Pickling extra vegetables is a delicious way to preserve string beans, cucumbers, peppers, cauliflower, turnips, or any leftover produce that you have lying around. It’s much, much easier to make great quick pickles at home than you’d ever imagine. Plus, once you’ve turned your vegetables into pickles, they’ll keep for at least a few weeks in the fridge. You can use them as condiments for your sliders or sloppy joes, or add them to salads for extra freshness and punch.
Quick pickles are one of our favorite ways to add zing and personality to recipes. Homemade pickles can be a great healthy snack, and pickling is an easy way to preserve extra vegetables. The salinity and acid in pickle brine helps vegetables stay fresh. Quick pickles will keep in your fridge for up to a week.
How to make quick pickles with any vegetable at home
Ingredients
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 Tbsps black peppercorns
- 2-3 bay leaves
- ¼ C sugar
- ¼ C kosher salt
- 1 C white wine vinegar
- 4 C water
1. Peel the garlic cloves and roughly crush them with the flat side of a knife or the bottom of a jar.
2. Add all ingredients to a medium pan (nonstick if you have one), and bring to a boil over medium heat.
3. Let the mixture boil until it has reduced by about one third of its total volume. While the mixture cooks, prepare your vegetables.
4. Wash and trim your vegetables. We recommend cutting them into bite-sized pieces. Arrange the cleaned vegetables in glass jars.
5. Once it has reduced, carefully pour the still hot liquid into the glass jars with the vegetables. Pour enough liquid to cover the vegetables. Allow to cool to room temperature, then place in the fridge.
6. Pickles will be ready to eat once they’re room temperature, but the flavor will improve overnight.
Read more about Blue Apron’s favorite pickles here.
