Learn how to make pickled summer vegetables at home in just 10 minutes! This is a great way to preserve some of your favorite summer produce, including cucumbers, peppers, radishes, beets, onions, and more.
Making simple and vibrant pickles is my favorite way to make the flavors of summer last all year. It's easier than you think to pickle your favorite summer produce. I love sweet pickled beets, crunchy cucumbers and radishes. If you haven't made your own pickles before, you're going to love how easy and versatile this recipe is.
How to Make Pickled Summer Vegetables
The first step is to pick your veggies! You can use this recipe for most crunchy vegetables. I like to hit up the farmer's market to find whatever's fresh, colorful and ripe.
The brine in this recipe is designed to work with any vegetable you like.
Ingredient Notes
Here's what you need to make a simple brine to pickle summer vegetables:
- Vinegar. This acidic ingredient makes up most of the brine to preserve your veggies. I like rice wine or apple cider vinegar. White or red wine vinegar also work well.
- Maple syrup. You'll want a bit of sweetness in your brine for flavor and to help preserve things. You can also use regular sugar, honey or agave.
- Spices. Use whole spices so they don't totally break down in the brine. I like fennel, peppercorns, mustard seeds, and fresh garlic.
What Vegetables Can I Pickle?
My go-to veggies for making pickles are radishes, cucumbers and beets. But you can easily use this brine with other seasonal veggies, including:
- Green beans
- Snap peas
- Onions
- Carrots
- Asparagus
How to Serve Pickled Vegetables
You can eat these crunchy veggies straight out of the jar. Or use them as a salty and sweet condiment to your favorite dishes, like:
- On a fresh salad
- In my veggie collard wraps
- On top of avocado toast
- On top of pesto pizza after cooking
- With hummus and homemade crackers
- In sandwiches
More Summer Vegetable Recipes
If you make these easy pickled summer vegetables, be sure to let me know what you think with a comment below!
Easy Pickled Cucumbers
Ingredients
- 2 cups sliced cucumbers or any sliced summer vegetable
- 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 garlic clove finely sliced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Add vinegar, water, syrup and spices into a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil then reduce to simmer for 5 minutes.
- While the brine is cooking, thinly slice the cucumbers using a mandolin slicer. Add the cucumbers to a wide mouth mason jar.
- Pour the warm brine into the jar, close the lid and let sit on the counter until it reaches room temperature. Then transfer it to the fridge and allow to pickle for at least 4 hours.
Nutrition
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Easy Pickled Radishes
Ingredients
- 2 cups thinly sliced radishes about 1 bunch
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 garlic clove thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
Instructions
- Add vinegar, water, syrup and spices into a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil then reduce to simmer for 5 minutes.
- While the brine is cooking, thinly slice the radishes using a mandolin slicer. Add them to a wide mouth mason jar then pour the warm brine into the jar. Close the lid and let sit on the counter until it reaches room temperature.
- Then transfer it to the fridge and allow to pickle for at least 4 hours.
Nutrition
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Easy Pickled Beets
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced red beets preferably small
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced shallot about 1 small
- 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon pink peppercorn or black
- 1 garlic clove thinly sliced
- 2 - 3 cardamom pods
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Thinly slice the beets and shallots using a mandolin slicer. Add them to a small sauce pan and cover them with water. Bring the water to a boil, cover and reduce to simmer for 5 - 10 minutes until the beets have softened.
- Strain the beets and shallots, then transfer them into a wide mouth mason jar.
- Add vinegar, water, syrup and spices into the sauce pan. Bring to a boil then reduce to simmer for 5 minutes.
- Pour the warm brine into the jar with the veggies, close the lid and let sit on the counter until it reaches room temperature. Then transfer it to the fridge and allow to pickle for at least 4 hours.
Video
Nutrition
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Hi Alyssa,
This looks so easy and delicious. I always thought pickling was much harder. I have a question about the beets, do you peel them before slicing? Or do you leve the skin on and then remove them after the simmering? I always love trying your recipes and super enjoy your blog.
Cheers,
Suzanne
Hi there! I actually didn’t peel them or remove the skins at all (although maybe I should have). I think since they’re sliced so thinly you could go either way. If you do want to peel them, I’d do that before slicing and steaming 🙂 Let me know if you give them a try! xo
Slipping the skins off the beets is a step I always include. The beets have been pulled from the ground. To keep the beets retaining their beautiful color, leave 1″ stem , cook beets in large pans. Eventually, the skin will slid off and you can trim you beet for the application you choose to use.
Thanks for the tip, Sharon!
What’s the shelf life in the fridge …
I would say up to two weeks or so 🙂
Do these vegetables need to be stored in the fridge once pickled? how long is there shelf life?
If you can them properly (like seal the containers and sterilize), they would be shelf stable, but if not, yes in the fridge! And I’d say they’d last at least a few weeks 🙂
I am totally on board with what you said about being afraid pickling / canning would take forever. I was afraid of this too! But once you sit down and prepare everything, it is so simple and easy. Its done in a flash and the only part that takes long is actually waiting for them to pickle! Thank you for sharing this recipe, I am going to give it a go myself the next time I pickle.
Couldn’t agree more! Excited to do more of it this summer 🙂
Thanks for posting and cool site, came here from your youtube video. Trying the cucumber and radish brine recipes now 🙂 I’m gonna throw in some extra spiciness with jalapenos and dried chilies!
Hi
Can I use white vinegar or apple cider vinegar for all of three pickles??
Would quantity of vinegar change or same as above??
Yep! Use the same proportions as mentioned above 🙂