Last Updated on 17 April, 2026 by Elby | The Tasteful Pantry
Pickled vegetables are a great vegetarian addition to so many dishes – cheese platters, salads, poke bowls, burgers, just to name a few. And the choices for what you can pickle are huge, peppers, chillies, sliced cucumbers or baby cucumbers, sliced onions, ginger… there are just so many options. Pickling is a great way to lengthen a vegetable’s lifespan.
Get creative and use the homemade pickled vegetables in salads, poke bowls, hamburgers, charcuterie and cheese platters, an accompaniment for sushi… just to mention a few.
Keeping some homemade pickled vegetables in the fridge makes it super easy to make meals at no notice. Make a classic beef burger or smash burger with pickles. Grab some shaved pickled ginger and pickled, sliced red onions for your salmon and black sesame poke bowl.
Ingredients for Pickled Vegetables
Vegetables: choose a variety and pickle a number of vegetables at once (in separate jars), or pick the one you will use most, or for a waste-free option choose the vegetable that is a little beyond its best. Mini peppers pickled whole, sliced baby cucumbers, peeled strips of carrot, sliced onions, thinly sliced ginger or daikon, sliced jalapeños, whole peeled garlic cloves… the list goes one!
Vinegar, water, sugar and salt: These are the ingredients that pickle the vegetables and help to preserve them.
Optional extras: For added and varying flavour add garlic cloves (I like drop thin slices in for extra flavour, rather than whole cloves), peppercorns, dill, coriander or mustard seeds. Add one or add them all – it’s completely down to preference (and possibly, what’s in the cupboard).
How to Make Pickles
Sterilise a 500 ml jar or smaller sized jars depending on what vegetables you are pickling. Sterilising is an important step and keeps the jar germ free. See below for instructions on how to sterilise jars.
If you are using optional extras place them in the bottom of the sterilised jar – garlic, peppercorns, dill, spice seeds, whatever you fancy.
If you’re using bigger vegetables like whole mini peppers, push them firmly into the jar so they will be completely immersed in the liquid (but without squashing anything into submission). For other vegetables just place them into the jars (on top of the optional extras).
Pop the vinegar, water, sugar, and salt into a small saucepan and warm gently until the sugar and salt dissolve completely. There is no need to boil; just a calm simmer does the job.
Let the mixture cool slightly for about ten minutes so it’s warm rather than piping hot when it hits the vegetables.
Pour the brine into the sterilised jar (or jars), over the vegetables. Making sure every piece is covered. This is where the pickling begins. Seal the lid tightly and pop the jar into the fridge, where the flavours will develop over the next day or so. They’re usually ready within a couple of hours, but overnight gives you peak tanginess and great texture.
Enjoy them on sandwiches, tacos, cheese boards, or straight from the jar when no one’s looking.
Tips and Tricks for Homemade Pickled Vegetables
Jars: Use any size jar with a lid for the pickled vegetables recipe. Ensure the lid fits tightly – to keep the air out. When choosing a jar, keep in mind that it is best if the vegetables are full to the top of the jar and the liquid covers them. You don’t want the produce floating above the liquid.
Sterilising: Complete this important step prior to preserving any food. Sterilising the pickling jars will help to keep them fresh.
Wash and rinse the jars well. Place on a lined tray – right side up – in an oven heated to 140oC | 130oC degrees for fan forced. Leave until the jars are completely dry, approximately 10 minutes.
Note: Boil rubbers seals, if applicable. Do not place them in the oven.
You can also use a hot wash or ‘sterilise’ cycle in the dishwasher.
Produce: Make sure the vegetables you use are still fresh when you pickle them. That way they will remain vibrant and fresh looking.
Storing: Keep the pickled vegetables in the fridge. They will last for months if the jars are prepared properly, the vegetables are fresh and the lids fit well.
Nutritional Information for Pickled Vegetables
The figures used in the pickles recipe are estimates only. If you require precise figures, please check the numbers yourself as they will vary with different food brands, etc. Optional extras or serving suggestions have not been included in the nutrition and calorie figures.
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Pickled Vegetables
*Note: Adjusting servings will not adjust the ‘light grey’ quantities
Ingredients
- 300 grams vegetables - whole mini peppers, sliced cucumbers, sliced onions
- 240 ml white vinegar
- 240 ml water
- 1 tbsp white sugar
- 1 tbsp salt
Optional Extras
- garlic cloves, peppercorns, fresh dill, spice seeds
Instructions
- Sterilise a 500ml jar (see notes).
- If using any optional extras, place them in the bottom of the sterilised jar.Place the vegetables on top.
- In a small saucepan add the vinegar, water, sugar and salt. Stir over medium heat until the sugar and salt have dissolved. Set aside for 10 minutes.
- Pour the vinegar mixture over the peppers, ensuring all peppers are covered. Store in refrigerator.
Notes
Nutrition
*Nutrition and calorie figures are estimates only.
