Pickled vegetables made with spices and brine can be kept in the refrigerator for several weeks, are easy to create, and make a great healthy snack. This recipe requires no sugar so you can feel even better about eating them.
As you may know, I'm more of an ornamental than an edible gardener. I do grow a lot of herbs and have dried many flowers, for use in the kitchen or home decor.
However, with all farmers' markets around and the great options available at the grocery store, decided to try my hand at refrigerator pickled vegetables.
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Why Refrigerator Pickled Vegetables
This type of pickled veggie is super simple to do. All you need are some spices and herbs, and a simple brine. They do need to be kept in the refrigerator but they will keep for several weeks.
I promise you will want to eat them up long before their expiration time.
Both my sister and brother were into this practice last year so I thought I'd give it a try. One of the main differences is that I didn't add sugar. You know what? They don't need it. They taste just as delicious without any added sugar.
Vegetables to Use
You can use a variety of vegetables for this recipe. I like a good bit of crunch so I chose those that were on the harder side in texture.
- Green Beans
- Cauliflower
- Zucchini
- Cucumbers
- Radishes
- Red Onions
- Jalapeno peppers (for extra heat)
- Carrots
The fresh herbs and spices can also vary. Sprigs of fresh dill are popular but you could use other herbs such as rosemary, basil, or parsley.
Hearty seeds work well too, such as coriander. Did you know that coriander is the seeds from a cilantro plant?
Herbs and Spices To Use
- fresh garlic cloves
- sliced onion
- shallots
- sliced fresh ginger
- bay leaves
- dill sprigs
- basil leaves
- parsley
- cilantro
- peppercorns of all color
- red pepper flakes for heat
- celery seed
- fennel seed
- mustard seed
This recipe has red pepper flakes making for some spicy pickled vegetables but you can easily leave them out.
Place them on a pretty platter for a wonderful, colorful appetizer for your guests to enjoy.
Wouldn't this make a great gift? I brought them to the beach for our family vacation and as a hostess gift while visiting with friends. They were a big hit!
More Healthy Snack Recipes
Pickled Vegetables
Ingredients
- 8 garlic cloves
- 4 teaspoons mustard seeds
- 4 teaspoons coriander seeds
- 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
- 4 teaspoons black peppercorns
- 8 sprigs fresh dill
- 4 cups water
- 3 cups white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- vegetables carrots green beans, cauliflower, radishes, cucumbers
Instructions
- Clean and trim your vegetables. Cut up in slices or small chunks so that they are easy to pack into the mason jars.
- Clean your mason jars in the dishwasher. Then, at the bottom of each jar sprinkle a little of the spices, a bay leaf, and a couple of garlic cloves.
- Pack the vegetables into the jars along with a couple of sprigs of dill.
- Bring the water, vinegar, and salt to a boil to create the brine in a saucepan. Once the salt is dissolved let cool slightly and then pour over the vegetables, making sure to cover them but leaving a little bit of space at the top of the jar.
- Once the jars have cooled down a bit. Cover with the lid and place in the refrigerator. They will be ready to eat the next day and taste even better after a few days. They should keep for up to 2 months refrigerated.
Video
Nutrition
Wilma
Looks great! Hank you for a pickling recipe that doesn’t use sugar. I’m going to make a batch this weekend.
Patti Estep
They really don't need sugar Wilma. I think you'll love the recipe and can make it your own.
Sarah
Can pickle onions? If so,how long can keep.
Thanks
Patti Estep
Sarah, I have pickled red onions and they turned out great. I'd say they'd last in the refrigerator a couple of weeks.
lin mac
how in the world could this have that much carbs and be healthy...a diabetic would die eating this ...I hope this is a mistake and could you double check the carb count
Patti Estep
Lin, it's hard to get exact on this because the vegetables will vary. However, the recipe only has 7 grams of carbohydrates and 3 grams of fiber ...net 4 grams of carbohydrates. The recipe's nutritional information may have thrown you off in the way it's displayed. Did you perhaps think there were 1290mg? That's the sodium amount.
