If you’re one of those people who saw the word “pickled” in the title and said “Ugh, no, sorry, not for me,” do know, I was the same not too long ago and encourage you to fight the good fight for as long as you can, because once your tastes cross over to the vinegar side, there’s little going back.
Something of a gateway pickle, these should be eyed suspiciously as well. The thing is, one day you’re eating the foods you’ve always liked — sandwiches, salads, tacos, cheese — and you wouldn’t change a single thing. And then, once day, the quadruple-threat crunch/sweet/salty/punch of a pickle gets under your skin and suddenly, the food landscape is a bleak, depressing place without them. You need pickled red onions on your tacos, pickled celery in your tuna and egg salads, cucumber slices in your potato salads, grapes with your sharp cheeses and pickled carrot sticks in the fridge whenever the mood strikes, and nothing’s ever quite right without them again. I can find a clear demarcation in my pre- and post-pickle junkie days (it’s just about 10 (!) years ago, when I took up with this Russian I married) and think there’s still hope for you. Here, how about some granita instead?
But for those of you’ve whole already swan-dived into and flip-turned through the vinegar brine and would have it no other way, come, sit down next to me, because this is my new favorite summer pickle. The flavor and ingredient inspiration comes from the very first vinegar-soaked salad I fell for, something that Zabar’s sold under the name “health salad,” I believe because it was a cole slaw made with vinegar, instead of the dreaded mayo, which I would like to one day have as a band name. I bought it as often as I could afford to, which was not often enough back then, and so I finally did what I always do and figured out how to make it on my own. Except, it was always a little too chunky to work where I wanted it to, which was, everywhere.
The solution, inspired in appearance by these beauties, was a matter of sizing — thin strips and fine juliennes of the same vegetables made for a stunning tangle of color that was happy to twist like a pile of spaghetti anywhere that demands an instant pickle fix — heaped on pulled pork, aside anything that comes of a grill, against a sharp slice of cheese on a cold sandwich on a hot day, not that we have any of those lined up.
Heads Up, Google Readers! [A repeat announcement for the remainder of the month.] As someone has been using Google’s RSS reader from the day it launched in 2005, I’m definitely among those sad that it will be shutting down at the end of this month (i.e. just three more days). More than 250,000 of you subscribe to the site through Google Reader, and I think it would be a huge bummer if you missed out on everything I hope to share here this summer (popsicles! this sandwich slaw! mini-pies! ribs! picnic mega-sandwiches! grilled bacon!) because of it. What can you do? 1. Google makes it very easy to download your Reader data through Google Takeout and all alternative readers make it a cinch to upload this file to import your settings. 2. But why fuss? Two alternative readers I’ve been checking out since the announcement was made, Bloglovin‘ and Feedly (and I’d argue that no reader is working harder to adopt Google Reader dumpees than Feedly!) make it even easier, letting you skip this step entirely by prompting you to ask if it can import your Google Reader feeds the moment you set up an account. Both are so gorgeous and intuitive to use, you won’t be missing your retired Reader for a minute.
One year ago: Triple Berry Summer Buttermilk Bundt
Two years ago: Blueberry Yogurt Multigrain Pancakes
Three years ago: Bread and Butter Pickles, Blue Cheese and Red Potato Tart and Strawberry and Rhubarb Pie, Improved
Four years ago: Cheese Straws, Strawberries and Dumplings and Horseradish Potato Salad
Five years ago: Sweet Cherry Pie and Project Wedding Cake
Six years ago: Dilled Potato and Pickled Cucumber Salad (still my husband’s favorite potato salad of all time), Lemon Risotto and Strawberry Chiffon Shortcake
Pickled Vegetable Sandwich Slaw with Mustard Seeds
A new riff on my favorite pickled cole slaw, inspired by these pretties
I used a mixture of radishes, red, orange and yellow bell peppers, carrots, fresh sugar snaps and kirby cucumbers, but you can use any firm, crunchy vegetable you think would pickle well here. The only thing I don’t think I’d use again were the red radishes, because their color leaked all over, pink-pickling the other vegetables, though of course they all tasted just fine. You might note I am missing the most important ingredient in this so-called slaw, the cabbage. Guys, I made this in the chaotic two days before our two-week vacation and completely forgot. Turns out, it’s fantastic with or without cabbage, though feel free to add some green/white cabbage to your 4 cups of vegetables.
These are refrigerator pickles; no canning/vacuum seals/sterilized jars needed. You simply keep them in the fridge, where they will last for up to a month.
[Update 7/1/13: A few people were finding 3 tablespoons salt too salty. I looked over my other pickling formulas and think this could stand to be a little less salty and have updated the amount. Because the salt and sugar work together, the sugar is reduced from 6 tablespoons too. So sorry for any pickling unhappiness.]
Pickling mixture
1 cup distilled white vinegar
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons Kosher salt
2 tablespoons yellow mustard seeds
1 cup cold water
Slaw mixture
4 to 5 cups mixed slivered or julienned* firm, raw vegetables (see above for vegetable suggestions, below for slicing tips)
Optional: Few slivers of jalapeno
Heat vinegar, sugar, salt and mustard seeds to a simmer in a small, non-reactive pot over moderate heat, stirring only until sugar and salt dissolve. Stir in water, which should bring the mixture’s temperature down significantly. Let cool to lukewarm.
Divide vegetables between jars. (I used two 3/4 liter jars.) Pour vinegar mixture over vegetables and refrigerate until needed. You’ll find the vegetables to be lightly pickled within an hour, and deliciously pickled within a day. They will get slightly more pickled as they sit, but the change shouldn’t be too dramatic from the 24 hour level.
Eat with/on sandwiches, aside grilled food and pack it along for picnics — it goes with almost anything. Then make more, because this stuff is habit-forming.
Do ahead: Mine have kept in the fridge for a month without any change in taste or appearance. Updated to add (thanks, Erika!) that you’ll want to make sure that your vegetables are submerged in the brine for them to keep this long.
* I used a mix of a sharp knife, a simple mandoline (that includes julienne blades) and a julienne peeler (the Kuhn one), which I was embarrassed to admit I bought last year until I realized how much easier it makes getting juliennes from long, thin vegetables (carrots, cucumbers, parsnips and zucchini). Don’t fret if you don’t have a fancy peeler or mandoline; you can cut thin strips with your knife, then slice them into skinny matchsticks quite easily.
this recipe is so exciting I want to leave work and go home to make it.
I live for pickled ramps on EVERYTHING in the springtime, so much so that my 5 yo son has taken to stealing them off of my sandwich and replacing the bread assuming I’ll be none the wiser.
Good thing I’m still smarter than him…for now.
But have you been to Brighton Beach (or Russia) and had pickled watermelon? I am sorry, some things should never be tainted with vinegar and watermelon is one of them.
I *love* pickled melon! SO so so good! Perhaps I should mention I am Bulgarian, though.
I had picked melon and it was fantastic!
I’ve been looking for interesting and easy salad toppings lately – perfect, thanks!
mmmmmmm. sounds delicious. and it seems like this would can just fine if i were so inclined, no? And it must be a good use of those kohlrabi sitting in my fridge for no other reason.
Rainbow sandwiches forever! I can just tell this will change my life.
What a terrific idea for fun gifts!
While I’ve been using Reader up until this week, my go-to replacement is The Old Reader, which I feel is the simplest and best replacement at least on a computer in a browser. This is such a beautiful recipe, hope to read many more in other RSS readers in the future :-)
I made pickled onions a couple of months ago and they were an amazing addition to everything… I need to expand my horizons with this veggie slaw!
It’s been a crazy pickling season around here and its not even July. The plants all took over, but now all I can think about is this. Which uses almost nothing we grow. As for the pickled red onions, I can not recommend them highly enough on avocado toast.
What kind of mandolin do you have? I would love to have a good one.
best mandolin is the original, Borner, german made , which they’ve been selling in trade fairs for 50+ years. I have bought two different orange ones at thrift stores, with slicing blades as sharp as when they were first made. I use mine for almost every meal I make!
These look great and thank you for the info on the reader front. I hadn’t had a chance to research other readers yet.
Never mind. Just saw the answer in your recipe.
