Quick Pickles
Enjoy crisp, flavorful homemade pickles with minimal effort, perfect for quick refrigeration or water bath canning.
Ingredients
Cucumbers
- 4 pounds English cucumbers or other cucumber variety with very few seeds (washed and sliced into 1/4 inch rounds)
- 0.25 cup Salt (Canning or pickling salt recommended)
- 3-6 tea bags Black tea bags (preferably black, caffeinated or decaffeinated)
- Fresh herbs (optional, e.g., dill)
- 3.5-4 cups Vinegar (preferably white vinegar with 5% acidity or apple cider vinegar)
- 3 cups White sugar (optional; omit if using water, then add 3 cups water)
- 3 cups Water (only if sugar is omitted)
- 2 teaspoons Yellow mustard seeds (optional)
- 0.5 teaspoon Celery seed (optional)
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric (optional)
- 0.5 teaspoon Red pepper flakes (optional)
- 0.5 cup Apple cider vinegar (raw, optional for probiotic boost)
Instructions
- Wash and slice cucumbers into 1/4 inch rounds, then sprinkle with salt and drain for 1-3 hours.
- Layer cucumber slices into jars, adding herbs if desired, and do not rinse; reserve the drained liquid.
- Prepare brine: boil vinegar with sugar and spices for sweet brine, or boil vinegar with water and spices for savory brine; pour hot brine into jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.
- Cool jars, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour; for probiotic boost, add raw apple cider vinegar after cooling.
- For water bath canning, process jars in boiling water for proper shelf stability; otherwise, store in refrigerator for up to 6 months.
Notes
Ensure jars are properly sterilized if water bath canning; refrigerate pickles for best freshness.