How do I pickle vegetables?

There are two quite different things called pickling. Refrigerator pickles are a flavouring technique and are ready in hours. Shelf-stable pickles are a preserving technique where the vinegar concentration is a safety matter.

Safety

What you'll need

• Vinegar, 5% acidity
• Salt
• Jars
• Sugar (optional)
• Spices (optional)

Step by step

1. Decide which kind you are making.Fridge pickles: eaten within weeks, kept cold, flexible. Shelf-stable: stored at room temperature, and the recipe must be followed as written.
2. Prepare the vegetables evenly.Cucumber, carrot, radish, onion, cauliflower, green beans, chilli. Slice or cut to a consistent size so they pickle at the same rate.
3. Salt watery vegetables first.Cucumber and courgette especially. Half an hour under salt, then rinse and drain. It draws out water that would otherwise dilute the brine and soften them.
4. Make the brine.For a quick pickle: roughly equal vinegar and water, a tablespoon of salt and one or two of sugar per 500ml. Heat to dissolve.
5. Add spices to the jar, not the pan.Peppercorns, mustard seed, dill, bay, garlic, chilli. Adding them to the jar keeps their flavour cleaner.
6. Pour the hot brine over and seal.Cover the vegetables completely — anything above the brine line will spoil. Let it cool before refrigerating.
7. Wait at least a few hours.Quick pickles are good in a few hours and better after a day or two. Most improve for about a week.
8. For shelf-stable jars, follow a tested recipe exactly.Vinegar-to-water ratio, jar sterilisation and processing time are all safety-critical. This is not the place to improvise.

Tips

• Do not use a reactive pan — aluminium or unlined copper react with vinegar and taint the flavour. Stainless steel or enamel.
• Malt vinegar gives a traditional strong flavour; cider and white wine vinegar are gentler. Whatever you use, check it is at least 5% acidity.
• Leftover brine from a finished jar makes an excellent salad dressing base or marinade.

Questions people ask