Quick Vinegar-Brined Cucumber Pickles
This is a low-effort way to preserve cucumbers when you have too many on hand. The heat of the liquid jumpstarts the process, meaning you go from raw vegetable to a sharp, crisp side dish in the time it takes to clear the table.
Firmness is the goal.
Use small, firm cucumbers like Kirby or Persian varieties. Avoid large, waxy slicing cucumbers, as their seeds are too watery and the skins turn mushy quickly.
- 1-quart glass jar with lid
- Small saucepan
- Chef's knife
What goes in.
- 1.5 lbKirby cucumbers, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds or spears
- 1 cupwhite vinegar
- 1 cupwater
- 1 tbspkosher salt
- 1 tbspsugar
- 2 clovesgarlic, smashed
- 1 tspmustard seeds
- 3 sprigsfresh dill
Thermal shock vs. texture
Pouring the brine while hot softens the cucumber skin just enough to let the vinegar penetrate, but don't boil the cucumbers themselves or they will lose their snap.
The method.
Pack the jar
Place the dill, smashed garlic, and mustard seeds at the bottom of the glass jar. Pack the cucumber slices in tightly without crushing them.
Prepare the brine
Combine water, vinegar, salt, and sugar in the saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until the salt and sugar dissolve completely.
Pour and cool
Pour the hot liquid over the cucumbers until they are fully submerged. Leave about an inch of headspace at the top.
Seal and refrigerate
Screw the lid on loosely until the jar cools to room temperature. Tighten the lid and place it in the refrigerator. They are ready to eat once cold, but improve after 24 hours.
Other turns to take.
Spicy
Add one sliced serrano pepper or a teaspoon of red chili flakes to the jar before pouring the brine.
Bread and Butter style
Increase the sugar to 1/3 cup and add 1/2 teaspoon of celery seeds to the brine.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Trim the blossom end of the cucumber completely; it contains enzymes that can make the pickles soft.
If you want them extra crisp, soak the cucumber slices in a bowl of ice water for 30 minutes before packing them into the jar.
Do not use table salt with iodine, as it can cause the brine to look cloudy.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I store these in the pantry?
No. These are refrigerator pickles. Because they haven't been processed in a boiling water bath, they will spoil at room temperature.
Why did my pickles turn soft?
Usually, this means the cucumbers weren't fresh to begin with or the brine was poured on while still boiling hot, which cooked them.
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