I love making quick pickles because they are such a fun addition to a meal. I love adding them to salads, sandwiches, rice bowls, eating them as a snack or having them on hand for a great appetizer, when hosting.
Below is the typical pickling juice I use, but I switch up what spices or veggies I add depending on what I am craving, the season, or what genre the dish I am making is in.
Share your favorite spices and pickling recipes below in the comments!
Some of my go-to picking items:
Cucumbers
Beets
Red onions
Carrots
String beans
radishes
Grapes
Pause here and think about what type of food you want to pickle and why. Is it to match a meal? Are you craving a certain snack, texture or flavor?
Next, think about what pickle brine you want to create. What spices and flavors do you want?
Pickling juice ingredients (American /Mediterranean flavors):
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons sugar (white or coconut sugar)
My go-to spices:
3 garlic cloves
1-2 tablespoons mustard seeds
1 teaspoon celery seeds
1 teaspoon dill seeds
Pickling juice ingredients (Asian flavor):
1 cup rice vinegar
1 cup water
3 tablespoons sugar (white or coconut sugar)
Directions:
Wash out your glass jar container.
In a pot, add the vinegar, water, salt, and sugar. Bring to a boil and make sure everything is dissolved.
Meanwhile, prepare your jars by placing your desired spices on the bottom of the jar. Prep your veggies and pack them into the jar as tightly as possible. Think about how you’d like the veggies to be cut. For instance, cucumbers taste differently when they are cut thinly or cut into thick long slivers. Mindfully check-in what best fits your intention. (Keep in mind, the thinner you cut your veggies, the faster the pickling process will take.)
Once the brine boils, pour the brine in the jar over the veggies and save about 1/2 inch of space at the top.
Close the jar and gently shake the pickle jar so that the herbs and flavors mix.
Let the jar get to room temperature before placing it in the fridge to “cook”.
Mindfully wait 2 hours before opening them up. Leave over night for a deeper richer flavor.
Mindfully enjoy each flavorful bite!