Quick-pickling skips labor-intensive canning steps and allows tangy pickling of smaller batches of vegetables and fruits. Most fresh veggies are tasty candidates for quick refrigerator pickles. Try cucumbers, asparagus, carrots, onions, peppers, green beans, cauliflower, squash and more. Pickled fruits can include pineapple, cherries and watermelon. Basic quick-pickling brine consists of water, vinegar that is at least 5 percent acetic acid, salt and perhaps sugar.  Add-ins can include garlic cloves, fresh or dried herbs and whole or ground spices. Pickled vegetables are tangy additions to burgers, banh mi, tacos, nachos, pizza, grilled fish, pasta salads and much more. They also are tasty ingredients for a charcuterie board.

Quick Pickling Basics

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Produce: Wash, peel and slice carrots into spears or discs. Thinly slice red onions, cucumbers and summer squash. Trim ends of whole green beans. In general, cut produce into desired shapes to fit jars. If you like, blanch green beans before pickling to brighten their color.

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Herbs & Spices: Flavor pickles with fresh herbs (dill, rosemary, thyme, oregano, bay leaves); dried herbs (dill, rosemary, marjoram, thyme); garlic cloves (smashed or peeled and sliced) or spices (peeled ginger, peppercorns, red pepper flakes, mustard seeds, coriander, ground paprika).

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Vinegar: Distilled white vinegar is commonly used in recipes because it retains produce flavor, color and crispness. Apple cider vinegar imparts mellow, fruity taste that enhances strong-flavored produce such as broccoli and Brussels sprouts. White wine vinegar’s delicate flavor marries well with cucumbers and green beans. Malt vinegar’s strong, tart flavor enhances onions.

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Containers: Use wide-mouthed quart jars for single or small-batch pickling. Wash jars, rinse well and let dry completely. To prevent cracking, slightly warm glass jars under warm running water, then dry completely.

How to Make Quick Pickles

6 Quick Pickles Combos

1. Beets with Rosemary and Cinnamon

Red Beets + Cinnamon Sticks + Rosemary

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2. Giardiniera

Carrots + Pearl Onions + Broccolini + Cauliflower + Celery + Bay Leaves + Peppercorns + Mustard Seeds

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3. Pineapple with Jalapeño and Lime

Pineapple + Jalapeño + Lime + Coriander Seeds

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4. Rainbow Sweet Peppers

Mini Sweet Peppers + Thyme + Oregano

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5. Bread-and-Butter Pickles

English Cucumber + Shallots + Cloves + Celery Seeds + Mustard Seeds + Red Pepper

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6. Red Onions and Herbs

Red Onions + Thyme + Tarragon + Rosemary

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3 Easy Meal Ideas Using Quick Pickles

Grilled Italian Pickled-Peppers Pizza

Smoky flavor and aroma permeate cooked sausage; mozzarella and burrata cheeses; and Italian herbs and seasonings on a grilled crust.

More Ways to Enjoy Quick Pickles

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• Top pizza with pickled jalapeños and/or garlic scapes.
• Mix diced pickled asparagus into omelets.
• Top hummus with pickled bell pepper rings.
• Pickle sugar snap peas, slice them diagonally and add to potato salad.
• Add pickled red onions to a grain bowl or a pasta salad.
• Mix finely chopped pickled veggies into fried rice for color and crunch.
• Top deviled eggs with pickled red bell pepper or pickled asparagus.
• Add pickled beets to an arugula salad.

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How to Store Quick Pickles

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Quick-pickling does not preserve produce for as long as traditional pickling methods do. Store quick pickles in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Some recipes may allow slightly longer refrigerated shelf life.