Q
uick Pickling: a Primer
What’s the fastest, easiest way to start pickling? Refrigerator pickles, or quick pickles. These guys aren’t shelf-stable (meaning that they need to stay chilled in the refrigerator rather than at room temperature), and they won’t last as long as canned pickles, but then again they don’t need to because they are so delicious, crisp, and versatile.
Food preservation is in large part about preventing (or constructively channeling) decay. In water bath and pressure canning, high heat, acid, and a vacuum seal inhibit the grow of bacteria. In fermentation, good bacteria turn sugars into lactic acid, which preserves the food product. In quick pickling, the cold of the fridge lets the vinegary flavors of the brine marinate with the fruits or vegetables (and added spices) while forestalling the bacteria growth.
Because quick pickles happen within the constrained environment of the refrigerator, you can use a pickle canning recipe for refrigerator pickles — but never use a fridge pickle recipe for canning, because canning recipes are specially proportioned to inhibit bacteria growth so the food will be shelf stable.
Depending on the recipe, fridge pickles take between three days and a week for the flavor to fully mature, and are usually good for about two weeks.
Here are the basic steps:
- Packing your jars: tightly pack a mason jar (two pint jars or a quart jar) with sliced vegetables (for springtime, think carrots, scallions, green beans, pearl onions, radishes, or asparagus spears).
- Add about a tablespoon of spices to the bottom of the jar (try whole dried spices like peppercorn, fennel, cumin, coriander seed, celery seed, bay leaves, dill seed, mustard seed, garlic cloves, or pre-made pickling spice).
- Create a brine: bring to a boil a cup of vinegar (any kind but balsamic: white, apple cider, rice vinegars are all great!) a cup of water, and a tablespoon of pickling salt, kosher salt, or non-iodized salt. Pour the brine over the vegetables packed in the jars, lightly screw on one or two-piece lids, and put your pickles in the fridge to rest. Taste them as they mature and become infused with flavor. And enjoy your quick pickles!
In addition to these general steps, we want to point you towards the following recipes:
From Marissa McClellan’s Food in Jars, via HollyandFlora.com:
pickled spring strawberries + a refreshing gin co*cktail
FAQs
Quick pickles are also known as refrigerator pickles. They are simply vegetables that are pickled in a vinegar, water, and salt (sometimes sugar, too) solution and stored in the refrigerator.
How can I speed up my pickling process? ›
Time: Quick pickles are ready to eat when you think they're ready to eat. Some may take longer based on their size and density. Others might just need a few hours. You can even speed up the process by using a brine made entirely of vinegar.
What is the difference between pickling and quick pickling? ›
Traditional pickle making includes canning, which uses high temperatures to sterilize and create an airtight seal that further preserves the contents from spoilage. Quick pickling uses the same basic ingredients as traditional pickling but you skip the canning process and store them in your refrigerator.
How long does quick pickling take? ›
The technique—a version of vinegar pickling that doesn't require a full canning process—produces briny, crunchy pickled vegetables in just a couple hours. Heat the brine until sugar and salt dissolve, then pour it over the vegetables and let them cool in the jar—voila, pickles.
What is the 321 method of pickling? ›
An easy pickling recipe to follow is the 3-2-1 method; three parts water, two parts vinegar, and one part sugar. This 3-2-1 pickle brine is on the sweeter side, making it great for bread and butter pickles or spicy pickled beets. For a more savory pickle, use less sugar.
What is the secret to a crunchy pickle? ›
Soak Cucumbers In Ice Water Beforehand
Doing this before you start canning them will give you the crunchiest pickles you've ever had!
What is the formula for quick pickling? ›
The classic ratio is super easy to remember and is easily scale-able depending on how many pickles you're making. It's 100% vinegar, 50% water, 25% sugar and 12.5% kosher salt by weight. So for example, 200g vinegar, 100g water, 50g sugar and 25g kosher salt (again, you can scale this up or down!).
What should you not do when pickling? ›
Key rules in pickling to remember:
- Never alter vinegar, food or water proportions in a recipe or use a vinegar with unknown acidity.
- Use only research tested recipes.
- To prevent the growth of botulinum bacteria, you must have a minimum, even level of acid throughout the prepared product.
You take all of your ingredients, apart from the product that is being pickled, and bring them to a boil. The heating process helps activate the flavors in the brine and marry them together. This hot brine is then poured over what is to be pickled and then stored in the refrigerator.
Which vinegar is better for pickling? ›
Most pickle recipes call for distilled white vinegar. This is the clear, colorless vinegar made by fermenting grains. It has a mellow aroma, tart acid flavor and does not affect the color of light-colored vegetables or fruits.
It doesn't require sterilizing the jars or using a canning bath, meaning the whole process can be done in a fraction of the time of regular pickling. While you can enjoy quick pickles just a few hours after making them, the longer you leave the vegetable to pickle, the more flavorful they'll be!
Can you speed up the pickling process? ›
Once the brine is hot and ready, pour it into your jars—leaving ½ inch of headspace between the liquid and the rim for liquid-induced expansion—and screw on the lids. The heat will soften your veg a little and speed up the pickling process. Let the jars cool to room temperature, then transfer them to the fridge.
What happens if you don't process pickles long enough? ›
Processing is necessary for all pickles and relishes to destroy the yeasts, molds, and bacteria that may cause the product to spoil and inactivate enzymes that could affect color, flavor, and texture of the pickled product. Process the pickled products for the length of time specified in the recipe.
How long do your pickles need to cure before eating them? ›
To allow pickles to mellow and develop a delicious flavor, wait at least 3 weeks before eating! Keep in mind that pickles may be ready to enjoy earlier. It's all up to you and your tastes!
What is the science behind quick pickling? ›
Instead of undergoing the fermentation process, quick pickling works more like a marinade – acidic liquids like vinegar and lemon juice create a sour, tangy flavor that mimics the lactic acid produced in lacto-fermentation, and can also break down the cellular structure of the vegetable in much the same way as longer ...
How does quick pickling preserve food? ›
In fermentation, good bacteria turn sugars into lactic acid, which preserves the food product. In quick pickling, the cold of the fridge lets the vinegary flavors of the brine marinate with the fruits or vegetables (and added spices) while forestalling the bacteria growth.
How do you make pickles load faster? ›
The default protocol used when saving and loading Pickle files is currently 4, which is the most compatible protocol with different Python versions. However, if you want to speed up your workflow, you can use the HIGHEST_PROTOCOL argument which is Pickle's fastest available protocol.
How many days does it take for a cucumber to turn into a pickle? ›
Begin sampling the cucumbers after 4 hours if you've quartered them, 8 hours if you've halved them. In either case, it will probably take from 12 to 24 or even 48 hours for them to taste pickled enough to suit your taste. When they are ready, transfer them to an airtight container and refrigerate them in the brine.
