Quick Pickled Vegetables is a rather free form recipe but have faith that it will work out. The idea is to not stress yourself out with accuracy, but to build your confidence that you can “whip up” some homemade pickled jalapeños, pickled onions, or any other pickled vegetable. If you can boil water and own a knife, you are more than qualified to make these veggies.
Accidently healthy
If you have followed me long enough, you know I am not a health guru. However, look for articles online about vinegar, pickles and their effect on your blood sugar. Quick Pickled Vegetables may help keep your blood sugar low and steady.
Also, be aware that this recipe is not water-bath processed, meaning it is not shelf stable. This is not a lesson in canning for your pantry. I do know how to can, but I don’t always have the time. After the jars have cooled down completely (I leave them on the counter overnight) store them in the refrigerator. After 24 hours, their flavors will be robust. They will keep in the fridge for a month or so, but they will have their best flavor in the first 2 weeks.
Use Canning Salt for best results
Canning salt is preferable as regular table salt will become cloudy when the vinegar is added. Even though disconcerting, the cloudiness is not harmful to eat and does not indicate spoilage.
Make sure your vegetables are either blanched or room temperature. In other words, not chilled. Abrupt temperature changes may
Jars of Quick Pickled Vegetables are found in taco restaurants all over Mexico. Be creative and add other herbs such as thyme or oregano. You can also add more olive oil if you like. I like to add non-spicy vegetables sugar as carrots and mushrooms to the spicy jalapeños. You can always add one slice of jalapeno to your cauliflower or green beans for some added kick. If you don’t have fresh green jalapeños for spicy flavor, simply add a dried red chile to your non-spicy vegetables.
Like I said, be creative.
Quick Pickled Vegetables for the best tacos
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 1 pint 1x
Ingredients
For every pint/500ml jar:
¼ tsp. whole black pepper (1g)
1 clove garlic
1 bay leaf
1 cup white vinegar – 5% acidity (240ml)
1 cup water (240ml)
2 tsp. canning salt (8g)
Suggested vegetables – enough to fill pint/500ml jar
Red onions, sliced
Cauliflower, broken into pieces
Green beans, trimmed
Squash, any type, cut into small pieces
Carrots, peeled and sliced
Mushrooms, quartered*
Jalapeños peppers, sliced
Instructions
Prepare vegetables as needed. Wash pint sized/500ml glass jars in hot soapy water, rinse and dry well. Add whole black pepper, garlic, bay leaf and olive oil to each jar. Set aside.
Fill a medium saucepan with water and bring to a boil on the stove. Using a slotted spoon, quickly blanch the prepared vegetables by dipping them in the boiling water (not necessary for onions and jalapeños.) Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Fill each jar to the brim with your prepared vegetables. Press lightly on the vegetables to eliminate empty spaces in the bottom of the jar.
Add the white vinegar, water and salt to a saucepan and bring to boil. Make sure the salt has dissolved. Ladle the hot liquid over the vegetables in the jars. Cover with lid and tighten.
Allow the jars to cool to room temperature before storing in the refrigerator. Vegetables will be pickled after 24 hours. Best flavor if consumed within 2 weeks.
Notes
*Brown mushrooms hold up better than white musrooms for pickling, but alas, all the supermarket offered me were white mushrooms. Not beautiful to photograph, but certainly tasty.
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