I was just (re)reading your cookbook – like a novel. I love your stories that you tell. And was reading about your love of pickling just yesterday. And voila, pickling on your website, too. And what a gorgeous! color palette. This truly is eating the rainbow!
I always feel very intimidated by the idea of pickling but this looks yummy, and I’m just in love with the colors! :)
Well, perfect timing….the garden is yielding both radishes & the snap peas now!
So, the Kuhn julienne peeler really works? I’ve been tempted but just seemed too good to be true.
Angela — It truly does, but keep the cap on it, if you have a messy drawer of gadgets like I do. It’s crazy sharp and jagged.
Ella — I don’t have to go to Brighton for it; my MIL makes it! But with garlic and dill. I just… I just can’t…
Is it okay to use a different vinegar? I just discovered my distilled white vinegar is way old!
Rachel, don’ t know if anyone ever responded to you on your question. Distilled white vinegar keeps indefinitely–it’s in the category of what we refer to as “earthquake foods” in California, meaning you can keep them indefinitely in your garage. :-) Here’s one source, but you can find many. Use without fear and happy pickling!
https://www.stilltasty.com/fooditems/index/18645
Yes! Perfect for summer…can’t wait!
I’m kind of in love with the fact that you called these gateway pickles – but it’s so try, once you get into the whole loving pickles thing you just can’t go back!
And those bold colors in sparkly glass jars dress up the inside of a fridge so nicely. I’ll be adding a few slivers of jalapeño, just because.
I’ve been struggling to think up vegan sandwich fillings that will travel well for bike rides, camping trips, etc. and this sounds PERFECT! Thanks Deb- brilliant, as always.
We’re leaving for a ten day vacation tomorrow morning and have almost all of our weekly CSA farmshare sitting in the fridge un-eaten and only two days old. The thought of tossing it is nauseating, and there is no way everything holds up until we get back.
Looks like we’ll avoid this little pickle we’re in by pickling. Thanks!
I love how beautiful this looks, and I’m already a pickle lover. I’ll even brave my fear of mandolins to try this out! :)
Deb, I have a cucumber question. Would hothouse cucumbers work in this? I know they’re not traditional pickling cucumbers, but this recipe doesn’t seem to fully cook them like a canning and pickling recipe.
I am yet to find a mayo-based slaw that does not freak me out, but I think that’s because the ones I see seem to be drowning in it. You make me really want to try Bobby Flay’s green onion slaw, though, since that seems like such a reasonable amount.Your pickled red onions now end up in almost anything involving some grain product surrounding other food. I could practically live off an “Asian” coleslaw recipe my mother found with the standard cole slaw veggies, plus roasted sunflower seeds and crumbled, uncooked instant Ramen for crunch. The dressing is a vinaigrette that uses the Ramen seasoning packet for flavor.
Matt — Do you mean hothouse… as in those long, usually plastic wrapped “seedless” ones? Those, I think they would. Mostly, you’re looking for crisp, firm, fresh vegetables. They will always pickle the best.
Non-mayo slaws — I am shocked I don’t have more of these! If you have the cookbook, however, there’s a beloved sugar snap/napa slaw with a miso/tahini/ginger/garlic dressing that I would personally slurp through a straw, if I thought I could get away with it.
Every sandwich needs more color! This sounds amazing!
Yes!! I got turned on to quick pickling by my brother and swiftly went over to the “vinegar side” I have obsessively tweaked my brine for dill pickles. Night and day from store bought. I have pickled red onions with jalapenos, bahn mi style carrots and daikon. I was so excited to read this post. This will be made as soon as I can order a julienne peeler. Who knew there was such a thing? Thank you, thank you, oh thank you. At the risk of sounding fan-girly, you are my kitchen goddess, and such an inspiration.
no canning/vacumming is music to my ears. will make this and put it in the fridge this weekend.
I would like to second the suggestion of “The Old Reader” for those of us that really like a simple, not photo driven, non-Pinterest looking RSS reader. Other ones might be pretty, but I am a creature of habit and want simple and clean!
Also, I will be making this this weekend!
I will check The Old Reader out. I was unfamiliar with it, and only wanted to suggest ones I’d tried out personally and think I’d enjoy using. If I like it, I will definitely include it.
I love how pretty this salad is. I love pickles and pickling is so fun to do. So no, the title didn’t turn me off. I couldn’t wait to see what you had in store. :-)
I can not picture a food or sandwich experience without pickle. theya re magic ingredient to bring the ok to wow. This is such a pretty combo of colours and would make great gifts. I wonder if this technique would work with harder veggies like cauliflower or broccoli?
This is so pretty. There were all these firm vegetables, perfect for this, at the farmer’s market yesterday but I couldn’t think how to use a variety of them at once. I will be back on Friday with this recipe in my pocket!
Shame about the radishes, though. They add such a nice punch of color at the bottom.
I can see this on pumpernickel spread with cream cheese. Oooh, yes! I can almost taste it now! Thanks for the great recipe…you never fail us!
I always have a jar of pickled red onions in the fridge for summer grilling and sandwiches. I can see this pickled being another wonderful go-to. Thanks for sharing!
Absolutely gorgeous!
This looks delicious and beautiful. I will have to go through my pickle collection and finish some up first. It is too easy for my husband to push the pickles far enough back in the fridge that I forget about them.
DEB. First, you teach me to bake (almost 4 years ago now!). Of course I became obsessed with your blog and your food. I have had people who remember cakes I’ve brought to parties and email about them literally years lager (the peanut butter cake, natch). And now you’ve solved my Google Reader woe?! You are too much. TOO MUCH.
I also would like to go home and make this now!
I love the looks of this and can not wait to try it! Maybe this upcoming holiday weekend!!?! :) I hope it is as delicious as it is beautiful! Muah, k
Might be helpful to note in the “Do ahead” section, that the pickled veggies will store best if they are fully submerged in the brine/liquid. Early on it doesn’t matter much, but towards the end of the month, anything up in the air might be discolored/wilty or even grow some mold. The brine prevents that from happening.
CSA kolhrabi and turnips, prepare to be pickled!!
Erika — Thanks!
Is it possible to make this salt free or with minimal salt?
I love that you are posting jars of rainbow pickles on the day after DOMA was defeated! A refreshing way to celebrate indeed :)
Gorgeous layers!! And I love that you included sugar snap peas!! So creative :)
The Old Reader is lovely! It is just like Google Reader to me, so if you’re loathe to change, I highly recommend it. It took all of ten seconds to get going and I’m back on the bloggy trail.
And now to go pickle ALL THE THINGS!
Aren’t the Benriner Japanese Mandolin the best?? I love mine! This recipe sounds ohh sooo delicious! Thanks for sharing :)
Love this! I’m a total sucker for all things pickled. Pickled red onions on pulled pork sandwiches = my heaven.
just wanted to let you know, your message about google reader was clipped and i didnt see it till i clicked through to your whole post!!!
YES. This kind of mixed pickle is one of my favorite things ever! If any of you are worried about being able to eat an entire batch, fear not. SO GOOD.
Is it necessary to julienne the veggies? I have loads of sweet sugar snap peas and was thinking of just popping them into a jar with some brine…will the brine still penetrate the skins ok?
I love pickles! And on tacos and sandwiches, I think they are totally a necessity. This looks awesome!
Would reducing the sugar have any effect on the pickling, besides obviously that it would taste less sweet? I’m trying to dial down the sugar in most areas.
What type of Kosher salt did you use here? I’m trying to avoid them being overly salty – will tasting the brine pre-pickling help?
kim — I decided to make it easier this time and just assume people were using a heavier brand of kosher salt (Morton). If you’re using the featherlight Diamond brand, you can increase the salt by 1 tablespoon.
heather — Yes. You might want to use this Pickled Sugar Snaps recipe as a starting-off point.
How Yum! I am making pickled green tomatoes so that they don’t go bad when we leave for vacation this weekend. This slaw looks equally delish!
The Old Reader is my new jam. It’s simple and reminiscent of good ole Google Reader. Feedly was starting to do too much for my taste. Love the slaw recipe! =)
I know you said it was in the cookbook, but that recipe for pickled celery is actually in your blog! Its delicious too! Its in the “egg salad with pickled celery and course dijon” recipe
Adam — Duh! How did I forget? Thanks.
