Make Delicious Sweet Pickles at Home: A Quick & Easy Recipe
Is there anyone who doesn’t enjoy that tingly, sweet crunch of a pickle on a stick at high noon? Below I have given you a simple how-to-make sweet pickle recipe, that will work for everyone even those of us who do not own all the fancy bits and bobs.
Following is a how-to guide detailing all you need just for vinegary fridge sweet pickles that will result in crispy, flavorful refrigerated canned overnight partially prepared the day before refrigerator-ready work-on-the-run homemade (non-canning method, long-term storage) quick fresh cold food. Whether you are saving your garden cucumbers or just enjoy a favorite summertime treat, this will soon become the perfect go-to recipe. Quick Sweet Pickles in a jar.
What Are Sweet Pickles and How Are They Different from Other Pickles?
Many types of pickles are available in the market like tart and crispy dill or sour crunchy gherkins, but sweet pickles taste one-of-a-kind. Sweet pickles in general are preserved with a blend of sugar, vinegar, and many different spices they taste much sweeter than the regular version so if you back away from them because they to sweet next time try one….you might fall in love at first bite. This is a cucumber sweet pickle, where cucumbers are sliced and soaked in brine to create a delicious crunch.
Sweet pickles differ in taste and spice from those sweeteners by using dill pickles. Dill pickles have a bold, pungent flavor from the dill weed and garlic that is completely opposite of what you would find in sweet pickles: crispy, sugary goodness with a little hint of tanginess—all perfect associations for snacking on them whole or even using them as garnish.
Essential Ingredients for the Best Sweet Pickles
Making a great batch of sweet pickles comes down to one thing, the proper ingredients. This quick and easy recipe uses a couple of ingredients to give the best-tasting sweet pickles ever!
Why Cucumbers Are So Important: The Optimal Kind of Cucumber
It is important to use the right variety of cucumbers when making this pickle recipe. Smaller pickling cucumbers are often recommended as a different cucumber like your average American slicer might get too soft to dice after the brine. There are a lot of whole cucumbers, but you want them to be similarly thin so that the texture when pickled will be consistent throughout all of this jar.
From the cucumber garden or from store-bought cucumbers, trim and discard blossom end as it carries an enzyme causative for pickles going soft. Also, slicing the cucumbers into rounds gives them larger area to absorb brine.
The Vinegar and Sugar Sweet Tangy Brine Recipe
The brine is the lifeblood of every pickle, and in this sweet pickle recipe, it carries all that signature flavor. I make it with a white vinegar–sugar solution spiced up by mustard seeds and celery seed.
The sweetness comes from the sugar in the brine, and a bit of tanginess is added by the use of vinegar; white or cider vinegars are most often used to add some tartness that makes it discernable as a pickle. Mix equal parts of the two, what I do is 1 cup from both so they each give a balanced flavor. Stir the mix to dissolve all sugar, then bring it up to a boil allowing all spices to infuse into one fluid liquid ready to soak cucumber slices.
DIY Quick Sweet Pickles (A Step-by-Step Guide)
Once you have your ingredients to assemble we will tell you how to make quick sweet pickles from scratch. I also kept this Sweet Pickle extra easy because I knew you would want one that did not take an age to prepare and this takes me under an hour from all the prep until being sealed into jars.
How To Get Your Cucumbers Ready For Pickling
So, here go the cucumbers wash them clean first. Slice evenly into rounds, around ¼ inch thick — this helps in the pickling process. Slice cucumbers (into diagonal chips) + place them in a large bowl, sprinkling each layer with salt. This process allows to remove excess moisture and make cucumbers ready for brine intake. Allow them to sit for ~ 2 hours then, drain and make sure they are completely dry.
Crafting the Sweet Pickle Brine
In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup each of white vinegar and sugar as well the mustard seeds/celery seeds, to your taste. Once the soup begins to slowly boil, continue stirring and lower the heat until all of that sugar is dissolved completely. Remove the saucepan from heat and let the brine cool for a minute, then pour over cucumber slices.
Packaging and Storing Your Pickles
With some brine now created you are in a position to pack your pickles. Place the slices in a jar and pack them together firmly without breaking any. Pour the brine overtop to ensure the cucumbers are completely submerged. Close the jar and put it in your fridge.
The sweet pickles will start to soak in the brine as soon they cool off, but allow that yummy nectar time to work its magic — at least 24 hours of it. Although it is unlikely to happen because they are just too good, these refrigerator pickles will keep in the fridge for up to a month.
What Is the Shelf Life of Sweet Pickles? Tips for Preservation
You can store them in the refrigerator for up to a month (they taste best during infrequent two weeks when they’re most crunchy). To handily store your pickles in a pantry so you can enjoy them longer, consider using a canner.
Sterilize your jars by boiling them, fill them with cucumbers and brine (leave 1-2 inches of headspace at the top), dressings whatever you have prepared. Place them in a pot of water and hot-water process for the correct time based on your altitude, then you have preserved sweet pickles that will be shelf stable or other avenues to enjoy over months.
FAQs
What you could use instead of cucumber?
Yes! Although cucumbers are common, other vegetables like carrots red peppers or even onions can be used to develop individual pickling palates.
Are there different vinegars to use?
In the recipe here, both white vinegar and cider vinegar are suitable in it. Which one you choose depends on taste—white has a saucier bite, while cider is mellower and fruitier.
What are some tips for making sure my pickles stay crunchy?
If you want to end up with a crispy pickle, do not have your brine boiling away for hours, and always put the cucumbers in cold before getting that boil on. Others suggest adding a pinch of either celery seeds or dill weed to amp up the “snap” in your pickle.
Key Takeaways
- Sweet pickles are preserved in a brine of sugar and vinegar for a delicious sweet and tangy flavor.
- Use pickling cucumbers for the best results; slice them evenly for consistent texture.
- The brine consists of white vinegar, sugar, and spices like mustard seeds and celery seeds.
- After preparing the brine and cucumbers, assemble the pickles in a jar and refrigerate for at least 24 hours.
- Store your sweet pickles in the fridge for up to a month, or use a canner for long-term preservation.
