How To Quick Pickle Any Vegetable

Cool, briny pickles straight from the fridge are one of the simplest pleasures of summer. Quick pickling is also a brilliant solution for preserving a plethora of summer vegetables from the market or your garden.

Quick pickling doesn’t require canning or a bushel of vegetables. Best of all, you can adapt this simple formula for any fresh vegetables; try a mixture of vinegars and spices for a truly custom pickle pleasure. Here’s how to make these easy quick pickles in just 20 minutes.

• Quick pickles are also known as refrigerator pickles. They are simply vegetables that are pickled in a vinegar, water, and salt (sometimes sugar, too) solution and stored in the refrigerator.
• Quick pickles don’t require canning when refrigerated. Quick pickles don’t develop the deep flavor that fermented pickles do, but they also only require a few days in the brine before they can be enjoyed.

• Pickling is best done with super-fresh vegetables. Save the slightly bruised specimens for soups or other forms of preservation.
• Almost any vegetable can be pickled. And the shape you choose to pickle in is entirely up to you.

Carrots can be peeled and sliced into matchsticks or coins. Cherry tomatoes are best preserved whole. If you’re using green vegetables — to make, for example, green bean pickles or zucchini pickles — you can blanch vegetables first in boiling water for two to three minutes and then shock them in an ice bath to preserve their color, but this step is purely optional.

• Thinly slice: Cucumbers, summer squash, ginger, and red onion.
• Cut into spears: Carrots and cucumbers.
• Peel: Carrots.
• Blanch: Green beans (optional, but helps preserve their color).

For quick pickles, a basic brine is equal parts vinegar and water, but you can adjust the ratio to your preference. Any basic vinegar is game — white vinegar, apple cider, white wine, and rice vinegar all work well. You can use these vinegars alone or in combination. Steer clear of aged or concentrated vinegars like balsamic or malt vinegar for pickling.

The secret to a really unique, flavorful pickle is in the spices you add to the brine.

• Dill pickles: They’re perfect simply flavored with garlic, dill seed, and red pepper flakes.
• Pickled carrots: They become more exotic when pickled with coriander, ginger, turmeric, and thyme.
• Pickled green beans: A classic combination include green beans with garlic and fresh dill.
• Pickled cherry tomatoes: Try them with black peppercorns and garlic.
• Pickled zucchini or yellow squash: They’re great with onion and garlic.

• Fresh herbs: Dill, thyme, oregano, and rosemary hold up well.
• Dried herbs: Thyme, dill, rosemary, oregano, or majoram.
• Garlic cloves: Smashed for mild garlic flavor, or sliced for stronger garlic flavor.
• Fresh ginger: Peeled and thinly sliced.
• Whole spices: Mustard seed, coriander, peppercorns, red pepper flakes.
• Ground spices: Turmeric or smoked paprika are great for both color and flavor.

1. Prepare the jars. Wash 2 wide-mouth pint jars, lids, and rings in warm, soapy water and rinse well. Set aside to dry, or dry completely by hand.
2. Prepare the vegetables. Wash and dry the fresh vegetables. Cut vegetables into desired shapes and sizes.
3. Add the flavorings. Divide the fresh herbs; whole spices, dried herbs, or ground spices; and smashed or sliced garlic between the jars.
4. Add the vegetables. Pack the vegetables into the jars, making sure there is a 1/2 inch of space from the rim of the jar to the tops of the vegetables.
5. Make the brine. Place the vinegar, water, kosher salt, and granulated sugar (if using) in a small saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the salt and sugar. Pour the brine over the vegetables, filling each jar to within 1/2 inch of the top.
6. Remove air bubbles. Gently tap the jars against the counter a few times to remove all the air bubbles. Top off with more brine if necessary.
7. Seal the jars. Place the lids on the jars and screw on the rings until tight.
8. Cool and refrigerate. Let the jars cool to room temperature. Store the pickles in the refrigerator. The pickles will improve with flavor as they age — try to wait at least 48 hours before cracking them open.

These quick pickles are not canned. They can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.