Our last year’s refrigerator dills (cucumber pickles, that is) were just finished up in March. They were made in, uh, June of the previous year.
Pickles in the refrigerator last a LONG, LONG time (submerged in the pickling liquid, as noted). That much vinegar and salt is no place for harmful bacteria.
You described me perfectly in that first sentence but I think you’ve convinced me. These colors (the photos) are truly gorgeous! Stay cool!
You had be from the beginning. I just purchased some Weck jars and I love the shape of them, but couldn’t figure out what to put in them. Now I know!
Prettiest slaw ever, love the bright colors and textures!
1. all pickles all the time
2. I’ve switched to commafeed which is really nice and simple and VERY similar in format and style to g.reader. They’re still in beta mode, so sometimes the feeds don’t update as quickly as g.reader, but that’s really improved in the last few days and I’m really happy with it. rip google reader R.I.P.
man that is an awesome looking recipe!
Another vote here for the Old Reader – diggin’ the old-school Reader flavor.
If you wanted to do a larger quantity – COULD you hot-pack/water bath process these? They look yummy, but I don’t see the point of only making two jars when I know we’ll eat them like crazy!
I have not been won over yet to the Dark Side of Vinegar Lovers, but, uh, I’m wavering a little here. You could probably convince me to try live sea urchins; I’m game for pickled masses of tangly vegetables! Got any links or ideas for good pickled-beet recipes?
Where did you get your mandolin? It looks like it does different cuts. I’m looking for a good one!
fab idea! love it!
Oh my can not wait to try!! I love anything pickled!!!
Can I ask what brand those jars are? I’m really tired of using the Ball brand as the caps are not for long term use.
The ones you have pictured look like exactly what I need!
This is such a beatiful quick pickle dish! We love, love, LOVE vinegar – you’re right – no going back!
Oh my Deb- these look wonderful. I am a sucker for spicy pickles? Any ideas on what to add to make this spicy and sweet- jalapenos? Thai chilies? I might do both and add peppercorns as well! It is so nice to have you back- though Rome sure would be missing you. I like going into the weekend with a bunch of Smitten Kitchen recipes to try :)
Josh- those look like Weck jars although without the lids I can’t tell for sure. Too much Williams Sonoma browsing for me :)
Jars — They’re the 3/4-liter mold jars from Weck. I used two. If you want to can in a Weck jar, you need to replace the rubber gaskets with each canning session but the lids are reusable. However, for food storage, the two-clamp lid is annoying, and it’s best to seek out their rubber “keep fresh” covers/lids. (I have found them hard to find in person; easy to order online.)
Leila — There’s a link to the mandoline and the julienne peeler below the recipe.
Nicole — Yes, I think so. Or, at least I cannot think of a reason that they would not be, but I am sure someone will pipe up if they’re not.
Oh man, I made your recipe for pickled red onions years ago (chicken milanese/escarole salad day) and never looked back. Refrigerated pickles are the best! Can’t wait to try these.
I am so tempted by this julienne peeler! Tried to mandoline my carrots with the crossways julienne blade (I have the same one as you) but it just wouldn’t work! Is a julienne peeler the way to go?
Frances — I fear it really does work so much better than the julienne blade on a mandoline for long, thinner vegetables. I am incredibly stubborn about buying things for the kitchen and don’t use it often, but love it when I have it. Also would be good to dust off this recipe!
I know it’s the middle of winter, but I wanted to say I make this as part of weekly meal prep and it’s so easy and delicious, and a fantastic way to make off-season or all-season veggies (grocery peppers, cukes, carrots) taste fresh and vibrant! Thanks!
I love this idea! I am a pickle junky (there are people in the world who don’t like pickles??!!). I’m on a wacky diet for my migraines and am not eating any refined sugar so I may try this with another sweetener (honey?) and report back. Or, fermenting instead of brine-ing…
I love this, I have so many vegetables and sometimes I just don’t know what to do with them all, this is a great solution. And it’s so pretty!
I pickled various vegetables for our wedding favors last year and was also a little surprised/disgruntled that the radishes shed their color. It did really make for a nice display since the jars with radishes were all slightly pink and contrasted nicely with the white cauliflower and green beans. I also found that when I added whole pepper corns, the brine turned slightly brown… which was much worse than the pink!
I love anything pickled sweet and sour is my favorite taste sensation. Love the colors in these pickles, perfect addition to any sandwich.
That’s not true about not missing Google Reader. I really miss being able to search my blog feed for a recipe I know I saw–or even an ingredient within a recipe, like capers–but can’t quite remember which blog it was… I know Feedly is working on it, but for now, I just miss it. And I tried BlogLovin’, but it just annoyed me (though that, again, may be my resistance to being forced to switch to another reader), mainly because it opened everything in a BlogLovin’ frame. I didn’t take much time to see if this was a feature that could be turned off. I think I’ll settle for Feedly for now.
By the way, these pickled veggies are gorgeous. Seriously thinking my sweet peppers might best be used in this way…
I don’t know if you intended it or not, but the rainbow-hued pickles are a perfect counterpoint to yesterday’s SCOTUS results – so thank you!!! :) They’re no doubt full of flavor as well as Pride!
Wow, this slaw is incredibly gorgeous! I’m admittedly a little (rabidly, actually) jealous of your mandoline, as I’m sure if I hacked up some peppers & radishes with my so-so knife skills, even a fine julienne wouldn’t produce such a kaleidoscopic effect.
You’re not the only pickled-everything freak. I crossed over either at my favorite Indian restaurant when I bit into a fresh pickled carrot stick garnish, or when I first tried my grandfather’s home-pickled beets. He puts them in an old jam jar, doesn’t re-seal the lid, and stores them ad-infinitum in a cellar. We haven’t died of botulism yet and they’re amazing on salad. I make my own these days but keep them in the ‘fridge.
I’m still subscribed via a Google Reader clone called CommaFeed (found via Reddit), and I’ll be an enthusiastic reader of your blog until the apocalypse, when it would presumably shut down for apocalyptic reasons. I’m probably going to throw in some dill and some garlic with my picked slaw.
Mmmm! My husband has recently become obsessed with pickling everything we harvest from our garden! Most recently, cucumbers and jalepenos. Do you use any special white vinegar? I think we just have a big jug of Heinz from Costco, but I couldn’t help but wonder if they vary.
The julienne totally makes this along with the colorful mix. But you gotta try throwing juniper berries in there – way more delicious than there is any reason to believe.
Sure looks pretty! I imagine jicama, daikon, parsnips would work. Yes? I love slaws. And ones with mayo, too. Have you researched cooked salad dressings? They are quite good.
This is exactly the recipe I needed! I’ve been craving it without quite realizing it. And I already bought the julienne slicer, because there are a lot of times I’ve needed that without knowing as well. I see lots of beautiful pickled vegetables in our future!
Such a pretty jar. If I do make this, I might just use it as a mantelpiece decor.
Oh I love sandviches with pickled vegetables. And a colorful jar looks good on a shelf :D
Amy’s comments about her grandfather’s less than sterile pickled beets reminded me of a friend’s story. She married into a big Italian family and one of the uncles made his own wine. She talked to him about the process and said “Oh, wow, there is so much you have to think about–sterilizing the bottles and the equipment, etc.” He looked at her and said “Sterilizing?” She decided that is probably why the “vin d’oncle” tastes like old socks.
super post.
my imagination – or is the second photo you posted upside down??
super post. thanks! you already changed egg salad for me forever with your pickled celery some months back:) My imagination – or is the second photo in this post, the one with the bunch of carrots and the bell peppers, posted upside down?
this looks really great, very beautiful! instead of sugar i would likely use a sweet firm apple and instead of pickling i would ferment. i’ve been fermenting vegetables for a while now and i’m liking the results much better than pickling. i like the combination you used and using the mandolin in making everything uniform size.
Wondering whether one could use apple cider vinegar and not distilled white?
Deb, could I use splenda instead of sugar?
Thank you for this. I am woefully/blissfully enraptured with all things pickled. I almost can’t eat a decent lunch anymore. I go to the fridge scanning for something inspiring but all I seem to want is something pickled and perhaps a hunk of cheese. Now I can say I had health salad for lunch!
