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.
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 the addition of the CSA subscription this year, I’m finding myself with lots of vegetables and decided to try my hand at refrigerator pickled vegetables. However, you can find these vegetables in just about any grocery store.
Refrigerator Pickled Vegetables
This type of pickled vegetables 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.
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.
The herbs and spices can also vary. Sprigs of fresh dill are popular but you could use other herbs such as basil or parsley. Hearty seeds work well too, such as coriander. Did you know that coriander is the seeds from a cilantro plant?
Pickled Vegetable Herbs & Spices:
- 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!
P.S. Another easy and fun recipe for pickling is making Pickled Beets and Eggs. This is something my husband grew up with and he keeps a batch going in the refrigerator all year long.
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Pickled Vegetables
Ingredients
- 8 garlic cloves
- 4 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 4 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 4 teaspoon 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. 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.
Nutrition Information
Yield 20 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 25 Total Fat 0g Saturated Fat 0g Trans Fat 0g Unsaturated Fat 0g Cholesterol 0mg Sodium 645mg Carbohydrates 3g Fiber 1g Sugar 1g Protein 1g
Maggie Unzueta says
This looks insanely, incredibly good. Yummmmmmy!
Patti Estep says
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 says
Can these pickles be sealed while hot? And processed for a time for canning?
Patti Estep says
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 says
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 says
Your jars look yummy and beautiful too! I won’t tell Phil where coriander comes from! 😂
Patti Estep says
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 says
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 says
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 says
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 says
Hi Angie,
Honestly, I could not believe how easy it was and you feel great about eating such a low calorie, healthy snack.
Shelly says
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 says
What a great way to spend the weekend!
Jami says
Refrigerator pickles are the best- I’m so glad you tried this! Your photos make the veggies look stunning. 🙂
Patti Estep says
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 says
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 says
You will love it Diane. So easy and a great way to use up your stray volunteers.
lauren says
I just pickled red onions for the first time last week to use as a taco topping. So good!
Patti Estep says
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 says
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 says
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.