With temperatures rising and days lengthening, it’s easy to get excited about the summer harvest. From yellow squash to bushels of green beans, there is nothing better than crisp radish or cool pickle on a hot day, and there is no better way to enjoy it for months to come than to pickle it!
It’s simply amazing how easy and quick it can be to pickle some of your favorite vegetables so that you can continue enjoying it for months to come. When you don’t have time to learn the process of canning vegetables, pickling is the perfect solution. With just some boiling water, spices, and produce, the sky’s the limit on what you can save!
Gathering Ingredients
All you’ll need to start is a handful of clean mason jars, your favorite vegetable, vinegar, salt, sugar, and water! While those are the only ingredients you’ll need for a basic brine, what really makes pickled vegetables shine is the added spices. We like to add in some black peppercorn, dill, and bay leaves – but feel free to experiment and discover your perfect spice blend.
Simple Steps
Start by cutting up your veggies, we like to cut them into sticks, but there is no wrong way so long as you can fit them into the mason jars! Once done, stuff those veggies into the mason jars and make sure they fit tightly. Next, you’ll want to make the brine. The best part about this recipe is that it’s easily altered to make, however much brine you need. Simply start by combining equal parts water and vinegar, a quarter the amount of salt and sugar, and in spices, you’d like in a saucepan. Heat the ingredients over medium-high heat until the salt and sugar are fully dissolved. Once the brine starts to boil, take it off the heat and carefully pour it over your chosen produce. Close the jars tight and then refrigerate
That’s all, folks! The only real work involved will be letting the veggies sit long enough to absorb all the flavor from the brine and spices. We recommend letting them sit for a minimum of 48 hours, but if you can hold out longer, we promise it will be worth the wait!