You had me at pickled.
Ding dong YUM! Can taste the bright freshness of this slaw just reading the recipe. And I’m thinking this is a great starting point for homemade bahn mi sandwiches – cuz they’re just too hard to find ’round these parts. Tell me, would you modify the pickling juices at all with bahn mi’s in mind? Thanks!
Hi Deb! I made these last night. No mandolin, no peeler, just me and my trusty knife and it all came together in about 20 minutes. Part of a “make your own BLT” dinner party and it was a hit! Didn’t hurt that it looked great, too. Thanks again!
…but then there’s watermelon pickle, the darling of the American South, made with the rinds, and irresistible. My Arkansas MIL made these and they were lovely.
Yay for pickles! I had the same problem with my radishes after I asked the guy at my farmers market about how to keep them fresh for more than a few days. He suggested storing them whole-minus-the-greens in a jar of water or water/vinegar, and they leeched all their pretty pink (and flavor and crispness) with the vinegar. Water was perfect though.
This combo of vegetables sound great. I might add some shallot or sweet yellow onion. Pickled red onion is one of my favorite things in summer, but it would cause the same pink problem here, I imagine.
(also speaking of pickles–I was at your booksigning in Chicago last winter and gave you a little jar of pickled cranberries. I didn’t realize you were such a pickle fan, but I hope you were able to get them home with you and that you liked them!)
Hi Christina — I am so glad you mentioned the cranberries because I wanted to tell you a story about them. I was nervous to put them in my suitcase because I didn’t have a plastic bag for them, so I put them in my carry-on and then realized seconds before going through security that they were going to be confiscated! (Liquid over 3 ounces and stuff.) I was in a total panic but decided to hope they’d miss it, as they do often miss things. At the other side, the guy rifled through my bag and said “I bet you want to bring these home for Thanksgiving,” and let them through! He was the nicest TSA person I met in any of my 29 flights. ;) Anyway, they were wonderful and now long gone. Thank you!
Melissa — I think bahn mi pickles are sweeter, so use less salt. They’re often done in rice vinegar, and maybe with a higher proportion of rice vinegar to water, because it’s much more mild. Use a julienne of carrots and daikon. I thought they might include some ginger slices for flavor,b ut haven’t seen any recipes that include them.
susan schwartz — Not upside-down, just didn’t have the camera directly parallel to the counter. I don’t use a rig or anything to hold it, just m hands so things are often a little crooked. ;)
Susan — No! Tell me more. Also, I was looking over an old post yesterday where you had a conversation with my friend Molly about pineapple chess pie. I need that in my life. I’m just saying.
Oh, I’m sweating brine over my pickled asparagus today! Singing 47 ginger headed sailors, sail away across the briney sea….it’s from Jeeves.
These are the kind of projects I enjoy during the summer with all the vegetables around. We have a similar “Filipino Achara” version wherein we use green papaya (unripe) and once pickled goes great as a side with BBQ’d meats, veggies. I will try your recipe, sounds easier than mine. Your photos are gorgeous, as always. Thanks for sharing, Deb!
sounds and looks great but can it be done with agave or stevia instead of sugar?
What do you think about dropping a big spoon of smoked paprika for a smokra effect? Could that work???
Oh phew! The three-ounce thing only occurred to me as I was in line for the signing to give them to you, so I’m glad O’Hare’s TSA folks managed to do something right :-) And more than that, so glad you enjoyed them!! I just started canning last summer and those were one of my favorite recipes–perhaps an acquired taste for some, but I thought they were amazing, and introduced me to the wonders that are shrubs (the syrup/cocktail, not the plant).
As pickling goes, it has its place, and this is a nice recipe. Nice pictures, too!
Deb- this looks AMAZING but I sadly have a thing against mustard seeds. Any other suggestive alternatives?
Erin — You could use a few peppercorns, some slivers of ginger, or jalapeno.. or, really, any flavor you’d like with your pickles.
Yay! I’m having a pig roast for 4th of July and this looks like the perfect slaw for it.
I have been following you for a while (on Bloglovin), but had to comment – this looks wonderful! I have wanted to get a mandoline for a while, so this may be just the excuse I needed. I am also excited about your frommage fort recipe a few months ago – am hoping to try that one soon.
Love your blog and your photos – they both make my mouth water!
Absolutely gorgeous! I like the idea of not adding traditional cabbage! And thanks for the radish tip! I’ve always been afraid to pickle in jars with all the sterilizing and what not, but this seems so doable!
The Japanese make wonderful pickles! They also have a device that makes instant pickles. I don’t have one as they are very expensive, but it’s on my list.
I just made this but I used white onion. I’m going to suggest NOT doing that. The mix was really bitter and it seemed to come from the onion. I’m going to try it again today without the onion.
On what promises to be the first sunny day of summer in Seattle, I am going to pickle everything in my fridge!! Thanks and happy summer! xo, Nan
I grew up in Philadelphia, and miss getting “health slaw” at the local deli a lot. I think this recipe will made a decent replacement, as I love all things pickled.
If you haven’t tried pickled peaches or pickled okra (can you tell I live in the South now?), you should! Also, we have excellent chow chow here, which is sort of like if spicy relish and health slaw had a love child.
So, how do you really slice those small radishes on a Japanese slicer??
Would black mustard seeds make a bit difference in terms of taste? They are pretty pungent (when fried). Not sure how they would affect the taste of this slaw? Any thoughts?
Or, people can get your posts in their email, like I do. So glad I never went the google-reader route now that it is defunct. I love your exclamation, “are you smoking crack??” maybe not on this post but on one of your pickle posts. It brings me back to my days in NYC in the 80s.
Lovely!
Deb, thank you infinitely for permanent inspiration. Would you happen to have or know a tutorial for mandoline usage? I have a great one but do not seem to grasp how to best use it. I end up with everything helter-skelter and recurring to my old knife instead. Is it only me being extremely inept? :(
My son was enamored with the rainbow colors and I with the combination of flavors. Here in TX pickled things are a must and this will be added on to that list ~ thanks for sharing!
Deb, here’s a mystery for you. The first and seventh pictures are not displaying for me on a Windows machine from any of four browsers (Firefox, Chrome, Safari, IE). But I’m reasonably sure that they did from a Mac, on Firefox. (No idea what the deal is but the anal part of me got quite worked up!)
Great colours, btw. But you knew that already :)
D’oh! Thanks Deb!
Deb, This is SO much more beautiful than the recipe from ” The Second Avenue Deli ” that I’ve been using forever. Thank you once again for a gorgeous as well as healthy recipe.
I wonder how much I can decrease the sugar ( using part Splenda) without impacting either the taste or keeping qualities. . .
I just ordered the lids you mentioned directly from WECK 800-345-7381
If you order directly by phone , rather than on their website, you save a lot on the shipping !
Cheers!
Rochelle
Rochelle — Good to know! I’d decrease the sugar AND salt proportionally. They work with each other to balance the pickling flavor.
Handful — Have you rebooted your browser? I find that when I’ve had mine open too long, they stop rendering things as well.
HK — I haven’t tried it. It might affect the color but there’s otherwise no reason not to use whatever flavored seeds you might prefer here.
Andi — I used the julienne blade.
No, really, I think that second picture *is* upside down!
I’m going to pickle some pretty veggies this weekend. This is so appealing!
My husband loves anything, everything pickled. The quail eggs just don’t do it for me at all. But he worked on something like this last summer so I can see where we’ll end up doing your version. I like the julienne peeler. I see a purchase in my future.
Oh, pineapple chess pie, please! I remember one my grandmother and I made many years ago with fresh pineapple and it was amazing. Need to find that recipe.
Oh! I so know what you mean about the peeler. Someone bought me it as a give a few years ago and I looked at it oh so skeptically, thinking “Pshaw! Another gadget that is just going to waste away in a drawer”.
Until I used it. It is AWESOME, and so much easier to clean than a v slicer or mandolin.
Love.
My kids teethed on kosher dills. None of those nasty teething biscuit crumbs – and they smelled like a deli. I know; I’m a weird mother. My grandkids munch on a pickled cabbage called torsusu (a sort of Turkish/ Albanian sauerkraut) the way other kids eat apple slices. We’ll all love this.
