Quick Pickles

Name: Quick Pickles
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 250 ml (1 cup) white wine, rice or cider vinegar, 5–6% acidity; 250 ml (1 cup) water; 50 g (¼ cup) sugar, use 100 g for a Nordic-style sweeter pickle; 12 g (2 tsp) fine sea salt; 500 g (1 lb) vegetables, cucumber, red onion, carrot, radish, cauliflower, fennel; sliced 3–5 mm thick; 2 cloves garlic, smashed; 1 tsp mustard seeds; 1 tsp coriander seeds or black peppercorns; 3 sprigs dill, or 2 bay leaves

Crunchy, bright refrigerator pickles in 30 minutes

Makes: one 1 l (1 quart) jar
Hands-on: 15 min
Total: 45 min
Level: Easy

A hot, sweet-sour brine poured over sliced vegetables gives crisp pickles you can eat the same day. Use the brine for cucumbers, red onions, carrots, radishes, cauliflower or fennel.

Ingredients

Brine

250 mlwhite wine, rice or cider vinegar (1 cup)5–6% acidity
250 mlwater (1 cup)
50 gsugar (¼ cup)use 100 g for a Nordic-style sweeter pickle
12 gfine sea salt (2 tsp)

Vegetables

500 gvegetables (1 lb)cucumber, red onion, carrot, radish, cauliflower, fennel; sliced 3–5 mm thick
2 clovesgarlicsmashed
1 tspmustard seeds
1 tspcoriander seeds or black peppercorns
3 sprigsdillor 2 bay leaves

Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten-free, Dairy-free
Allergens: mustard, sulphites

Method

Wash a 1 l glass jar in hot soapy water and rinse it well.
Pack the sliced vegetables into the jar along with the garlic, mustard seeds, coriander and dill.
Put the vinegar, water, sugar and salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring until dissolved.
Pour the hot brine over the vegetables to cover them completely. Press them down with a spoon to release air bubbles.
Let cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes, then close the jar and refrigerate. Thin slices are ready to eat once cool; thicker pieces are best the next day. 30 min

Why it works

Vinegar's acidity lowers the vegetables' pH, which slows spoilage and gives the pickle its sharpness; salt seasons and draws a little water from the cells so the brine soaks in. Pouring the brine on hot partly softens the surface for quick flavor uptake, while the center stays crunchy. A 1:1 vinegar-to-water brine is acidic enough for safe refrigerator storage but not harsh.

Common mistakes

Boiling the vegetables in the brine: they turn soft. Pour it over instead.
Cutting too thick: thick pieces take days to absorb the brine.
Storing at room temperature: these are not canned. Keep them in the fridge.

Variations

Pink pickled onions: Use 2 red onions, sliced thin, with cider vinegar and a pinch of chili; good on Black Bean and Sweet Potato Tacos.
Nordic agurksalat: Use very thinly sliced cucumber, 100 g sugar, and plenty of dill; serve with meatballs or fish cakes.

Make ahead and storage

Keeps 3–4 weeks in the fridge; they soften slowly over time.

Notes

These are refrigerator pickles and are not heat-processed for shelf storage.