How to Pickle Anything
Literally capturing time in a jar.
by Erin Henderson
August is always bitter-sweet for me.
On one hand, it’s alarming to see summer rapidly dwindling down, and the gut-punch of how time seems to race by faster and faster every year.
On the other, it’s harvest season. An explosion of colourful, ripe, leafy, plump, juicy and crisp fruits and vegetables weighing down farmers’ market tables and roadside stands.
I’m known for getting giddy at these country stalls, buying way more than I can possibly eat or cook. But ultra-fresh crops are just too enticing to resist. And I’m a weak woman.
Years ago, I took an extremely useful class in pickling, jarring, jamming, and fermenting. With my penchant for over-buying, preservation has been the name of my game ever since.
One of my favourite methods for preserving any extra fruit or vegetables is to quick pickle them.
Quick pickling is less laborious than jarring, and, as the name suggests, quick to do. The slight downside, and I really only say slight, is that whatever is quick pickled must be stored in the fridge, and only for a few weeks.
But, if you are at all like me, you will use up your products long before the best-before date.
I probably make a jar of pickled onions every week – they’re a hot commodity in my house. Other regulars in heavy rotation include hot peppers, celery, and beans. And, when they’re in season, I’ll pickle cherries, grapes, strawberries, for topping burrata and adding to cheeseboards and salads. Really, anything is pickle game.
Depending on the source, online advice suggests anywhere from a few days to three months is a safe range for keeping quick pickles. As always, err on the side of caution, and use your intuition as guidance. You may prefer pickles at the earlier stages when they’re still crisp. Or you may prefer how the pickles soften as days go by.
Basic Pickle Brine
This is a great starter method to quick pickling anything, and the one I use the most, since I don’t necessarily know where these quick pickles will end up – salads, burger toppings, soups, cheeseboards – and prefer a somewhat neutral base to the pickling flavour because of that.
However, feel free to add more spices to your liquid. Peppercorns, dill, coriander seeds, garlic cloves, allspice, bay leaves… Let the fruit or vegetable dictate what might work best: jalapeno with coriander seed and garlic, cherries with black peppercorn, green beans with dill, red pepper flakes, and mustard seeds. Really your imagination is the only limit.
Makes: About a litre
Chef level: Easy
Special Equipment: Heat and cold resistant jars with lids, funnel
Ingredients:
- 1 lb vegetable or fruit of choice, sliced or left whole (beans, carrots, hot peppers, cherries, peaches, plums, onions, cauliflower, celery etc.)
- 1 cup vinegar (I use either plain, distilled white or apple cider)
- 1 cup of water
- 1 Tbsp Kosher salt, such as Diamond Crystal
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 1 Tbsp whole spices of choice, optional
- 2-4 sprigs fresh herbs, optional
- 1-3 cloves garlic, optional
How to Make It:
- In a medium sauce pan, make your brine by bringing the water, vinegar, sugar and salt to a boil.
- Wash, dry and trim fruit/vegetables
- Into very clean jars, divide the optional spices, herbs, and garlic, if using.
- Pack your prepared produce into the jars as snuggly as you can without squishing them, being sure to leave about ½ inch of headroom at the top of the jar.
- Pour the hot brine over the vegetables (you may not need all of it), leaving the ½ inch of space from the top of the jar.
- Lightly tap the bottom of the jar on the counter to remove any air bubbles (the jars will be hot! Use gloves.)
- Top with more bring if necessary.
- Place the lid on the jars, but do not tighten the lid.
- Allow to cool on the counter, about an hour depending on the size of the jar.
- Screw the lid to the jar(s) on tightly and place in the fridge.
- You can begin eating the pickles right away, but they get better with a bit of time – try waiting 24 hours before eating.
- Pickles, depending on the vegetable or fruit, and how much vinegar was used, will last about a month in the fridge.