NO SUGAR Quick Pickled Vegetables
Use this NO SUGAR Quick Pickles Master Recipe for Pickling any Vegetable. These instructions also include a Basic Pickling Spice Recipe.
Servings: 8 cups
Equipment
- 1 half gallon jar, 2 quart-sized jars, or 4 pint-sized jars (with lid/lids)
Ingredients
Basic Pickling Spice Mix (See Recipe Notes Below)
- 6 tbsp. Mustard seeds, yellow or brown
- 3 tbsp. Allspice berries
- 2 tbsp. Dill seeds 1 tbsp of dry dill can be substituted
- 2 tbsp. Coriander seeds
- 1 tbsp. Red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp. Whole cloves
Vegetables
- 8 cups Vegetables, cut into bite-sized pieces I used cauliflower florets, sweet bell peppers, and 1 jalapeño pepper. See Recipe Notes below for other options.
Brine
- 2 cups Water
- 2 cups Vinegar Plain white vinegar works best, but you can also use apple cider vinegar.
- 1 tbsp. Fine ground salt If using a coarse ground salt, you will need 2 tablespoons.
- 2 tbsp. Basic pickling spice mix
Instructions
Basic Pickling Spice Mix
- Mix all the spices together and store in an air-tight jar. Your mix will stay fresh for at least one year. (You will only need to use 2 tbsps of this pickling spice mix for this recipe.)
Quick Pickled Vegetables
- Fill your jar(s) with vegetables and pack tightly, leaving a 1/2 inch headspace from the rim of the jar(s). Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, mix water, vinegar, salt, and pickling spice together. This is your brine. Bring your brine to a boil and then turn the heat down to medium and simmer for 10 minutes.
- After the 10 minute simmer, begin to carefully ladle the brine into the jar(s). Be sure to cover the vegetables completely, leaving a 1/2 inch headspace from the rim of the jar.
- Some of the pickling spice mix may accumulate on top of the vegetables as you ladle in the brine. As the hot brine begins to soften the vegetables, the pickling spices will slowly work their way throughout the jar(s).
- Allow the vegetables in the brine to cool slightly and then put the lid(s) on the jar(s) and refrigerate. Your quick pickled vegetables should be ready to eat within one hour.
Video
Notes
Pickling Spice Options:
I have provided a "basic" pickling spice mix recipe. However, you can modify this mix to suit your own tastes. Other herbs and spices that work well for pickling include:
- Bay leaves (This ingredient is especially helpful when pickling cucumbers since bay leaves contain tannins that will help to keep the cucumbers crisp.)
- Black peppercorns
- Cardamon pods
- Cinnamon sticks
- Fennel seeds
- Ginger, fresh grated
- Herbs de Provence
- Juniper berries
- Lemon peels
- Marjoram, fresh or dried
- Oregano, fresh or dried
- Rosemary, fresh or dried in moderation
- Star Anise
- Thyme, fresh or dried in moderation
- Turmeric, fresh grated
- Asparagus (add bay leaves to keep crisp)
- Beets (steam until just tender)
- Bell peppers
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Cauliflower florets
- Celery
- Cucumbers (add bay leaves to keep crisp)
- Diakon radish
- Eggplant
- Fennel
- Green beans (steam until just tender before pickling)
- Jalapeño peppers or other spicy peppers
- Okra
- Onions, any color including green onions and shallots
- Pepperoncinis
- Radish
- Turnips
- Zucchini