Not sure what to do with all those extra veggies in your refrigerator? Follow this simple how-to guide for making flavor packed quick pickled vegetables with almost any veggie right at home.
Crisp quick pickled vegetables are one of my favorite ways to prolong the seasonal flavors of summer, while also reducing food waste and preserving all of those abundant veggies that you may not know what to do with. The best part about making quick pickles is that you really can use any vegetable and vinegar/spice combination to make them unique to your personal taste preferences, and they don’t require any special canning equipment or a new skill to learn.
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What Is A Quick Pickle?
While most people may think of the classic dill cucumber pickle when they hear the word “pickle”, a quick pickle is actually any vegetable that has been preserved, aka pickled, in a vinegar brine. Quick pickled vegetables can be anything from cucumbers to radishes, beets, cabbage, onion, the list really goes on and on.
Quick pickles are also given their “quick” name because they don’t require any lengthy canning process like water bath or pressure canning, and instead can come together in less than 10 minutes by simply pouring a hot vinegar brine over a jar of tightly packed fresh vegetables. The only downside to quick pickled vegetables over some other methods of pickling is that they must be kept in the refrigerator and consumed ideally within 60 days for food safety.
How To Quick Pickle Vegetables
Quick pickled vegetables really couldn’t be easier to make and involve just a few simple ingredients and steps to preserve a lot of fresh and seasonal veggies.
Step One: Sanitize Your Pickling Jars
While pickling is a great way to preserve vegetables safely, it still is important to begin the pickling process with clean jars that have been thoroughly washed and dried. Begin by choosing glass pickling jars with tight fitting lids and rings, and sanitize in your dishwasher or by washing with soap and water.
Once sanitized, place your jars in a clean spot where they can dry completely.
Step Two: Wash And Prep Your Veggies
Decide what veggies you would like to quick pickle and make sure to wash and dry them thoroughly. Depending on the vegetable, you may also want to peel away the skin (beets/carrots) and chop based on how you would like to consume the quick pickled vegetable once they are done.
Once you have washed and prepped your veggies you can pack them firmly into your pickling jars. Just make sure to leave 1/2 inch of room from the top of the jar.
Step Three: Choose Your Spices
There are many different spice combinations you can use for making quick picked vegetables so choose the ones that you like the most. In the following section I have also listed some ideas for spices that make for really delicious quick pickled vegetables.
Once you have decided on your spices, simply sprinkle them into each jar with the veggies.
Step Four: Make A Brine
One of the best parts about quick pickled vegetables is that you can use a basic brine for almost every recipe. Keep reading for my favorite quick pickle brine recipe that I use as a starting point for all my quick pickles.
Step Five: Pour Brine Into Pickling Jars With Veggies
After you have made a brine, you can pour the brine into the pickling jars with your veggies and spices. Just leave 1/2 inch of room at the top of each jar and make sure to cover the veggies completely.
Step Six: Cover And Cool
Once your pickling jars are filled you can immediately cover them and set them aside to cool down to room temperature before placing in the refrigerator.
Step Seven: Refrigerate
After 4-7 days you can open your quick pickled vegetables and enjoy! Store the quick pickled vegetables in the refrigerator at all times for up to 60 days.
Ingredients You Will Need For Quick Pickled Vegetables
Making quick pickled vegetables is really simple, and does not involve a lot of ingredients. In fact, you most likely have everything you need to make quick pickled vegetables at home right now.
Fresh Vegetables
The best quick pickled vegetables always use fresh, crisp vegetables that are ideally in season. Some ideas for vegetables to quick pickle are:
- Cucumbers
- Peppers
- Red Onion
- Scallions
- Asparagus
- Radish
- Beets
- Cabbage
Pickling Brine Ingredients
- Salt (I prefer to use Himalayan Sea Salt by Mountain Rose Herbs
- Sugar or Honey
- White Vinegar or Apple Cider Vinegar
- Water
Dried Herbs and Spices
- Peppercorns rainbow peppercorns
- Mustard Seeds mustard seeds
- Chili Flakes chili flakes
Fresh Herbs and Spices
- Fresh Dill
- Fresh Rosemary
- Fresh Thyme
- Fresh Tarragon
- Garlic Cloves
- Hot Peppers (Jalapeños, Poblanos, etc.)
Basic Quick Pickle Brine (Can Be Used For Most Quick Pickle Recipes)
The best part about making quick pickled vegetables is that you can use one basic quick pickle brine recipe for virtually every type of quick picked vegetable you wish to make.
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 2 tsp salt (I prefer to use Himalayan Sea Salt by Mountain Rose Herbs
- 1 tablespoon sugar (sugar is optional but will result in a more balanced pickle flavor. Add additional sugar if you prefer more of a sweet pickle.)
Directions
- In a medium size pot, combine water, white vinegar, salt, and sugar. Place over high heat on the stove, and bring to a boil, stirring consistently until the salt and sugar has been dissolved. Remove from the heat and pour immediately over pre-prepped vegetables in jars for pickling.
Note: This brine recipe will make 2 tightly packed pint jars of quick pickled vegetables. If making more jars or using larger jars simply increase the volume of the brine recipe to meet your needs.
