While you can technically pickle any time of year, something about quick pickling always feels very summery to me. On a hot day, I love reaching into the fridge to enjoy a crisp pickled vegetable for a snack or with my lunch, and quick pickles are so easy to make. They’re perfect for all the 4th of July grilling this week!
When I say “quick pickles,” my mind goes to cucumbers first, but you can quick pickle pretty much any vegetable. Quick pickled cauliflower is my second favorite behind cucumbers, but I also love yellow squash, carrots, green beans, and asparagus.
You can also play with different kinds of flavorings for the brine. A plain brine just calls for vinegar, water, and salt, but you can add different herbs and spices to flavor the brine and vegetables. The flavorings I include most often are garlic cloves and whole black peppercorns, but you can also do fresh herbs like dill, rosemary, and thyme, or spices like turmeric or coriander.
It’s helpful to think about the classic flavor affinities for the vegetables you pick, and go from there. For instance, if you did a quick pickle for carrots, you may want to add some flavor affinities like ginger or lemon peel. It can be helpful to get a copy of the Flavor Bible to look up flavor ideas!
Okay, let’s go through the process of how to do a quick pickle. The major difference between quick pickling and regular pickling is that we’re not canning anything, and the vegetables must be stored in the fridge and eaten within a month or two of making them. But you can make as small or large of a batch as you’d like!
To get started, wash and cut your selected vegetable, then place it into a clean, dry container. I like glass tupperware or glass jars for quick pickling, as you’ll be adding very hot brine to the container.
Next add whatever flavorings you’d like into the jars. To go with the Persian cucumber, I added a garlic clove and some fresh chives. I had originally planned for dill, but when I opened the fridge, my eye went to the chives first and I thought their subtle onion flavor would go well with the cucumber.
Bring the brine to a boil, made with equal parts vinegar and water, plus salt, then pour it into the jar. You want to completely cover the vegetables with the brine.
Put a lid on, then let the jar cool to room temperature before storing in the fridge.
I like to let the pickles sit in the fridge for at least one day, though they really start tasting more pickle-like after 2–3 days. You will see the color change from the bright green fresh color to a more yellowish green color that’s typical of pickles.
They will last in the fridge for at least one month, and up to two. Enjoy!
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