Quick Pickled Vegetables — It’s so easy to make quick pickles! These pickled vegetables take just 10 minutes to prep and are ready to eat after 24 hours. I made pickled carrots and parsnips, but you can use any veggies you have on hand!
Easy Pickled Vegetables
I love vinegar and vinegary foods. Pickling carrots and parsnips is how I’ve been getting my vinegar groove on lately.
If you’ve never pickled anything, don’t fret. Quick pickling is so fast and easy, and you have nothing to fear. It’s a 10-minute project, and a perfect way to bottle up summertime.
The pickled vegetables become tenderized and softened after a few hours, but the full effect and flavor of the pickling sets in a day or two later as the flavors marry.
The vinegar brine is tangy and sweetish, with a gentle kick from the mustard and peppercorn. Sweet with heat, of sorts. And vinegar has plenty of health benefits. I’ll consider myself super healthy then with all that I’ve been consuming lately!
What’s in Quick Pickled Vegetables?
For these quick pickles, you’ll need:
- Carrots
- Parsnips
- Granulated sugar
- White distilled vinegar
- Favorite grill seasoning blend
- Dry yellow mustard seeds
- Salt (optional)
I used carrots and parsnips because they’re quite firm to begin with and I wanted the finished veggies to be firmer and not mushy. They retain plenty of texture, crispiness, and crunch. Cauliflower, rutabaga, beets, and turnips are next!
How to Quick Pickle Vegetables
To make the pickle brine, I simply combined equal parts white vinegar and sugar in a saucepan, brought the mixture just to a boil, and poured the brine over raw carrot and raw parsnip spears that I’d packed into jars. To each jar, I also added a few tablespoons of dry yellow mustard grains and some salt-free citrus pepper blend (a blend of lime, orange, and lemon rinds paired with black peppercorns).
Most people add salt to pickle vegetables, but I avoid cooking with or adding salt to our food as much as possible for health reasons. With the right blend of other seasonings, there’s plenty of flavor and a bit of a kick from the mustard grains and peppercorns. No salt needed. Plus, parsnips naturally have a peppery kick, and the spice blend enhanced it.
Tips for Making Pickled Vegetables
Think outside the box when flavoring your quick pickles. Try Jerk seasoning, chipotle seasoning, mesquite grill seasoning, or Indian spices like curry or garam masala. Remember: pickling doesn’t just have to mean Kosher dills!
Also, when adding the sliced veggies to your jars, make sure to really pack them in. You shouldn’t be able to fit any more veggies into the jars, that’s how full they should be.
Once you pour the brine over the vegetables, screw on the lid and gently shake the jars to distribute the seasonings. And let the pickles cool to room temperature on your counter before placing them in the fridge. If you place the hot glass jar in the fridge, it might crack!
More Easy Vegetable Recipes:
- Herb-Roasted Tri-Colored Carrots – Lightly caramelized around the edges, crisp-tender in the center, and seasoned with rosemary, thyme, and parsley!! A trusty side that you’ll make again and again for holidays or easy weeknight dinners!
- Grilled Mexican Corn (Elote) – Learn how to make this EASY and FLAVORFUL grilled Mexican street corn at home in minutes!! Fresh sweet corn is covered in crema, cheese, and finished with chili, lime juice, and cilantro!
- Cheesy Roasted Asparagus – Even picky eaters will LOVE asparagus when it’s roasted with onions and covered with melted CHEESE!! A fast and EASY side that’s perfect for busy weeknights!
- Rainbow Roasted Vegetables – Trying to eat more vegetables? Seeing the rainbow should do the trick!! FAST, EASY, and as HEALTHY as it gets!
- The Best Broccoli Salad — So many textures and flavors in every bite including crunchy broccoli, crisp celery, salty bacon and sunflower seeds, juicy grapes, and sweet raisins.
Pin This Recipe
Quick Pickled Vegetables
These pickled vegetables take 10 minutes to prep and are ready to eat after 24 hours. I made pickled carrots and parsnips, but you can use any veggies!
Ingredients
- 1 or 2 extra large raw carrots, peeled and sliced into 4-inch by 1/2-inch spears*
- 1 or 2 large raw parsnips, peeled and sliced into 4-inch by 1/2-inch spears (I did not ‘core’ the parsnip, I used the whole thing)
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 cups white distilled vinegar
- 4 tablespoons Salt-Free Citrus Pepper Blend (or a favorite all-purpose or grill seasoning blend), divided**
- 2 tablespoons dry yellow mustard grains, divided
- salt, optional and to taste
Instructions
- Place trimmed and sliced carrot spears in one glass jar and parsnips in another glass jar (or mingle them, if preferred); set jars aside. My jars were very well-packed and very stuffed; I couldn’t fit in any more spears.
