Ingredients
- 1 Cucumber
- 0.5 cup Filtered Water
- 0.5 cup Vinegar (Apple Cider or Distilled White)
- 1 teaspoon Sea Salt
- 2 teaspoons Sugar
Optional
- 1 teaspoon Whole Peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon Mustard Seeds/Coriander Seeds
Directions
Easy, homemade pickles with peppercorns and mustard seeds!
If you love pickles, then you’ll love making them yourself!
Homemade pickles are so easy to make and it takes just minutes.
Pickling is the process of preserving or extending the shelf life of food by either anaerobic fermentation in brine or immersion in vinegar.
Unlike fermenting, pickling includes vinegar which also changes the texture and color of the vegetable.
When it’s homemade, it’s also customizable. You can easily adjust the salt or sugar amounts for that perfect pickle.
For some added crunch and flavor, I am adding whole peppercorns and mustard seeds. This is optional of course.
You can also add fresh dill sprigs, jalapeño slices for some heat, coriander or caraway seeds.
Whatever you have and like, throw it in!
This homemade pickles recipe works for any vegetable. Try pickling carrots, onions, radish, beets or even cauliflower!
I prefer seedless, English or Persian cucumber for my pickles but any cucumber will do.
Make some pickles, snap a pic and send it to me via Instagram!
Pretty in pink Pickled Red Onions.
Sweet and salty Pickled Vegetables.
Steps
1 Done | Pickling JarIt's best to use a glass jar for pickling. I am using a 16-ounce, wide-mouth mason jar with an air-tight lid. Sterilize your jar by washing it with hot water and a little bit of soap or add it to a pot with simmering hot water for 2-5 minutes. |
2 Done | Slice The CucumberWash the cucumber then slice with a mandoline or a sharp knife. Choose the thickness that you like best! |
3 Done | Make The Pickling BrineAdd 1/2 cup of water, 1/2 cup of vinegar, 1 teaspoon of sea salt (or kosher), and 2 teaspoons of sugar to a small pot. Bring the pickling brine to a gentle simmer and allow the salt and sugar to dissolve. You can use the brine immediately or allow it to cool before adding it to your jar. |
4 Done | Fill Up The Pickling JarStart by adding some of your flavorings to the bottom of the jar then add the cucumber slices. Pack in as many cucumber slices as you can then top with the pickling brine. Leave a little room at the top then seal the jar tightly. Allow the jar to cool at room temperature then move to the refrigerator. Ideally, you should wait 48 hours to open to jar but you can give the pickles a try after 24 hours and see what you think! The longer you allow the cucumbers to pickle in the jar, the more the flavor they will develop. The pickles can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 months! |
4 Comments Hide Comments
I love homemade pickles and this is so easy to make! They are so great to meal prep for lunches.
I never think of making these but seeing how simplest is I definitely need to! Thank you for the step-by-step photos.
Do you have any recipes for sweet & sour pickled cucumber?
Hi Ronald, this recipe does result in a sweet & sour pickle. The longer you let it pickle, the more sour the flavor gets. To increase sweetness, add a bit more sugar and you can also use less water and more vinegar. This will work with distilled white vinegar, white wine vinegar or any type of vinegar you have on hand (except balsamic). I recommend you make the brine then taste it and adjust before pouring it over your cucumber.