How to Make Quick Pickles – The Easy Way to Pickle Any Vegetable
Discover how to make Quick Pickles in my latest video. This process gives you an easy way to pickle any vegetable. Plus, I share a little tip on how to add a probiotic boost to these pickles without the need for fermentation!
What about Fermentation?
If you’ve had a chance to watch my previous videos, you know that I like to ferment vegetables because they are both tasty and rich in probiotics (good bacteria) that support our health.
Unfortunately, fermenting vegetables takes time, often anywhere from 7-14 days. And once you transfer your fermented veggies to your refrigerator, you typically need to wait another week or so for the flavors to mellow. So all told, it can take about three weeks until you can enjoy your fermented food.
Quick Pickles to the Rescue!
But what if you want to enjoy the delightful tang that’s common to ferments in a much shorter period of time? That’s where Quick Pickles come in! With my printable recipe, these pickles are easy to make and will be ready to enjoy within a few hours. Quick Pickles make a wonderful accompaniment to any meal, especially one that’s rich in protein to aid in digestion.
But What About the Probiotics?
Since they are not rich in probiotics, Quick Pickles don’t offer the same health benefits as ferments, but guess what? You can improve the pickle’s nutritional profile by adding a few tablespoons of a simple ingredient that most folks have in their pantry. And if you don’t have this ingredient on hand…you can make it homemade!
Start Making Quick Pickles Now
So be sure to watch my recipe video to discover how to make Quick Pickles…as well as learn how to kickstart the probiotic process and create quick pickles that contain some good bacteria and that will contribute to your overall good health!
But What About Other Vegetables?
Not in the mood to pickle cucumbers? No problem. You can use the technique outlined in the Quick Pickles recipe to pickle pretty much any vegetable that is traditionally pickled, including carrots, cauliflower, pearl onions, sweet bell peppers, and more!
Give Fermentation a Try
Once you master Quick Pickles, learn a new kitchen skill and try your hand at fermentation. In the videos below, I walk you through all you need to know to make Sauerkraut, Fermented Salsa, and Giardiniera (Italian vegetable medley), plus I share the secret to Crisp Fermented Pickles!
And if you are interested in learning the basics of water bath canning, watch my videos where I show you how to water bath can tomatoes and make a low sugar strawberry jam. Each canning video is a full-length tutorial, where I share everything you need to know from start to finish on how to make your home-canned goods shelf-stable.
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Love,Mary ♥
Quick Pickles
Equipment
- 3 quart size jars or 6 pint sized jars, with lids
- Large bowl
- Colander or large strainer
Ingredients
- 4 pounds English cucumbers or other cucumber variety with very few seeds If available, "Kirby" or pickling cucumbers are the best.
- 1/4 cup Salt Canning or Pickling salt is recommended.
- 3-6 Tea bags, preferably black tea Caffeinated or decaffeinated.
- Fresh herbs, optional I used dill.
- 3 1/2 – 4 cups Vinegar, preferably white vinegar with 5% acidity Apple Cider Vinegar is an alternative.
- 3 cups White sugar, optional If you omit the sugar, substitute 3 cups water
- 3 cups Water Only use if sugar is omitted.
- 2 teaspoons Yellow mustard seeds, optional
- 1/2 teaspoon Celery seed, optional
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric, optional
- 1/2 teaspoon Red pepper flakes, optional
- 1/2 cup Apple cider vinegar, raw, optional Use this vinegar if you want to add probiotics to your pickled vegetable.
Instructions
- Wash cucumbers, and with the peel left on, slice into 1/4 inch rounds.
- Place cucumber slices into a colander or large strainer that is placed over a large bowl.
- Sprinkle salt over the cucumbers and toss. Allow the cucumbers to drain at room temperature for one hour or in the refrigerator for 3 hours.
- Once cucumbers have been allowed to drain, prepare to place them in the jars. DO NOT RINSE THE CUCUMBER SLICES. Reserve the accumulated liquid in the bowl that was catching the cucumber liquid/salt drippings.
- If you are NOT water bath canning these pickles, place one black tea bag on the bottom of each jar. If you do plan to water bath can these pickles, simply begin to layer the cucumber slices into the jars without adding a tea bag.
- As you begin to layer cucumber slices into the jars, periodically GENTLY press down on the cucumber slices to try to compact them as tightly as possible without crushing them. If you are using fresh herbs, you can layer them periodically between the cucumber slices.
- Set the filled jars aside.
- SWEET BRINE PREPARATION: To prepare a sweet brine, mix the vinegar, sugar, mustard seeds, celery seeds, turmeric, and red pepper flakes (if using) into a medium-sized saucepan on high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil and stir well until all the sugar has dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat.
- SAVORY BRINE PREPARATION: To prepare a savory brine, mix the vinegar, water, mustard seeds, celery seeds, turmeric, and red pepper flakes (if using) into a medium-sized saucepan on high heat. Bring to a boil while stirring and then remove the pan from the heat.
- Using either brine, ladle the hot brine into each of the jars, leaving a 1/2 inch headspace in each jar. Allow the jars to cool, and then place a lid on each jar and refrigerate the jars for at least one hour before serving. These pickles will stay fresh in the refrigerator for approximately six months.
- PROBIOTIC BOOST PREPARATION: If you want to add a probiotic boost to either the sweet-brined pickles or the savory-brined pickles, fill your jars slightly lower than up to the normal 1/2 inch headspace. This will provide you with room to add in a few tablespoons of raw apple cider vinegar to each jar, bringing the total brine up to the 1/2 inch headspace. You will add the raw apple cider vinegar to each jar ONLY after the contents of the jars have cooled completely at room temperature. Afterward, these pickles will need to be refrigerated and cannot be water bath canned. These pickles will stay fresh in the refrigerator for approximately six months.
- WATER BATH CANNING PROCEDURE: If you want to water bath can these pickles, ladle hot brine into each of the jars, leaving a 1/2 inch headspace in each jar and then follow appropriate water bath canning procedures. Depending on what type of canning lids you use, these pickles, if canned properly, will have a shelf life for one year to 18 months.
Video
Notes
Shop for items used in this blog post or video
️Favorite Pickling and Canning Supplies
- Large Glass Bowl Set
- Colander
- Ball Wide Mouth 32-Ounce Canning Jars
- Ball Pint Sized Canning Jars
- White Storage Lids
- Ball Wide Mouth Lids and Bands
- Ball Electric Water Bath Canner and Multi-Cooker
- Canning Essentials Kit
- Canning Scoop/Ladle
- Canning Funnel with Head Space Markings
- Secure Lift Jar Lifter
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So good, Mary! BTW, if folks can’t find pickling cucumbers, the little”Persian” cucumbers work absolutely fabulously! Very crunchy. That’s all I could find for a couple of batches, and they’re available all year round. I know that Aldi carries them, as well as Sprouts. Not sure who else.