Sexy yummy pickles! Cant wait to try this recipe too! Had home made pickled RHUBARB last night at a restaurant and it was amazing, the chef gave me the recipe and one for pickled chanterelles, made me think of your blog!
Deb, YOU ROCK! Last summer I treated myself to a fancy schmancy German crock and loaded up the cabbage for my first and very divine batch of sauerkraut. Good LORD! Nothing compares. Next, I owe you. “Sit Down Next To Me” did not get past me! Thank you so very very much for leading me to “James.” Cheers, girl, CHEERS!
Our gracious neighbor made something very similar, and passed the recipe on to us. Her “Spectacular Slaw” also included sliced green olives. Adds just a little something extra in every couple of bites!A truly flavorful and addicting summer slaw Deb!
Grilled bacon?!!
You had me at pickled. THis is my first time commenting on your blog. You have a stunning blog with wonderful recipes. This pickled slow would be perfect on burgers that I love to have..
Will try this one for sure.
I got excited about another way to prepare my veggies until I saw all that sugar :(
I made this yesterday and am trying it this morning as I type this. This has a nice flavor but is really salty. I wonder if the 3 tablespoons of kosher salt the recipe calls for is correct? Should it be teaspoons? I used Morton’s kosher salt.
Deb…I shot you an email about the chess pie!
Thelma – check out this post! http://smittenkitchen.com/tips/2010/06/29/not-all-salts-are-created-equally/
I am not really a pickle person but all the different colors look so lovely together I might have to try making this.
Cyndie–Thank you for alerting me to the salt issue! Who would have thought there existed such a difference?! Basically, I doubled the salt content by using Morton’s. Well, that just means I will add more vegetables and liquid sans salt.
just made this, this evening…yumm! I didn’t have any mustard seed, but I did have pickling spice left over from St. Patty’s so I used what I had left, about a heaping tablespoon and also added a few red pepper flakes. I also added 2 tablespoons of regular salt, since I didn’t have kosher salt. Because I’m not keen on sweet pickles, I only added 4 tablespoons of sugar. It’s been sitting in the fridge for nearly 2 hours and I just tried a bit, it is soooo good. Thank you!
Whoa – these were WAY too salty. I used 3 Tablespoons of Morton’s rough kosher salt, followed the whole recipe exactly, and they are over-the-top salty. Has anyone else found this to be the case? It’s too bad… :(
Here is a sandwich you might enjoy with this wonderful looking recipe.
Spread 2 slices of whole grain bread with creamed cheese that you have added chopped green onion. Drain the pickled veggies and place on top of the creamed cheese. That is it! Easy and so delicious. Also makes a lovely open face/faced sandwich.
I’m glad someone else agrees with me on the whole, “mayo is dreadful” thing.
This sounds delicious! I’ll have to try it. I’m going to have to find a julienne peeler.
#150 Geri, the sandwich sounds very good.
Well, I am EXACTLY one of those people who hates pickles and anything vinegary. You’re serious there is hope for me? If I persist I will develop a taste for them … and it’s worth it? I know it’s true that tastes do change because I’ve noticed how much sweeter a lot of vegetables taste to me since I went on unleash your thin and stopped eating sugar and potatoes, but getting to like pickles … well I always like a challenge so maybe I’ll give it a try!
I love dill. Could I add some fresh chopped dill to this recipe? It looks delicious!
To answer Nicole T’s question about water bath canning these, there are two things to consider:
1) Is the vinegar level acidic enough to preserve without refrigeration? Many canned pickle recipes in the Ball Blue Book call for equal proportions of vinegar and water so these are probably acidic enough.
2) Will the texture remain the same? Probably not. Most likely the you’ll loose the crisp texture of these pickles since they will end up boiled in the water bath for 10 minutes. Canned pickles that are crisp are often salted and iced first to remove water to allow them to keep the texture.
Best to just make a single recipe and then make them again when you’ve consumed them all.
Looking forward to trying these myself and since my husband isn’t a pickle convert, enjoying them all myself.
If you are really into pickles, do you think you’ll cross over into the fermenting camp? All those healthy probiotics, and often even tastier than a vinegar pickle!
We threw a birthday party picnic for my Father in Law yesterday (he turned 75 on Friday), and i made this Thursday evening for it. While they were a little too salty for me, they were a HUGE hit at the picnic and i had several people ask me for the recipe! Thanks for the recipe!
Other tips for vegetables?
I was thinking about zucchinis, carrots, peppers, green beans, jalapenos and maybe onions?
Would red onions leak (leek-joke intended) their red color?
The recipe looks lovely, but my favorite thing to do with your new posts is look for the link to a picture of Jacob! Am I overlooking it?!
This looks fabulous, I can hear the crunch! Beautiful photographs too.
beautiful colors! i love the rainbow you got going on here!
Can I substitute brown mustard seeds for the yellow ones? They’re what I have on hand. Just curious. This looks amazing, and you’ve absolutely converted me into the pro-pickle camp (the pickled red onions from your farro/butternut salad were my gateway pickle….)
And the napa/snap pea, miso/sesame salad in the book? Oh. My. God. Made it over New Year’s and can’t believe I haven’t made it again since. Thank you for reminding me. I’m allowed to eat just that as a complete meal, right?
I saw your warning about Google Reader going away, and just had to share one called InoReader with you. It’s the closest to the Google layout that I’ve found. So far it’s working very well for me, much more so than Feedly. Bloglovin’ is okay, not great. The only downside to Ino is that I don’t think there’s a smartphone app for it. Maybe they’ll make one soon though!
Can you sub-granulated sugar for sugar in the raw?
OMG these are sooo good. I made these yesterday with red and orange bell pepper, carrot and cucumber. Served with ribs and these pickles were a huge hit. What can I say – you never fail us Deb.
Hey Deb, I know you’ve talked about this before, but I think it bears a warning at the head of this recipe. I also used Morton’s, and found the pickles WAY too salty. Otherwise, I think the recipe is great.
Saltiness — Oh, I’m so sorry. I will make an updated note. (I had found mine salty too, and then halved the suggested salt when I made it again, leaving you with 3 tablespoons. I, too, am using Morton these days because I can never find Diamond anymore. Now I’m worried I mis-measured? So sorry again.)
Tara — Was your question for the crumble? (Where I call for sugar in the raw.) Or this one? If this one, I wouldn’t recommend it. It will make your pickles beige. It will otherwise work.
Made this in about 15 minutes one night. Threw it onto a hot dog with some Sriracha mayo–instant mock bahn mi. Delicious!
I just jumped on to ask about the salt! Here I thought I did something wrong…which I might have because I had to use 3 pints (instead of 2 3/4 liters) and for some reason didn’t have enough liquid so I had to make a half batch to fill my 3rd jar, but then they were WAY too salty. I think I’ll have to throw them out…I tried to eat them but I just couldn’t…too bad because they sure are pretty in those jars! No harm done and will try again with 2T!
Made 2 big jars this weekend….it has changed lunchtime FOREVER!! It will soon change dinner forever as well….it’s taking over our life.
I made this last night (haven’t tasted it yet), and I essentially quadrupled the recipe. I had a mountain of veggies and ended up with about 4 quarts of final product. As I was adding the salt, sugar, and mustard seed to the vinegar, I realized that quadrupling 3tbl of salt would be over 1/2 a cup of salt. So I went to my pickling cookbook to look up proportions, and recipe with as much as 14 cups of veggies only called for about 1 – 2 tsp of salt (although I’m sure that’s table salt). They also called for a lot of sugar. So, I used all of the rest of the sugar I had (I think about 3/4 to 1 cup total) and just a heavy splash of salt (maybe 2 tbl total). Might have been more helpful to you had I measured! I did use a whole 1/4 cup mustard seed, which might have been a bit heavy handed, because I ended up with a LOT of seeds to divide among my jars.
I’ll update later when I’ve tasted the product, but just wanted to suggest checking other pickling recipes for the salt/ sugar/ veggies ratio.
