How To Pickle Vegetables At Home

Nothing beats a refreshing, crunchy bite of cold vegetables in the summer heat.

Pickled vegetables packed with flavors–rather than a harsh punch of sourness in your mouth—can be hard to find in your local grocery. Don’t worry, we’ve got all the tricks you need to make one in your kitchen and they’re very customizable.

Choosing your veggies

Fresh is always best. They’ll pack lots of freshness and flavour and would last much longer. Some vegetables you can pickle are carrots, cherry tomatoes, and zucchini. Almost any vegetable can be pickled!

To prepare, cut them into a uniform shape of your preference and blanch them in hot water for three minutes. To preserve their color, immediately bathe them in an ice bath.

Making your brine

Equal parts of vinegar and water are all you need. Any basic, non-concentrated, and non-aged vinegar works perfectly such as white vinegar, apple cider, or rice vinegar.

Adding a pop of flavor

Your pickle jar is your canvas. Customize your brine with garlic, ground spices, and lots of herbs. Our favorites include smoked paprika, dill, thyme, rosemary, and ginger.

You’ve learned the basics, now let’s jump right into it!

What you need:

450g fresh vegetables, cut

2 sprigs fresh herbs of your choice

1 to 2 tsp spices

2 cloves garlic, smashed

1 cup vinegar

1 cup water

1 tbsp salt

1 tbsp sugar

Instructions:

Rinse your vegetables and wash your jar clean.

Add flavorings to the jar first, followed by the cut vegetables. Do not fill the jar to the brim.

To make the brine, dissolve sugar and salt in vinegar in a saucepan, over high heat. Bring to a boil, and pour into the jar immediately. Avoid overfilling.

Remove air bubbles by gently tapping the jar against the countertop a few times.

Seal the jar tightly and let it cool to room temperature.

Store the jar in the fridge, and wait for 48 hours before consuming. They can be stored for up to 2 months. Enjoy!