A couple of summers ago I tried my hand at canning pickled vegetables (and other things.) I had great success but it was a lot of work and ended up having to get a cortisone injection in my elbow from all the repetitive lifting (jars in and out of water bath, etc.) Then I tried this easy recipe, with no water bath and no sealing and it was so easy and delicious! You can play around with various vinegar (balsamic didn’t taste so great.) I’ve tried rice wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar and plain old distilled white vinegar and I like all 3 versions. You can also toss in seasonings you like; black peppercorns, mustard seeds, and celery seed taste great as do fresh herbs. I wouldn’t add ground herbs or seasonings. Because we’re not sealing these, they won’t last forever so you’ll need to eat them within a week. The basic brine, depending on what type of vinegar you use, is about 20 to 40 cents.
PICKLED VEGGIES –
Basic pickling brine…(for 1 pound of fresh vegetables of your choice.)
Ingredients:
- 1 cup vinegar
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon Kosher salt
- Seasonings like black peppercorn, celery seed, mustard seed, or fresh herbs if desired.
Directions:
Bring all ingredients to a boil. Pour over cut-up fresh vegetables of choice. Cover. Let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate overnight.
This tastes great with cauliflower, green beans, cucumbers, carrots, jalapenos, onions and celery. Clean and cup up vegetables before making brine. Put in glass jars or bowls and then pour brine over vegetables. You can use plastic wrap, foil or lids of glass jars. These taste great tossed on salads, eaten alone, serves as garnish or toppings on grilled meats. These are gluten free and vegan.