How To Pickle Basically Everything

By Katherine Sacks, Epicurious

Ask me what I’d do with nearly any summer vegetable, and the answer is almost always the same: “Pickle it.” Yellow squash, pickle it. Green beans, pickle them. Cherries, pickle those too. It’s hard to beat the sharp tang and crisp snap of a good quick pickle, a fast and easy process that leaves them tasting of summer.

I love how absolutely easy it is to quick pickle—as simple as boiling water, vinegar, sugar, salt, and spices together, then covering your produce with that liquid and waiting a few hours. The difference between a quick pickle and a canned pickle is that the quick pickle process is basically the same as marinating. Canned pickles, on the other hand, use a stronger brine and a water-bath canning process to extend their shelf life.

Related: 12 Lightning-Fast Chicken Dinners to Make Now

And the process works with so many ingredients. Beyond the classic cucumbers, other fruits and vegetables that work well for pickles include asparagus, beets, bell peppers, blueberries, cauliflower, carrots, cherries, fennel, ginger, grapes, green beans, mushrooms, onions, parsnips, peaches, peppers, radishes, ramps, rhubarb, strawberries, squash, tomatoes, turnips, watermelon. The list goes on and on.

To get ready for the oncoming bumper crop of pickle-ready produce, we developed a base quick pickling brine, one that’s based on a ratio to make it super easy to commit it to memory and use whenever the pickling fancy strikes. From there, the sky’s the limit—change up the vinegar and/or sugar type, use more or less spices, add in fresh herbs, make the pickles sweeter (or less so).

Depending on how many vegetables you start with, there’s usually a little extra pickling liquid leftover. I save this liquid for the next go around, using it for vegetable trim and scraps. Which means a jar of pickles is never too far off.

1. START OFF WITH THE BASE

For our base Epi brine, we wanted a pickle that could be used with virtually any vegetable to create a simple but satisfying snack. This liquid makes use of a ratio that’s easy to remember: just add equal parts water and vinegar, and double the sugar to salt. We’ve added black peppercorns and mustard seeds for a classic flavor but you can swap in other preferred spices.

GET THIS RECIPE: BASIC QUICK PICKLE BRINE

2. KICK UP THE HEAT

Although we like apple cider vinegar in our base recipe for its slightly mellow flavor, for this straightforward pickle we went with white vinegar. The chili flakes pack a mean punch, so only use half if you’d prefer less spice. I’m a big fan of pickled mushrooms, but this brine would be great with green beans or asparagus for a Bloody Mary garnish.

GET THIS RECIPE: SPICY GARLIC PICKLES

3. ADD SOME ZING

For an update on the classic dill pickle, pack your jars with thin slices of ginger. We like the spicy floral bite the ginger gives, and the bright green color of the dill. For this brine, we’ve also swapped in white wine vinegar, which adds a slight sweetness. Cucumbers are the classic pickle, but this brine works with anything from zucchini or yellow squash to cherry tomatoes to bell peppers.

GET THIS RECIPE: GINGER-DILL PICKLES

4. PLAY AROUND WITH SPICE

For a bread-and-butter type pickle, try out this spice-packed brine. The combination of apple cider vinegar and brown sugar adds a richness, giving it a slightly malty flavor. We’ve used a mix of star anise, clove, black peppercorns, and mustard powder to help give these their sweet spicy kick, but this recipe is easily adaptable for whatever you have on hand. Allspice, ginger, and cinnamon can all be substituted as well. These ones are great on sandwiches or a pickle plate.

GET THIS RECIPE: SWEET AND SOUR PICKLES

More from Epicurious:

14 Main Course-Worthy Vegetarian Salads

PHOTOS BY CHELSEA KYLE, FOOD STYLING BY KATHERINE SACKS