Pickled vegetables …they should be a legal requirement in every kitchen! :)
While leaving Door County, Wi (46 miles of cherries, Great Lakes, ice cream, and Whitefish…do visit…) I saw a hand-written sign saying “pickles”. I absently said, “I want pickles” and my lovely husband did a U turn. It was a whole store/house of pickles, and the pickle lady watched the two year old while we shopped. We bought jars and jars of Christmas Presents (which we opened ourselves and then ate…spaghetti sauce! Boysenberry jam! Banana peppers! And pickled asparagus! ( have you had this??) Amazing.
Fabulous. I made mine with Brussels Sprout instead of cabbage.
Thank you, Deb!
Update, this was a huge hit! Very good and just the right amount of sweetness.
This is just wonderful! Thanks for sharing! Love x
Oo-la-la
This sammie makes me so happy! Years ago I ate a a bar/restaurant where I use to live in Athens, GA. A friend was in the kitchen that night and he experimented with a sandwich which he served me. It was very similar to this, except with sherry vinegar and green beans, among other pretty veggies. It was delicious! I forgot about this sandwich and re-making it until now, I’ll have to try yours! Thank you!
That is such a great idea! I just love sandwiches, and whatever can be added to it, I’ll add. With the summer coming, it a great idea to preserve freshness.
Oh yum! I can’t wait to try this. Lol I’ve been going overboard with the pickling lately and my roommates think I’m kinda crazy. Just pickled some asparagus the other day and I still have some pickled ramps, beets, and cauliflower in the fridge. Might as well add this gorgeous mix to the collection. I’m just going to have to remember how my mandoline works again. I swear I have amnesia when it comes to that thing.
I love the first two photos. How bright and lovely and perfect. I lingered for a moment – you captured such beauty in those vegetables.
These look wonderful. I think you could convert them to a fermented pickle and leave out the vinegar. If you’ve already developed a love for the sour crunch that pickles provide, taking another step to the rich, funky flavors that lacto-pickles provide is a simple move to even happier taste buds.
Thanks for sharing!
I’m new to pickling, so is it against the rules to add more veggies to the liquid after the initial pickling? This was so fantastic that it was devoured in record time at our picnic yesterday!
Ashley — I don’t think it’s a problem. My MIL does it all of the time. I wouldn’t consider it foodsafe in definitely, but certainly for a few rounds.
I have tried many pickle recipes and they almost always call for dill. They were a bit too strong for my taste even though I love dill pickles. These are right on the mark. I did add about 1/8th teaspoon pickle crisp just to keep them crispy. I eat them straight from the jar and look forward to using them on pulled pork sandwiches next weekend. My only question is can these be canned? I love them fresh but would like to preserve my peppers, cucumbers, and carrots this way. Does anyone know how to process these? Thanks so much for another great recipe to add to my collection!
Deb, these came out so good! They look really pretty too. My five year old agrees! Thanks for another great recipe.
Hi Deb, I just poured the vinegar mixture into the jars, but because the veggies are so tightly packed, all the mustard seeds collected at the top. I assume this is a bad thing. Should I mix and re-jar?
Hi Laura — I wouldn’t worry about it. See if you can shake it up a little but otherwise, it should infuse the brine whether it’s at the top of the bottom, I’d think.
I cannot wait to try this. I personally loved pickled anything. As a extreme needy food person “I love to eat” I find snacking on pickled veggies can work like potato chips but help the cut down the calorie count. Thanks Deb
This would have been terrific had I not chosen to just throw some okra from the garden into it. It looked beautiful in the jar and I was really anticipating the flavors on top of an Asian burger. But alas, too viscous. I have a lot of pickling experience and thought that the vinegar might cut the okra slime, but no.
Hi Deb… We’re in love with pickles… We have made the pickles on the weekend with carraway seeds (as we could not get yellow mustard seeds in our late night trip to the supermarket). The carraway seeds add a aniseedy taste which we like… though next time will try different spickes/herbs.
Cabbage, red and green capsicum, red onion, cuecumber and carrot is what made it in our mix. Great way to feel all vibrant in the depths of winter…
We’re currently eating this all over the place… including with kangaroo burgers, on cos lettuces cups, in wraps…
Love the website and waiting for my copy of the book to wing it’s way from the UK…
We are total pickle people and these look delish! We love Wickles from the grocery store and Alton Brown’s firecracker recipe is SO GOOD with strips of onion and haricot verts instead of carrots. My mouth is watering just thinking about it! Pickles rule!
This is awesome!! Made a batch last weekend and it’s gone already. It’s the perfect topping to a great sandwich. Thank you so much for this recipe!
Hi Deb —
This was great for this weekend when it was so hot and sticky here (Maine — we are not used to it!) that firing the stove up to heat the vinegar was as much cooking as I could contemplate. The taste is sensational — I will definitely be making this again! Thank you.
Made some over the weekend and almost gone now! My husband LOVED it…even when I admitted I used plenty of golden beets. It it beautiful, too!
I made these. HUGE hit with the family on pulled pork sandwiches. Making more today, SO good! THANKS!
I made this over the weekend and absolutely loved it! I made double the recipe and it’s nearly all gone! Thanks for the great idea, I’ll be making another batch this weekend and experimenting with different vegetables :)
This “gateway pickle” is wonderful! We’ve been making wraps with hummus + roasted chicken + pickled veg.Rainbowy (jicama instead of radish), beautiful and delicious. Thank you.
This was GREAT!!! I even cheated and used the bag of Broccoli slaw mix from the mega-mart (pre-julienned with broc, cauliflower, carrots, and red cabbage). Next time I might add a bell pepper to the mix.
I made this last night, excellent and so pretty! If I wanted to can this would you recommend just keeping the recipe the same and processing for 10 minutes? Or is there anything else I should adjust? Thanks!
This pickle looks great! I absolutely LOVE pickles. My favorite are okra pickles but I’ll eat just about any kind. I can’t make tacos without quick pickled onions either. Thanks for sharing! :)
Years ago I went to a small Lebanese bakery and got their falafel which was served with pickled radishes on it. I had never knew anything like that had existed before. Changed my world for the better.
I just had this for lunch on a sandwich with some super aged thick sliced cheddar and a bit of lettuce (no cabbage). amazing!
Made this earlier today and wow, delicious! I used yellow and red peppers, small cucumbers, green cabbage, and carrot. I had some mesclun greens that I put a big scoop on top of and just ate as is. I think I am going to keep adding more veggies to the brine as I use it. I think using a rice wine vinegar might be an interesting option. Oh, and I just used a knife to cut the veggies as fine as I could … they pickled just fine.
I made this while we were vacationing at a cottage on the beach. I used red cabbage, celery, carrot, yellow peppers and radishes (we had peas but I ate them all and they never made it in). The purple cabbage made everything hot pink but damn it was delicious! We had it on it’s own like a salad the first day (colours all intact at that point) and then as a topper on burgers, tacos and the best on top of grilled pork belly sandwiches with cilantro like a banh-mi. This stuff is delicious – I could eat it all day! Thank you Deb!
About the Google reader import. Have you figured out what happens to all the goodies that we starred?
This was amazing!!! I am almost through my first jar already. Perfect balance of sweet and sour. The uses are endless. Super easy to make. Thanks for sharing it with us.
This tastes fantastic!!! So good, in fact, that I found myself digging out some of the bread “insides” from my sandwich roll to make more room for these veggies! I’m still completely scared to do anything “canning” related, but pickled veggies in the fridge? Perfect! Thanks a bunch for the recipe!
Thanks for posting this recipe! This was my first time pickling and it will not be my last! These were delicious and definitely livened my salads and sandwiches!
oh…this one is really good!!!specially for single working women like me, who like to have healthy food but don’t usually have time…thank you :)
hi,
this one really takes the cake…look at all those colors and textures. Is that a mandolin? not sure if i spelt that right!!! Can you tell me the brand that you have got? Looks amazing!
Shobha
I must have done something wrong making these. I could hardly eat them and I love pickles. Where I think th e problem is the measurements. The recipe produce two cups of liquid to be split between two 3/4 litre jars. Don’t the veggies need to be covered in liquid per erickas note? So I made another batch of liquid to cover the veg and it was WAY to strong. Can’t figure out if too salty or vinegary. Ugh..please help. Are you implying that 2 cups is enough for 4-5 cups of veggies?
