Pickle recipes don’t have to involve standing over a boiling hot water bath canner when the temperature outside is triple digits. Instead, quick pickling is your answer to easy and painless preserving.
It’s especially helpful to learn how to quick pickle if you have small harvests from your garden or if you want to preserve something quickly before it spoils.
There are many delicious quick pickle recipes in the world, but to keep it simple, I stick to one basic brine recipe that I tailor to whatever the main ingredient is that I’m pickling.
Basic Pickle Recipe for Brine
My basic quick pickle recipe for brining pickles is:
1 cup water
1 cup 5 percent white distilled vinegar
1 tbsp. canning/pickling sat
This amount of brine will cover a one-quart jar packed with vegetables and seasonings.
Here are three quick pickle recipes for you to try this summer. But remember to be creative and with my basic brine recipe above, you can experiment with any fresh produce and seasonings if your choice.
Quick Pickled Jalapenos
Yield: 1 quart jar
1-2 pounds fresh jalapenos, sliced into ¼” rings
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1 tsp. dried dill seed
Quick Pickled Cucumbers
1-2 pounds fresh small pickling cucumbers
1 garlic clove, sliced
1 tsp. dried dill seed or 2 springs of fresh dill
1 tsp. yellow mustard seeds
Note: If you have large pickling cucumbers, you can halve or quarter them lengthwise and fit them into the jar. If you want sliced cucumbers for burgers, it’s recommended to use small pickling cucumbers for the best texture. Also, always only use cucumbers that have been harvested within 48 hours – this will aid in keeping the pickles crunchy.
Quick Pickled Spicy Carrots
1-2 pounds grated or coined carrots
1 jalapeno pepper
1 garlic clove, sliced
1 tsp. coriander seed
How To Quick Pickle
In a nonreactive pan, bring the brine ingredients to a simmer and stir until the salt is dissolved.
Ladle the warm brine over the vegetables until they are completely covered with brine by at least one-quarter inch.
Wipe the rim with a dampened towel to remove any brine and add the canning lid and screw on the ring. Allow the warm jar to cool on your counter until it reaches room temperature. Once cooled, transfer to the refrigerator. Allow the veggies to pickle for at least 48 hours before tasting.
The longer your veggies pickle, the more flavor they will have. They’ll have the best flavor and texture if enjoyed within two months.
Quick Pickle Recipe Notes
Always wash supplies with warm soapy water when preserving food. Also, be sure that your food prep space has also been thoroughly cleaned before beginning.
When it comes to pickling brine, use pickle recipes that note to use at least a ratio of 1:1 vinegar and water. You want at least 50% or more of the brine to be vinegar. When it comes to vinegar, you want to use vinegar that has at least 5% acidity, this will ensure that your pickle recipe is safe.
This article about quick pickle recipes was written for Hobby Farms magazine. Click here to subscribe.
