Homemade Pickling Spice Recipe | Ready for Use in Under 10 Minutes (2024)

FAQs

What can I use if I don't have pickling spices? ›

I recommend using mustard seeds, black peppercorns, or red pepper flakes, and at least one of the sweet spices (allspice, cinnamon, or cloves), and then as many of the other spices as you like.

The actual process of pickling takes as little as 10 minutes. Then you should allow your pickles to rest in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours before serving. Although for best flavor, let them brine for 24 hours before serving.

Get Pickling!

Choose which brine you want to make and bring the brine ingredients and pickling spice blend to a boil. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Pour seasoned brine into jars to cover veggies. Let them cool to room temperature then seal and refrigerate.

Storage: To make pickles, you'll use about one tablespoon of pickling spice per quart.

Pickling spice has no impact whatsoever upon the safety or quality of the food product you are using it in; it is purely a taste element. Often, you use it only during the preparation phase to flavour the pickling liquid and discard it before you begin the canning process.

Pickling spice ingredients (usually whole or in coarse pieces) can include allspice, bay leaves, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, ginger, mustard seeds, and peppercorns. Pre-packaged pickling spice mixes are sold in most supermarkets.

Once the brine is hot and ready, pour it into your jars—leaving ½ inch of headspace between the liquid and the rim for liquid-induced expansion—and screw on the lids. The heat will soften your veg a little and speed up the pickling process. Let the jars cool to room temperature, then transfer them to the fridge.

The technique—a version of vinegar pickling that doesn't require a full canning process—produces briny, crunchy pickled vegetables in just a couple hours. Heat the brine until sugar and salt dissolve, then pour it over the vegetables and let them cool in the jar—voila, pickles.

Quick pickles are vegetables stuffed into a jar and pickled in a liquid brine solution using a combination of vinegar, water, salt and/or sometimes sugar. They are stored in the refrigerator, rather than canned in a water bath. Quick pickles only require a few days in the brine before they can be enjoyed.

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!).

Do you leave pickling spice in jars? ›

Store the pickling spice in a tightly sealed glass jar or airtight container for up to one month in a cool, dark place (such as the pantry or spice cabinet).

Sugar in pickling is used to balance the tartness of the vinegar. Although the sugar can be eliminated from pickle recipes, the pickles are likely to be too sour. Note: Under no circ*mstances should the amount of vinegar be decreased or diluted to compensate for less sugar.

CINNAMON, ALLSPICE, MUSTARD SEED, CORIANDER, BAY LEAVES, GINGER, CHILLIES, CLOVES, BLACK PEPPER, MACE, CARDAMOM, AND SULFITING AGENT.

What is a substitute for pickling spice? The defining characteristic of pickle spice mix is whole or coarse spices, so any combination including the whole, main ingredients can be used as a substitute. This includes black peppercorns, mustard seeds, red pepper flakes, dill, and so on.

1 tablespoon allspice berries (only whole allspice berries work here; ground allspice will be entirely too sharp and bitter) 1 tablespoon black peppercorns (whole peppercorns, not ground pepper) 1 tablespoon black mustard seeds (yellow work too, but won't provide the same visual effect in the jar)

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. But it will darken most vegetables and fruits. Cider vinegar may be substituted for white vinegar of the same acidity.

CINNAMON, ALLSPICE, MUSTARD SEED, CORIANDER, BAY LEAVES, GINGER, CHILLIES, CLOVES, BLACK PEPPER, MACE, CARDAMOM, AND SULFITING AGENT.