Laura — It was enough to cover them in the jars I showed. The vegetables were definitely packed in (as you can see) and the brine didn’t go to the top of the jars, but most of the vegetables were submerged. It might have been too salty. Did you use the updated (2T) salt level? Sorry it was not a success.
Shoba — I have a link to the mandoline right below the recipe, in the asteriked note.
The colors are so bright and appetizing! I am very excited to try this recipe!
The recipe is delicious but I find myself getting bites of the mustard seeds. Could I just use them when I’m dissolving the brine mixture and then strain? Do they add that much to the slaw as time goes on?
Rachel — You can definitely strain them out if they’re annoying to you.
This is so delicious and it looks great. So great that, most of it have been delivered as gifts. I’ve made my friends quite happy. And I’m so glad I was smart enough to make some extra for myself. I’ve been eating it on my daily breakfast salad.
I made these last week and have been eating them every day since. I’m making more right now, this batch will be mild peppers, red onion, and I’m throwing in some red pepper flakes just because I can. When I first started making these, it seemed like a lot of chopping, but after a while, it was almost meditative. I don’t have a mandolin, and making perfect uniform pieces without adding my fingertips to the mix was an exercise in patience and precision. I’ve raved about these to everyone, and ps, my three year old LOVES them.
I really love this recipe! I made it for the 4th of July and it was a hit. Now, I make it whenever I have leftover raw veggie near the end of the week. Thanks to the yummy and versatile recipe!!
I don’t know why I was pickled-anything-averse, because I love the tangy sharpness of vinegar. But I was. Was. When this recipe first appeared, the bright tangled rainbow of colours in the first picture grabbed my attention and I knew I had to try it. Made a batch yesterday and tasted it today, and I am a convert :)
Please enlighten us about whether all picked foods are also fermented. I’ve read a lot recently about why we should all be eating something fermented every day, and I know a lot of pickles are fermented, but are these? are all? what makes them ferment? I will make these anyway b/c I know I will love them, especially if I make them spicy. But just wondering about whether I still need to eat some kimchi/sourkraut/tempeh etc every day too! lol
This is such a great recipe. I’ve made it twice in the last week or so. It’s a fantastic way to use some of the CSA veggies that we get and run out of ideas for. I put turnips and kohlrabi in the last one I made and they were delicious! I’m obsessed!
Is is alright to just use a good quality canning jar for this recipe or will the lid rust too quickly as it is stored in the frig?
Hi Lacey — Do the lids, in fact, rust? It hasn’t happened to me before, either because they are coated underneath with a kind of non-stick layer that helps the seal or because I’m not filling them to the top. Either way, I think you’ll be fine. I use canning jars all of the time for storage (though my favorite for the fridge are the clamp top ones like you see here; I use them again and again).
yup yup yup! just making these for the third time, now that I got me some
unpasteurized apple cider vinegar. Love how it rounds out the flavour. I have to confess that most commentors concerns re storage, type of jar etc puzzle me — how do you make your pickles last? Mine rarely last more than three four days. Well, one time they lasted a week, but that was only because I made a double batch. The first batch was gone after only an 18-hour pickling time. They are so YUM.
You are right, Deb, “once your tastes cross over to the vinegar side, there’s little going back.” I have “already swan-dived into and flip-turned through the vinegar brine and would have it no other way.”
The photography is stunning, the colours so delightful. Speaking of colour, I used red onions and they faded just the right amount from purple to burgundy, giving the brine the sweetest pale pink blush. I am smitten. Thanks, Deb!
I made these last weekend – if anyone’s cutting the veggies with just a chef’s knife (like I did), I highly suggest giving it a good sharpen first! My knife was up to the task of slicing them thinly but we were both strugglin a bit at the end. I second/third/etc. comments about these pickles + pulled pork: they really elevate the four-days-out, lunchtime pulled pork sandwich into something bright and fantastic.
Too many post to go through. This looks wonderful, have you ever tried canning this?
Thanks
Absolutely BEAUTIFUL! This is like looking at art! Thank you for that! Can I also add dill seed, green tomatoes, cabbage, zucchini, turnips, broccoli, rutabaga, onion, cauliflower and such – – in short is there anything I cannot or should not add or use in this?
As to the vinegar, I must use AC vinegar, as I am allergic to the grains in distilled/shite vinegar. I know there are “color” concerns, but most of my pickles with this are fine – – I use the same required acidity level (5%).
PS;
what about sweet banana peppers and green peppers? (I was at the local farmer’s markets and I have an abundance of fresh produce.
Also;
anyone ever pickled cantaloupe?
I’ve looked (or at least think I’ve looked) at every recipe on your site an I can’t find the sugar snap/napa slaw with a miso/tahini/ginger/garlic dressing recipe you mentioned. Am I just missing it? This is something my sister would absolutely love and I love wowing her with new recipes I’ve found and tried out. Can you please point me in the right direction? BTW – I LOVE your recipes and blogs!! :-)
Hi Jodi — It’s in The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook.
I made these on friday and let them soak in the fridge while we were out of the city for Labor Day weekend. They are awesome! We put them on hot dogs with sad freezer burned buns when we finally got in late last night (no food, too tired to shop) and they totally saved the meal. Thanks!
Note- I did end up doubling the brine. Might have bought too many veggies. Luckily, the brine is very easy to make and you’re likely to have enough vinegar sitting around to double it at the last minute without trouble.
A friend tells me that pickle brine makes for a great chicken marinade. Does anybody know if you have to use traditional pickle brine or if this fridge veggie brine would work too? I mean, I guess I might as well give it a shot…
I’ve brined chicken in pickle juice before. This would work too; it’s definitely better than tossing it.
I’ve made this delicious recipe so many times that I’ve started to play around with flavorings other than mustard seeds. My favorite so far is the lemongrass, ginger, and garlic pickled slaw I made a couple of days ago. It’s extra good as a side dish to other Asian-inspired foods.
Hi Deb,
Have you ever pickled red cabbage? Would it stain like the radishes did?
kate — I haven’t but I’m almost certain it would.
Deb, if I wanted to pickle these so as to last longer in the fridge, would I have to submerge the pre-sterilized and filled jars in boiling water after I sealed them? It seems weird to me to do that since they veggies themselves aren’t cooked – would the heat affect it in some way? I’d really like to have these around for longer than a month! Please let me know, would be much appreciated. Thank you!
julia — I think that’s the correct process. I am not a canning expert and don’t love to give canning advice because I haven’t studied it and don’t want to a-ok something that might not be safe. FoodinJars.com is one of my favorite resources for canning advice, and then of course there’s also the classic Ball canning book.
To Julia, or who else wants to have these in the fridge all the time… I am also in no way a pickling expert, but I love these so much I constantly have a few jars in the fridge. As long as they have been refrigerated the whole time, I have had these in the fridge for a few months with no issues (although most jars get eaten far quicker than that). Also, I have a jar with red cabbage right now, and It does stain like radishes, but if you have them in a jar with carrots, the carrots seem even more vibrant (and is a great topping for fish tacos). Thank you deb!!
Deb, I have a question about the mustard seeds. When I was very young, I watched a cooking show informing viewers that all dried herbs/spices needed to be crushed to bring out their flavors. So, when I became interested in cooking as a newlywed, oh so many years ago, I bought a mortar and pestle which has since held an honored place on my counter and gets used at least three times weekly. I use it for all dried herbs/spices, to muddle spices together, and especially for seeds such as dill, etc. My question is do you crush the mustard seeds before using them and do you think this would add to their effectiveness or serve to overpower the recipe? Have you tried this and if so, to what results? I know I could just do so myself but money is extraordinarily tight in my household so I am worried this may rend the veggies unusablei.
Kym — I don’t crush them but I suppose you could. I think they infuse just fine in the brine, but I’m sure crushing them would amp it up. If you’re nervous, you could then halve the spices, which just add flavoring. Even without them, you’ll have a good vegetable pickle.
OMG, I made this pickle yesterday with red cabbage, carrots, cucumber, red onion, and radishes (and it turned out a stunning sunset pink color, as you warned, but I like it that way!). Today, I ate it for dinner with Asian-flavored salmon cakes (ginger, scallion, sriracha), and noodles with broccoli in a Chinese-ish sauce (hoisin, tamari, garlic, sesame oil, mirin, oyster sauce, and sriracha). On the plate, I tossed the pickle into the noodles, and holy crumb, it was a DELICIOUS combo. Try it! And thank you so much for this recipe and your beautiful blog.
