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Quick-pickling differs from traditional pickling in that it is not canned. True, it is done using a mason jar or similar glass jar just like traditional pickling and uses some of the same ingredients.
But quick pickles must be stored in the refrigerator, and they have a much shorter shelf life than traditional pickles do. They are not shelf-stable.
Still, if you do not have access to canning equipment or just do not want to deal with the traditional canning process, quick pickles can be a great alternative, provided you can eat them within the shorter timeframe.
(For traditional canning, see Method 4 of our Main Preservation Methods Overview series along with the Preserving section of our Further Reading page here.)
Now let's get right into it and learn how to quick-pickle!
How to Quick-pickle
Step 1: Place Produce in Jar
To begin, fill the mason jar with the produce that you would like to quick-pickle. You can use any combination of vegetables, herbs, and fruits that you would like.
A good guideline is to use 1 pound of produce per quart of liquid. Of course, as you become more comfortable and experienced with quick-pickling, you can play around with the proportions and find the ones that best suit you.
As you do so, keep in mind that the whole surface area of your produce should be exposed to the liquid, which will be added in the next step. In other words, it should not be packed extremely tightly like it is in sauerkraut and similar ferments. It should have room to "breathe" and should be fully exposed to the water-vinegar mixture.
Step 2: Water and Vinegar
Next, fill the jar up with a 1:1 mixture of water in vinegar. Put another way, the liquid should be half water and half vinegar.
Try to fill the jar as close to full as possible. This ensures that no pieces of produce will float to the top and be exposed to air, which could cause those pieces to mold. If you are using heavy produce that does not float to the top (and you know this and have tested it in the past), then this may not be as big of a concern.
Step 3: Cover
Ideally, the jar should be covered with a non-metal lid such as a BPA-free plastic lid. This is because vinegar can corrode metal lids and even cause the metal to leach into your mixture.
Personally I use (and love!) Harvest Guard reusable lids. You can find wide-mouth ones for wide-mouth mason jars here and regular-mouth ones for regular-mouth jars here.
Most mason jars come with a metal lid, and some mason jars have a resistant coating on the inside nowadays. However, the coating can break down with time.
If you do use a metal lid, it is best to place a piece of parchment paper or other barrier against the inside of the lid.
Step 4: Age
Place your jar in the refrigerator. Leave it to age for 48 hours.
After 48 hours, your quick pickles are ready to eat. Enjoy!
Shelf Life
Because quick pickles are not sealed via water bath or pressure canning and because they have a higher percentage of water, they have a refrigerated shelf life of about 1-2 months rather than the shelf-stable 1-2 years of traditional pickles.
Again, quick-pickled produce is not shelf stable and must be stored in the refrigerator.
Read More
To learn more about traditional canning, check out these articles:
To learn about other uses for commonly-quick-pickled foods, check out these articles:
- Simple Uses for Cucumbers
- Simple Uses for Artichokes
- Simple Uses for Carrots
- Simple Uses for Fennel
- Simple Uses for Oregano
- Simple Uses for Radishes
Other preservation techniques are discussed here:
- How to Preserve Your Harvest: Main Preservation Methods Overview
- Preservation section of the Further Reading page, which is also accessible via the top menu of any page on the Plant to Plate site