How To Quick Pickle Fresh Vegetables to Perfection

At Betty Crocker, it’s no question that we love baking. But we also adore all things that help you live your best homemade life, like your vegetable garden. If your summer yield left you with an abundance of cucumbers, beans or other fresh veggies, it’s time to get quick pickling!

Quick pickling is a wonderful way to make the most of your crop — pickled veggies can be enjoyed on their own or as an addition to anything from end-of-summer BBQs to back-to-school dinners.

Whether you know your way around a Mason jar or are completely new to pickling, with our easy recipes and a few basic supplies, you’ll be “quick pickling” to perfection in no time.

Quick pickling is the process of immersing food in a vinegar and water mixture, called a brine. Quick pickling is great when you know you’ll want to eat your veggies within a few weeks vs. more shelf-stable options that require canning or fermenting. For this reason, quick pickles are also often referred to as refrigerator pickles.

A basic quick brine is a combo of water, salt, vinegar, and sometimes sugar and aromatics, otherwise known as herbs and spices. Aromatic ingredients are what give your brine layers of flavor. The brine mixture is added to veggies in the jar, sealed and left to sit for a short period of time to achieve the best flavor.

Despite its name, there is so much more to quick pickling than pickles (i.e., cucumbers). You can pretty much pickle any vegetable. Some of our late summer faves include:

• Cucumbers
• Onions
• Beets
• Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Cherry tomatoes
• Green beans
• Peppers

For a quick pickling brine that works with any veggie, we recommend a ratio of 1:1 water to vinegar in a 1-quart Mason jar, but you can adjust the ratio to fit your fancy.

Have fun with making your pickles — there are so many different aromatic and veggie combinations to try!

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup vinegar such as white wine, red wine, rice wine or apple cider
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• Your choice of vegetable

• 2 sprigs fresh herbs such as thyme, dill, or rosemary
• 1 to 2 garlic cloves
• 1” piece ginger
• 1 to 2 fresh or dried chili peppers
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon whole spices such as black peppercorns, mustard seeds, coriander, fennel or crushed red pepper flakes

1. If necessary, peel your veggies and then thinly slice or cut them into pieces. If you’re using cherry tomatoes, you can leave them whole and simply poke a few holes in the skin. For green beans, trim and blanch them first.
2. Fill a clean, dry 1-quart Mason jar with your vegetables and 3-6 aromatics of your choice. Tip: Pack your jar so that it’s full, but not so full that the brine can’t get around the veggies and aromatics.
3. In a small saucepan, combine the water, vinegar, sugar and salt. Heat over medium-high, stirring occasionally to sugar and salt dissolve and the brine simmers. Remove from heat.
4. Pour the brine over the veggies while it is still hot. Make sure it covers the vegetables. Let cool to room temp.
5. Seal the jar and refrigerate for 2 hours. Make sure to leave a little space at the top of the jar when you seal it. Pickles can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Quick pickling is a fun and easy project to do at home that helps you use up your extra veggies. But the best part? Pickled veggies are a great ingredient in so many different recipes. From burgers and sandwiches to salads and sides, we’ve gathered a few of our favorite dishes for inspiration, as well as some additional pickled veggie recipes. Give them a try and, if you like, let us know what you think by sharing a review!