Quick Pickled Veggies

Since I was a little girl I have always been obsessed with pickles. I was the one stealing everyone’s side pickle whenever we went out to eat, eating entire jars of pickles, my older cousin even used to put pickle juice in my sippy cup when I was a kid (true story). So, it’s only fitting that I put my quick pickling recipe up on my blog, right?

I actually just started to get into pickling my own veggies recently because I always thought it was this daunting task that required a pressure cooker and hours of your life. There is definitely a more complex pickling process that requires those things, but here at the Nourished Lens we keep things simple and accessible to the masses. I learned about a process called quick pickling at a previous job and I haven’t gone back to store-bought pickles since. Not only did I learn that I could make my own fresh pickles in minutes, I also learned that you can virtually pickle ANY veggie. And let me tell you, pickling will seriously help you like any veggie. I have always hated radishes until I decided to pickle them one day and now I’m hooked, best salad topper ever. Moral of the story, anyone and everyone can pickle and it truly elevates the flavor of any raw, crunchy vegetable and they make great toppings or snacks!

I became so interested in pickling that I decided to take a pickling class with my mom at a local plant shop and that just grew my passion even more. This workshop showed me that not only can you really pickle any vegetable, but you can also add ANYTHING to your pickling jar to elevate the flavors. Want a Mexican-style pickled red onion? Add some chili powder and cumin to your jar. Want an asian-inspired pickled carrots? Just add some soy sauce and miso paste with a dash of sesame seeds and there you go. The possibilities and combinations are virtually endless and it is such a fun activity to do on a rainy day when you want to be in the kitchen. This recipe is another guide for you to get creative in the kitchen and you can either keep it traditional with no flavors which I often do, or spice things up and try a flavor combination you never expected to taste good as a pickle. Get creative and have fun pickling!

Nutrition Facts

• There is a difference between quick pickled vegetables and fermented pickled vegetables. Quick pickling is simply boiling vinegar and adding it to a jar with veggies whereas fermented pickled veggies sit in the vinegar for a long period of time and undergo a process called fermentation. Quick pickled vegetables will not give you the same probiotic benefits of fermented pickled vegetables, but the vinegar you use during the quick pickling process can make up for this loss. Apple cider vinegar is made of fermented apples and therefore has the probiotic benefits that occurs during the fermentation process. Probiotics are living microorganisms that can be produced as a byproduct of fermentation. They help balance the bacteria in the gut thus they help support gut microbiome health. Apple cider vinegar is also rich in antioxidants, making it a great choice for quick pickling to help boost the nutritional benefit of the vegetables you’re eating.

Servings: 2 16-ounce mason jars

Ingredients:

• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup water
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp honey
• Veggies of choice
  • Suggestions: Cucumber, red onion, carrots, green beans, radishes, asparagus
• Seasonings/Additions
  • Suggestions: Sliced garlic, herbs, spices, peppercorns, hot sauce, miso paste, sesame seeds, soy sauce/coconut aminos

Instructions

1. Chop your veggies and place them in your mason jars until the veggies reach the top of the jar.
2. Add in your seasonings/additions of choice to the jars.
3. Add the vinegar, water, salt, and honey to a saucepan and bring to a boil.
4. Once a boil is reached, turn off the heat and immediately pour the vinegar mixture into each mason jar until all veggies are covered.
5. Let the mason jars sit on the counter uncovered to slightly cool. 
6. Once the mason jars are cool enough to touch, tightly screw on the lids and place in the fridge.
7. The longer the veggies have to soak in the vinegar, the better they will taste! Can store fresh pickled veggies in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Important note: This process does not make these pickles shelf stable. Be sure to store in the fridge and keep for up to 5 days.