How long does quick pickling take?
The actual process of pickling takes as little as 10 minutes. Then you should allow your pickles to rest in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours before serving. Although for best flavor, let them brine for 24 hours before serving.
How long do quick pickles last?
Quick pickles are not shelf stable and must be stored in the refrigerator, where they will last for up to one month. The exception being onions and shallots which will last in the fridge for about two weeks. For this reason, quick pickles are best made in smaller batches or as part of your meal preparation.
What type of vinegar, salt and sugar should I use?
Vinegar: It depends on the flavor you are going for! Distilled white vinegar is the most commonly used, because it has a clean, crisp flavor that retains the produce’s original taste and color best. Apple cider vinegar lends a milder, sweeter flavor if you don’t mind the darker color. White wine, red wine and champagne vinegar all are great to use with pickling. Thicker vinegars like malt or balsamic can be used, but they have a stronger taste so it’s suggested to dilute those with white vinegar in a 1:4 ratio.
Salt: There are specific pickling/canning salts available but for quick pickling, kosher salt is best. You can use table salt as well, but the non-caking agents in most table salt may turn your brine cloudy.
Sugar: Granulated white sugar is the most commonly used sugar. If you would like to add a different flavor to your recipe, try using brown sugar or coconut sugar.
Which herbs & spices are good for pickling?
This all depends on your personal taste and what flavor you are going for! For something like pickled red onions that I’m going to use as a topping, I typically go for just a clean and simple flavor with no extra spices or herbs. For classic dill pickles, a combination of dill (weed, seed and/or flower heads), garlic cloves, mustard seed and peppercorns is commonly used. A basic, all-purpose pickling spice usually will often include peppercorns, mustard seed, coriander seed, dill seed, red pepper flakes, bay leaves along with a “sweet” spice like cinnamon, allspice berries, or cloves. Here are some common spices and herbs that I’ve seen used in pickling recipes:
Black or white peppercorn
Dill weed (fresh or dry), seed or flower heads
Mustard seeds
Coriander seed
Cinnamon sticks
Allspice berries
Mustard seed
Coriander seed
Bay leaves
Garlic
Ginger root
Whole Cloves
Black peppercorn
Cardamom pods
Dill seed
Red chili flakes
Star anise
Fennel seeds
Rosemary
Oregano
Thyme
Tarragon
Mint
Sage
Chives
There are tons of pickling recipes out there for you to get inspired by, and I invite you to experiment with making your own flavor combinations! I’m sharing a few I’ve been playing with along with the recipe for a simple, all-purpose brine you can customize to your own liking below.
