HOW TO Quick Pickle Veggies

There are many actual health benefits to quick pickling (for this part, put your nutritionist thinking hat on). Pickled veggies are filled with antioxidants, probiotics, vitamins, and minerals that are good for your digestion. Plus, eating the color of the rainbow is healthy for your agni. The diversity and nutritional value you add to your plate can vary depending on the foods you combine — time to take out your food combining bible! — but potentially, you can get ample amounts of vitamin K, A, C, as well as antioxidants and a lot of good bacteria for your gut health. So if you’re looking for an easy, quick, and minimalistic technique to add nutritional value to your meal, this is definitely it!

Let’s begin with what quick pickling actually is: Quick pickling is a process of preparing vegetables in a jar filled with brine, vinegar, and sugar. (This is the simplest recipe you can find, but you can — and should — get creative with your quick pickling recipe once you have mastered the fundamentals.) You can use any vegetable, including carrots, cucumbers, squash, onions, cauliflower, and radishes — literally, go wild! Simply dice up the veggies of your choice into thin slices, making sure to leave 1” of headroom at the top. Add your brine (watch this video here if you want to see it done), and then bowl your brine mixture, which should include water, salt, distilled vinegar, and sugar. Pour over your sliced veggies and place in the fridge for 1-3 days (completely up to your preference). Tada! You’re done. Seriously — it’s really that easy to prep. For a more exciting concoction, watch Brad quick pickle his own onions at home here — this guy makes quick pickling look like creating a witchy potion, and we’re so into it!

Once your quick pickled veggies are prepared, you can add your blend to salads, sandwiches, hummus, or as a side to just about any dish. It adds color and flavor to your meal. To make your pickles a bit healthier, choose vegetables that are in season and buy organic whenever possible. We always recommend checking out the Ecology Center to find your nearest farmers market! And there’s a bonus: This recipe will rescue the veggies you bought and never got around to using.