Refrigerator Sweet Pickles, a quick and easy recipe! (2024)

FAQs

Which vinegar is best for sweet pickles? ›

Apple cider vinegar made from fermented apple juice is a good choice for many pickles. It has a mellow, fruity flavor that blends well with spices.

The basic ratio for quick pickles is 1:1 vinegar to water, and includes some combination of salt and sugar. Another ratio that is commonly followed is the 3:2:1 method, using three parts vinegar, two parts water, and 1 part sugar.

Let the pickles marinate for a few days (longer for stronger flavor) to really soak up the brine. The pickles will keep in the fridge for 3-4 weeks, 4 weeks if you keep them sealed in canning jars.

The cucumbers will start off bright green, but will become darker and more "pickle-colored" as they cool. Place them in the refrigerator. Wait at least 24 hours before eating the pickles in order to let the flavors develop. Enjoy them within 1 month.

Cooking uses: Apple cider vinegar and white vinegar are both popular ingredient choices for salad dressings, vinaigrettes, marinades, or seasonings for veggies like beets. White vinegar is clearer and more acidic, making it a better choice for pickling vegetables.

The flavor of apple cider vinegar is less sharp than that of white vinegar, yielding a pickle that is softer on the palate. Apple cider vinegar is the vinegar I use most when pickling, despite the fact that it does color the pickles somewhat. However, I prefer the mellow flavor it imparts.

The classic ratio is super easy to remember and is easily scale-able depending on how many pickles you're making. It's 100% vinegar, 50% water, 25% sugar and 12.5% kosher salt by weight. So for example, 200g vinegar, 100g water, 50g sugar and 25g kosher salt (again, you can scale this up or down!).

Shriveling happens most often in very sweet or sour pickles. Using too strong a salt, sugar or vinegar solution at the beginning of the pickling process causes shriveling. Measure ingredients carefully when preparing a cucumber pickle that requires the addition of sugar, vinegar or salt over a 3-day to 2-week time.

They will be more sour than brine pickles. Believe it or not, I add a wee pinch of vanilla to my refrigerator pickles. Mellows them out without sweetening and you can't taste the vanilla. Also be sure your pickles aren't soft.

Sweet pickles are made just like dill pickles but have a low amount of sugar added to the brine mixture. Sweet pickles are not to be confused with candied pickles: pickles packed in a syrup-like brine.

Do homemade refrigerator pickles go bad? ›

"As long as the pickles are kept cold, they can last upwards of 75 days unopened in the fridge," Andre shares. Once opened, any pickles should be stored in the fridge, submerged in brine, to maintain freshness for at least up to three months, according to the USDA.

Pickled fruits and vegetables can go bad if the jars are inproperly sealed, if the ratios of vinegar or salt in a brine are off, or if the pickles are exposed to air because there isn't enough brine in the jar, or they aren't weighted down.

Sterilizing jars and standing over a steamy water bath for hours is not the most pleasurable way to spend a summer day! You can skip that whole process and make the next best thing – refrigerator pickles.

When your brine begins to boil, reduce the heat and let it simmer for 10 minutes. Then, after letting your brine cool slightly for ~10 minutes, pour it into the jar with your veggies, seal it and place it in the fridge.

Sweet Pickles

Sweet pickles are made just like dill pickles but have a low amount of sugar added to the brine mixture. Sweet pickles are not to be confused with candied pickles: pickles packed in a syrup-like brine.

Rice vinegar, or rice wine vinegar, is made from fermented rice wine. It has a sweet, delicate flavor and is less acidic compared to most types of vinegar.

Rice Vinegar

It's less acidic than the other types of vinegar so it's less harsh and has a sweeter taste. This vinegar makes excellent quick pickles and is delightful when added to Asian-style stir-fries and sauces.

Vinegar used for pickling must at least 5% acidity. Look at the label to be sure that the vinegar you are using is 5% acidity. Sometimes vinegar will be labeled as grain; 5% acidity is the same as 50 grain. Most white and cider vinegars used for making pickles and salsa are 5% acidity, but not all.