Thank you! I love this recipe! I made it with chunks of vegetables instead since I just wanted a pile of pickled vegetables. I made my second batch yesterday and wrote a post about it this morning. I have my sights set of your refrigerator dill pickles next!
This looks wonderful. Thank you. And I am sad to say that over two years later that I still miss Google reader. Blog reading has not been the same.
I love love my peeler….you have to be prepared to return shoddy ones. Not all of them work properly. I bought mine at a store too far away to return to purchase more ( for my daughters) so I’ve purchased other brands that ultimately frustrated them. So I eventually returned the crappy ones and drove out if my way to buy a stack of the working One.
Deb, can you please tell me where you purchased the bowl pictured just above your pan of pickling liquid? I have been looking everywhere for mixing bowls in that high shape!
Roz — They were something of an obsession when I first bought them, so I wrote more about them here (#4). I bought my most recent set (I’d broken one or two of the old ones over the years) on Amazon.
Deb, I just love your sense of humor! I made the sandwich slaw, and proceeded to eat a whole jar with a fork. Thank you for the time you put into your blog, sharing your life, and for making us all feel like we’re family who just haven’t met yet.
Just found this today and am going to make them this weekend. Would a daikon radish work with this instead of the common red ones?? thank you for all the yummy eats.
Hi! I love the colors in this slaw! However, every time I make it, there isn’t enough liquid to cover the veggies. What am I doing wrong? I divided the veggies between two 4 cup mason jars and they were filled 3/4 of the way up. There was only 1 cup of liquid for each jar. Should I be doubling the brine? Thanks!
I have 9 pints of this in the pressure canner. Can’t wait to try them. Of course I forgot to put in the sweetener. Didn’t realize it until the canner started coming up to speed. Oh well.
I found this recipe after discovering three gigantic cucumbers had sprung up in my garden overnight. I made as directed (except I added a couple of slices of fresh ginger in two of the jars) and ended up with six jars of pickled veggies. I thought I’d never finish up all these veggies in a month. HA! I should have known better. I only have 1 full jar left, this stuff is good! My only tip would be is not to mess with the mandolin slicer for the cucumbers & peppers, get a good knife & cut them nice and slim.
Nommmm these are so good. I made it with just carrots, sliced thin-ish with a knife.
Doesn’t matter much since it’s so easy to make more, but I found that the amount of liquid in the recipe was perfect for one 3/4 jar, and I thought I had my veggies pretty tightly packed.
Did not find this until you posted “from the past.” Made it the same day I found it and have “freshened” the jar and shared with a friend as well. This will be a regular in our frig. Have served it on the side with curry, as part of a cold plate and today on a sandwich. Fabulous any way it’s served!
Found that I used 4 cups of veggies and the entire pickling solution to fill one quart jar. Next I’ll be making the pickled red onions.
Never disappointed in your recipes.
Tell me about these lovely jars, please? Brand?
They are Mold Jars from Weck. Here’s a link. I think they’re this, whatever the biggest size are.
Hi,
Is this white wine vinegar or distilled white vinegar??
The recipe for pickled celery calls for wine vinegar, which I used, and they were sooo good in egg salad!
Thanks!
I use distilled here.
I used this bribe yesterday with thinly-sliced zucchini, and it’s amazing. The pickled zucchini made a great topping for a creamy cold soup.
Deb: This slaw is fantastico. First, I’m going to quadruple the ingredients and liquids. I assure it will not last a month. Second: Can I reuse the brine? Thank you
Not positive. I think my MIL does (for another batch) but not sure what the official Food Safety Word is on it.
What brand of Kosher salt did you use?
I use Diamond, which is a bit lighter.
You mention pickled onions separately. So I’m wondering, is there any reason to not use onions as one of the vegetables in this mixture?
Not at all.
We come from an ethnic group for whom pickles and homemade pickle making are very important. I made these and my brother, who has eaten many pickles in his 55 years, pronounced them, “The best ever.” ‘Nuff said.
That is high praise, thank you!
gateway pickle is funny =)
The reason for the salt problem is you haven’t specified which kosher salt to use. The two main ones available in the United States are distinctly different. If you Google it, you’ll find many articles about the difference, and the many recipes ruined by using the wrong type.
How about Apple cider vinegar instead of white distilled vinegar?
You can but it’s milder and won’t leave the colors as bright.
Hi there, wonderful woman! What would happen if I used white wine vinegar?
Hi Deb. I made these pickles tonight and look forward to breaking them out at tomorrow’s bank holiday BBQ. I made a BIG jar and had a little brine left. I love pickled garlic so made a v small batch of thinly sliced cloves. Have you tried this? Given how strong their flavour is, I wondered; do you think they’ll need longer than 24hrs to mellow? TIA!
Wow – just discovered your site!
Could you make this without the sugar?
Great recipe. I’ve made this several times and we love it. Sometimes I just do onions and like to keep a jar in the fridge all the time. I’m intimidated by actual pickling and canning so this is perfect!
Hello! You are my go to recipe person for almost everything! And I realized today that I never post or respond to your blogs or Facebook posts.
Well, here goes…this recipe was amazing! I made it with your pulled pork recipe, also delicious, but this was the hit of the party! So simple and so delicious. I used apple cider vinegar as that’s all I had and it was great. I also did not have mustard seed so I substituted fresh dill and it worked.
I have both of your books and I tell everyone about your recipes. Thank you so much! Anna
Yes yes yes to another video season!! Fantastic stuff, Deb!
Can’t wait to make this! I saw the pickled grape–can’t wait to try that either!
Can you pickle CHERRIES–both RED & Rainer (not sour)???
I definitely think you could!
This is the most delicious, flexible recipe ever — it’s one of those “concept recipes” that lets you have a delicious quick veggie side on hand for every meal based on what’s in your fridge. During covid lockdown, using carrots/cabbage/celery/radish/onion/other hardy vegetables was so handy when we were cooking up more carby pantry staple main dishes and desperate for a bit of fresh crunchiness
Can I use apple cider vinegar in place of white distilled vinegar? Just a personal preference.
Yes. It will have a more brown color, but otherwise work. It’s also a little milder.
I have become obsessed with pickling! In addition to those mentioned, I love julienned golden beets, and I’ve made pickled rhubarb with red grapes. All SO good on salads!
What is the minimum amount of sugar you could use in this recipe? I don’t care for sweet pickles, but I assume you need a certain amount to balance the vinegar. Thank you!
I sometimes skip the sugar altogether and it’s still delicious.
Thank you Celia!
Do you see any reason why fennel seeds not not be a good substitute for the mustard seed?
No, it could definitely work, just a different flavor.
I immediately made the brine as soon as I saw this recipe and have ordered the julienne cutter recommended as well. I LOVE pickled stuff and will be making it often this Summer! Thanks so much for posting this really creative and beautiful recipe!
Deep dish Cheddar broccoli quiche. Huge failure. Looked beautiful out of the oven. It rested. Removed the springform sides. Cutting board flooded with water content from the broccoli. After cooking the broccoli, I drained it in a strainer, pressed on it to get water out of it. None of this you suggested but I knew broccoli was high in water content. The sides and bottom of the crust was not cooked at all and the egg custard slid right off of the soaked crust. So essentially we had a crustless soggy quiche.
Why can’t I find the recipe when it says jump to recipe?
It’s right above the comment section.
FWIW, I dial down the sugar significantly (and sometime skip entirely) and add other whole/hard spices (whole coriander seed, cloves and peppercorn, plus a bay leaf or two). Delicious!
This recipe has no jump to recipe line
Just reading the refrigerator pickle recipe – can;t wait to try it. About the question of saltiness – what kind of kosher salt do you use. All I can get locally (rural Eastern Washington State) is Mortons – which turns out to be about twice as salty as Diamond. I’ve become very sensitive to this problem after having my home smoked pastrami (because I can’t buy decent stuff locally) ruined the first time.
If you’re using Morton’s, start with half.