinegar and water, but you can adjust the ratio to your preference. Any basic vinegar is game — white vinegar, apple cider, white wine, and rice vinegar all work well. You can use these vinegars alone or in combination.

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