Chavelle
This is amazing! Made 4 jars yesterday and today they tasted fantastic! Perfect for helping me stay on my healthy eating lifestyle!! Thank you so much for posting this! I will lose these 30 pds with these snacks!!!💕
Patti Estep
Thanks for letting me know that you like them Chavelle. Some people are surprised when I tell them that there's no sugar. Eating healthy is something I really need to get back into after indulging during the holidays.
Kristi Wheeler
I love how easy it is to make pickled vegetables! Have you ever tried pickling fruit? I think that's what I want to try out next.
Patti Estep
Kristi I haven't tried fruit yet but it does sound so appealing. One of my friends pickled watermelon rinds recently. No the same but I want to try that too. So much to do. So little time. 😉
Maggie Unzueta
This looks insanely, incredibly good. Yummmmmmy!
Patti Estep
Thanks Maggie. I was so happy with how easy they were and how great they tasted. I've made them for my family friends several times now. They make a great hostess gift when you go to visit and stay with friends.
Sue
Can these pickles be sealed while hot? And processed for a time for canning?
Patti Estep
Sue, these are meant to be eaten quickly and stored in the refrigerator for a short time. I haven't done enough canning to be able to advise you.
Billy
This is a great recipe - I can't wait to start picking my own vegetables at home. I haven't done it in a long long while - my grandma used to pickle many things when I was young. Thank you for sharing!
Lisa
Your jars look yummy and beautiful too! I won't tell Phil where coriander comes from! 😂
Patti Estep
Hi Lisa,
You would love this and it's so easy. I would have given some to you but we ate them all in one sitting. 🙂
Also, for some reason Phil doesn't mind the coriander. It's sweet but not as floral as the leaves, however, it's still a bummer for me that he doesn't love cilantro as much as I do.
Thanks for stopping by and I hope to see you in the flesh very soon,
Patti
Michelle Marine
This is definitely a great way to use up the spare veggies that are left over from other endeavors. Your pictures are stunning. Makes me want to try right away!
Patti Estep
Hi Michelle,
I hope you do try it. It was so fun and so easy and sooo yummy. One of the best things I've made in a while that was tasty and healthy.
Angie Rose
My boyfriend loves anything pickled! I'll have to try doing this. You make it look easy and actually like something I can do. Wish me luck!
Patti Estep
Hi Angie,
Honestly, I could not believe how easy it was and you feel great about eating such a low calorie, healthy snack.
Shelly
I love pickled vegetables. This past weekend we made a couple of quarts of bread and butter pickles and garlic dill pickles. Can't wait for them to be ready to eat, just one more day. Your veggies look beautiful.
Patti Estep
What a great way to spend the weekend!
Jami
Refrigerator pickles are the best- I'm so glad you tried this! Your photos make the veggies look stunning. 🙂
Patti Estep
Thanks Jami! I'm sure you are an old pro at this. I can't believe I waited so long to try it.
Diane Williams
Thank you! I will definitely try this out. I always have stray veggies from the garden and sometimes it's tough to find another way to use them up. This looks simple and yummy! I love having a handy veggie snack in the fridge.
Patti Estep
You will love it Diane. So easy and a great way to use up your stray volunteers.
lauren
I just pickled red onions for the first time last week to use as a taco topping. So good!
Patti Estep
Hi Lauren,
I love this idea and can wait to try it. I'm a big fan of raw onions and my husband hates them. I wonder if this will be the magic trick? Thanks for sharing.
Carole West
I've always wanted to try pickling this way and I have some cucumbers in the garden right now that I could experiment with. Canning was a big deal growing up and I pretty much skipped it in our home. I just like fresh and crisp food... So I'm thinking with this method the vegetables still offer that fresh from the garden taste... I agree great gifts, jazzed up in a basket with dish towels would look neat.. Thanks for the inspiration..
Patti Estep
Hi Carole,
You won't believe how easy this is. I wish I would have tried it a long time ago. I made four jars and took them to the beach and they were all gone within two days. Someone even used the leftover brine in a cocktail, like a dirty martini. The hardest part is deciding which spices and herbs you want to place in with the veggies. Not hard at all actually, and quite fun. I hope you try it.