How to Make Pickles
Making your own pickles is easier than you think! I’ll show you how to make pickles at home—no canning needed!
The process of making homemade pickles is surprisingly easy! If you’ve always been intimidated by the canning process, you’ll be glad to know that this is a quick refrigerator recipe, which means you don’t have to fuss with sterilising jars and boiling them. Just mix everything together and the fridge does the rest. Simple!
Why You’ll Love Making Your Own Pickles
- A fun cooking project. If you enjoy the science and process of cooking, you’ll love making these pickles. It’s fun and satisfying to make something you usually buy!
- Control over ingredients. When you make your own pickles, you have complete control over the ingredients. You can choose organic cucumbers, use less salt, or experiment with different types of vinegar and seasonings.
- Fresh and tasty. Friends, believe me when I tell you that these are the most delicious pickles you’ll ever taste—and definitely the freshest! They have fantastic flavour and a satisfying crunch.
Notes on Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
- Cucumbers – Small or mini cucumbers are best, but you can really use any size.
- Apple cider vinegar
- Filtered water
- Sea salt – I like to use a fine sea salt or pickling salt if you happen to have it on hand.
- Sugar – You can use coconut, cane, or brown sugar.
- Lime slices – These are optional.
- Seasonings – Peppercorns, dill, cumin seeds, jalapeño, or any other flavours you want to add to your homemade pickles.
How to Make Pickles
- Prep. Wash, dry, and slice the pickles. Add them to a clean jar (or two clean jars, if needed). I like to use
- Make the brine. Combine the vinegar, water, sea salt, sugar, peppercorns, and any seasonings you’re using. Boil for 2 minutes, then remove from heat and cool for 1 minute.
- Add the brine to the jars. Pour the brine into the jar(s), completely covering the cucumbers. Add the lime slices if you’re using them. Screw on the lid and shake gently to combine.
- Cool. Allow the mixture to cool completely to room temperature. At this point, you can serve the pickles or let them sit at room temperature for up to 48 hours more before refrigerating.
Tips and Variations
- Make the recipe in half. If you want a smaller batch of pickles, you can easily cut the recipe in half.
- Use different types of vinegar. While this recipe calls for apple cider vinegar, you can experiment with other types. Rice vinegar, for example, gives the pickles some Asian flair.
- Add in extra spices and herbs. Don’t be afraid to get creative with your seasonings! You can add in things like fresh garlic, mustard seeds, bay leaves, coriander seeds, green onions, etc.
- Experiment with different veggies. Pickling isn’t just limited to cucumbers! You can also try pickling other veggies like carrots, asparagus, green beans, and more.
My Favourite Ways to Use Homemade Pickles
Slice these pickles and add them to this chopped cheese sandwich or my easy grillable veggie burgers. Diced pickles are also a great addition to vegan chickpea tuna salad and tofu egg salad.
How to Store
Store homemade pickles in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Use clean utensils when retrieving pickles from the jar to avoid contamination and maximize their storage life.
Enjoy friends! If you make this homemade pickle recipe, please snap a photo and tag #jessicainthekitchen on Instagram! We’d also love it if you would leave a comment below, and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much!
How to Make Pickles
Ingredients
- 4 small cucumbers, or several mini cucumbers or 2 medium to large cucumbers
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup filtered water
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 tablespoon coconut sugar, or cane or brown sugar
- Lime slices, optional
- Handful of peppercorns + fresh dill + any additional seasonings, cumin seeds, jalapeño etc.
Instructions
- Wash, dry, and slice the pickles. Add them tightly packed to a mason jar (you might need two jars). Set aside for now.
- In a pot, add the vinegar, water, sea salt, sugar and peppercorns. If using any other additional seasonings, add them now too. Stir together. Bring to a boil for 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let cool for 1 minute.
- Pour the liquid into the mason jar(s) and completely cover the cucumbers. Add in the lime slices (optional), and shake slightly to mix everything together.
- Allow the mixture to cool completely to room temperature. You can serve immediately once cooled, but if you let it sit and continue to pickle for 24-48 hours, the flavours meld incredibly. I tried mine 48 hours later and they were perfect.
- They will last several weeks in your fridge in a mason jar that has the cover tightly screwed on.
Notes
Disclaimer: Although jessicainthekitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Jessicainthekitchen.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.