Tips For The Best Quick Pickled Vegetables
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Always use fresh and crisp seasonal vegetables for your quick pickles. You really don’t want to use vegetables that are a week or more old and have already started to soften as they will get quite mushy once pickled.
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Allow your quick pickled vegetables to sit in the refrigerator for 4-7 days before consuming. This will help improve the flavor, although you could crack a jar open after as little as 48 hours.
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Consumer your pickles ideally within 30 days. While you can keep your quick pickles in the refrigerator for up to two months, they will be their freshest when consumed within 30 days.
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Soak cucumbers and radishes in ice cold water for 30 minutes before pickling. This will help these vegetables draw in water and firm up, which will result in a crispier pickle.
Sweet & Sour Quick Pickled Radishes
Ingredients
- 4 bunches of fresh, crisp radishes
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 2 tsp salt (I prefer to use Himalayan Sea Salt by Mountain Rose Herbs
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon rainbow peppercorns
Methods
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Sanitize 2 pint size jars either in the dishwasher or by washing by hand. Set jars aside to dry completely.
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Wash and dry radishes, and thinly slice. Pack radishes tightly into sanitized jars making sure to leave 1/2 inch of space from the top of the jar.
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Sprinkle spices evenly between the prepped radish jars.
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Make the brine by combining vinegar, water, salt, and sugar in a medium size sauce pan over high heat. Bring brine to a boil and stir consistently until salt and sugar have dissolve.
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Remove brine from heat and pour over the prepped radishes, making sure to fill each jar to 1/2 inch of the top.
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Cover each jar with their lids and screw on tight.
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Allow each jar to cool to room temperature before placing in the refrigerator. Allow quick pickled radishes to sit for 4-7 days before eating.
Honey Garlic Quick Pickled Beets
Ingredients
- 4 medium size beets (thinly sliced)
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 2 tsp salt (I prefer to use Himalayan Sea Salt by Mountain Rose Herbs
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon rainbow peppercorns
- 2 cloves fresh garlic (smashed and sliced)
Methods
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Sanitize 2 pint size jars either in the dishwasher or by washing by hand. Set jars aside to dry completely.
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Wash, dry and peel beets before thinly slicing. Pack beets tightly into sanitized jars making sure to leave 1/2 inch of space from the top of the jar.
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Sprinkle your spices and garlic evenly between your jars.
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Make the brine by combining vinegar, water, salt, and sugar in a medium size sauce pan over high heat. Bring brine to a boil and stir consistently until salt and sugar have dissolve.
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Remove brine from heat and pour over the prepped beets, making sure to fill each jar to 1/2 inch of the top.
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Cover each jar with their lids and screw on tight.
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Allow each jar to cool to room temperature before placing in the refrigerator. Allow quick pickled beets to sit for 4-7 days before eating.
Garlic Quick Pickled Asparagus
Ingredients
- 2 bunches of fresh, crisp asparagus (ends removed)
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 2 tsp salt (I prefer to use Himalayan Sea Salt by Mountain Rose Herbs
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 2 fresh garlic cloves (smashed and sliced)
Methods
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Sanitize 2 pint size jars either in the dishwasher or by washing by hand. Set jars aside to dry completely.
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Wash and dry asparagus. Remove the tough bottom part of the stem, and chop asparagus spears to fit in jars. Pack asparagus tightly into sanitized jars making sure to leave 1/2 inch of space from the top of the jar.
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Sprinkle your spices and garlic evenly between your jars.
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Make the brine by combining vinegar, water, salt, and sugar in a medium size sauce pan over high heat. Bring brine to a boil and stir consistently until salt and sugar have dissolve.
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Remove brine from heat and pour over the prepped asparagus, making sure to fill each jar to 1/2 inch of the top.
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Cover each jar with their lids and screw on tight.
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Allow each jar to cool to room temperature before placing in the refrigerator. Allow quick pickled asparagus to sit for 4-7 days before eating.
Spicy Quick Pickled Scallions
Ingredients
- 6 bunches of fresh scallions (chopped)
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 2 tsp salt (I prefer to use Himalayan Sea Salt by Mountain Rose Herbs
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon rainbow peppercorns
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp chili flakes
- Optional: 1 jalapeño (chopped)
Methods
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Sanitize 2 pint size jars either in the dishwasher or by washing by hand. Set jars aside to dry completely.
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Wash and dry scallions, and chop into bit size pieces. Pack scallions tightly into sanitized jars making sure to leave 1/2 inch of space from the top of the jar.
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Sprinkle spices evenly between the jars.
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Make the brine by combining vinegar, water, salt, and sugar in a medium size sauce pan over high heat. Bring brine to a boil and stir consistently until salt and sugar have dissolve.
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Remove brine from heat and pour over the prepped scallions, making sure to fill each jar to 1/2 inch of the top.
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Cover each jar with their lids and screw on tight.
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Allow each jar to cool to room temperature before placing in the refrigerator. Allow quick pickled scallions to sit for 4-7 days before eating.
Note: Quick pickled vegetables are not canned, which means that they must be kept in the refrigerator and should ideally be consumed within two months for food safety.
