Quick Pickles 101

If you’re feeling guilty about the random carrot, extra bits of broccoli, handful of cauliflower, and/or the half onion abandoned in your fridge, there’s a delicious (and super easy) solution to reducing food waste at home… quick pickles!

Quick pickles are packed with flavor, and they extend the life of your veggies for up to a month.  A basic pickling brine consist of four basic ingredients: VINEGAR for acidity, WATER to cut the the acid, SUGAR to balance the acid, and SALT for flavor. You can mix and match different vegetables (and fruits) to be pickled, and as you’ll see in the recipe below, you can (and should!) pickle parts of vegetables that usually get thrown away, like the stems. Get creative with aromatics as well – everything from lemon peels to toasted spices, garlic, ginger, and herbs will add heaps of flavor to your colorful jars of quick pickles. Just get creative and use whatever you have on hand… it’s what eating like a farmer is all about.

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Quick Pickles 101

Yield: Makes 2 pint-sized jars of quick pickles
Author:

ingredients:

  • 1 pound of assorted fresh, seasonal vegetables
  • Optional seasonings: fresh herbs, whole spices, garlic, lemon zest, ginger
For the brine
  • 1 cup vinegar (you can use distilled white, apple cider, rice wine, etc)
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons sugar

instructions:

How to cook Quick Pickles 101

  1. Wash your mason jar and lid in hot soapy water, rinse and let air dry.
  2. Combine the brine ingredients in a saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the salt and sugar, then set aside to cool slightly.
  3. While the brine cools, wash your vegetables and cut into desired shapes/sizes. Keep in mind the smaller/thinner you cut the veggies, the more quickly the brine will penetrate. 
  4. Pack the vegetables and any herbs/ spices/aromatics in the jars, making sure there is a ½” of space from rim of the jar to the tops of the vegetables.
  5. Fill each jar to within ½” of the top with the slightly cooled brine. This recipe makes enough brine for 1 quart (or two pints) of quick pickles.
  6. Gently tap the jars against the counter to remove air bubbles. Top off with more brine if needed. Screw on lids until the rings are tight.
  7. Let the jars cool to room temperature. Store the pickles in the fridge. These will taste good after 24 hours. Enjoy for up to one month!
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