Interesting and Unusual Pickling Recipes - GardensAll (2024)

Pickling is Not Just for Cucumbers!

While pickling recipes have some common basic ingredients, there are many variations you can add depend on your taste preferences. From adding fresh garlic to your pickled cucumbers, to pickling okra or cauliflower, there’s practically no limit to what you can pickle.

Pickling your garden bounty is an important survival and food preservation skill to help through in leaner times. Few things warm a gardener’s heart more than a fall pantry stocked full of fresh canned and pickled vegetables and fruits.

If you like to experiment and try new things then you may want to venture into pickling foods you haven’t pickled before. Some examples arepeppers, carrots, beans, cauliflower, garlic, pearl onions, asparagus and of course beets and cucumbers.

Pickled vegetables also makes great gifts, so we’ve pulled together some favorite pickling recipes. From Christmas presents to hostess gifts, and just sharing with friends and family homemade pickles from homegrown foods are gifts to treasure.

New Pickling Recipes to Try

Now remember, pickling isn’t just for cucumbers. The following pickling recipes can be used as the base for any main vegetable you have in excess for pickling to preserve, so feel free to substitute the main vegetable for whatever you have on hand, or to create a pickling recipe medley.

Spicy Dill Zucchini Pickles

By Lisa Fain of TheHomesickTexan.com

1 pound zucchini cut into rounds
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 sprigs dill
4 tablespoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons black peppercorns
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
2 teaspoons crushed dried jalapeño or crushed red chile
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 cup water, plus more warm water as needed
1 1/2 cups white vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
2 sterilized quart-sized jars with lids and bands

Instructions:
Slice the zucchini into 1/4-inch round slices. Divide the garlic, dill, salt, peppercorns, mustard seeds, crushed jalapeño or red chile, and cumin seeds between the two jars. Pack the sliced zucchini into the jars.

In a medium saucepan, combine the water and vinegar and bring to a boil. Evenly pour the boiling liquid into each jar, filling any remaining space with warm water, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace. Put the lids on the jars and give them a good shake.

Place the jars in the refrigerator. The zucchini will be ready in 4 hours, though their flavor will improve after a couple more days.

The zucchini will last refrigerated for 1 month.

Yield:2 quarts

Recipe by Lisa Fain ofHomesickTexan.com^[1]https://www.homesicktexan.com/2014/07/spicy-dill-zucchini-pickles.html

Sweet Cumin Pickled Radish Recipe

Ingredients
1 pound radishes, thoroughly washed and thinly sliced
2-3 sprigs fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 cup distilled white vinegar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup water
2 tablespoons kosher salt

JAVANESE CARROT AND CUCUMBER PICKLE (ACAR TIMUN)

By Karen Solomon, author of Asian Pickles

Ingredients

7 ounces carrots
9 ounces Persian cucumbers
11⁄2 teaspoons kosher salt
3⁄4 cup distilled white vinegar
11⁄2 cups water
1⁄4 cup sugar
2 large shallots, thinly sliced into rings
1 large jalapeño chile, stemmed and thinly sliced into rings

Recipe Instructions:

Trim and discard the ends from the carrots and cucumbers, julienne them, and put them in a bowl. Sprinkle with the salt and toss to evenly distribute the salt. Let them sit for 10 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until they have sweated out some of their liquid.

Thinly slice the shallots and jalapeño into rings and set aside. Drain the carrots and cucumbers and, grabbing a small handful at a time, squeeze them very, very firmly until no more liquid comes out of them. Transfer to a medium bowl.

In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar, water, and sugar and bring to a boil, stirring to help dissolve the sugar.

Add the shallots and jalapeño to the carrots and cucumbers, pour in the boiling brine, and let sit on the countertop to cool completely, about 2 hours. Transfer to a glass or ceramic container (plastic will retain its aroma) and refrigerate. The pickle is ready to eat the next day, and it will keep for at least 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

Pickled Turnips

By DavidLebovitz.com

Although these are usually served just as they are, for those who like to tinker, a few sprigs of fresh dill or dill flowers in the brine will take them in a different direction. A hot pepper will add some zip.

• 3 cups (750 ml) water
• 1/3 cup (70 g) coarse white salt, such as kosher salt or sea salt
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup (250 ml) white vinegar (distilled)
• 2-pounds (1 kg) turnips, peeled
• 1 small beet, or a few slices from a regular-size beet, peeled
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced

1. In a saucepan, heat about one-third of the water. Add the salt and bay leaf, stirring until the salt is dissolved.

2. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Once cool, add the vinegar and the rest of the water.

3. Cut the turnips and the beet into batons, about the size of French fries. Put the turnips, beets, and garlic slices into a large, clean jar, then pour the salted brine over them in the jar, including the bay leaf.

4. Cover and let sit at room temperature, in a relatively cool place, for one week. Once done, they can be refrigerated until ready to serve.

Storage: The pickles will keep for several weeks in the refrigerator. They’ll be rather strong at first, but will mellow after a few days. They should be enjoyed within a six weeks after they’re made, as they tend to get less-interesting if they sit too long. If you are interested in canning, check here for tips on canning pickles.

Source of this recipe: DavidLebovitz.com.

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