- In a medium saucepan, combine sugar and vinegar and heat over medium heat to dissolve sugar, stirring constantly. Allow mixture to come to a boil and then shut the heat off.
- Pour the mixture over the vegetables, divided equally, or until the liquid comes up to nearly to the top of the jar. I find it’s easiest to pour the vinegar-sugar mixture into a heat-safe, large, glass measuring cup rather than trying to pour from a saucepan directly over the vegetables since more seems to spill onto the counter than get into the jars.
- Add 2 tablespoons citrus pepper blend and 1 tablespoon mustard to each jar. If adding salt, add it to each jar, to taste.
- Seal jars and shake gently to disperse spices.
- Allow jars to cool on counter before transferring to the refrigerator. Do not put hot glass jars into a cold refrigerator, they could crack. Vegetables will be ‘ready’ after about 2 hours, but the full effect of the pickling will set in about 48 hours later. Vegetables will keep refrigerated in jars for many weeks; let common sense and your tastebuds be your guide.
Notes
*Try using other vegetables such as cauliflower, beets, turnips, rutabagas, cucumber, or firmer vegetables.
**Think outside the box and add spices and seasoning blends like Jerk seasoning, chipotle seasoning, mesquite grill seasoning, or Indian spices, garlic or onions; add fresh herbs like dill or thyme to the jars.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 258Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 3364mgCarbohydrates: 62gFiber: 3gSugar: 54gProtein: 1g
Even More Summer Vegetable Recipes:
Mexican Grilled Corn and Zucchini Salad — A healthy EASY salad that’s ready in 15 minutes and so flavorful!! Corn, zucchini, cilantro, queso fresco and more are tossed in a DELISH creamy lime sauce!
I love these simple recipes, and your beautiful photos! These turned out delicious! Thank you so much!
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad these turned out deliciously for you!
I pickle beets from the garden, nothing better than home grown. I boil then simer till fork tender then peel and slice. I also use pickling spice and cook with the vinegar mixture. They last the entire winter and everyone loves them. I also sliced small 1-1/2″ zucchini into a jar and made a tarter brine that is delicious.
After putting the lid on the jars, can this recipe be water sealed and stored in a cool dry pantry? Or is this a fridge only kind of recipe?
Don’t know much about pickling/canning..anything.
I’ve only made this recipe the way I wrote it and can’t really speak to other options or methods. Good luck!
I love this! I’m so going to try this with my last harvest! Thank you for sharing <3
LMK how it goes!
I was wondering if you, or anyone, have tried “pressure canning” these ? It’s just my husband and I and we don’t eat a lot. Last time I made refrigerator pickles we didn’t finish them and I had to toss out a few .. :( .. I plan on making a smaller batch but canning would be awesome. Thank you
I haven’t tried canning them but almost anything can be canned. You just have to figure out how long to boil for, etc. and I haven’t tried so can’t give you the exact info, but I would just google a bit to find out what’s normal & recommended and go from there.
Great article Averie! I’m going to be making this all summer. Love the pictures used. Damn, I shared this with my social media family :)
The pickled veggies sound really good but I am really trying to watch the sugar so I was wondering if stevia or honey could be used instead or if the sugar is really necessary at all. Thanks
If you can drink straight vinegar, no sweetener, you have more hair on your chest than I do, and I love vinegar :) I would just use the sugar because you’re not drinking the brine and on a cellular level, your body really isn’t going to process honey any ‘better’ than sugar; sugar is sugar is sugar. I personally think stevia would be gross in this recipe and I like stevia, but not here.
How about using this method to pickle eggs? I’ve been dying to try pickled eggs for a while, but I’ve been put off by long recipe lists that usually include the words “pickling spice” somewhere (what the heck is pickling spice and where do I get it???).
I have never heard of pickling eggs and really have no advice for you! Good luck though!
Does anyone have any good ideas for pickling without sugar or carb-heavy sugar substitutes?
I loooove making homemade pickles and these look really tasty! But you know what? I’ve never tried a pickled parsnip. Sounds delicious!
I love that they stay nice and firm with plenty of texture and don’t get mushy – and that little bit of peppery-ness is good too!
This is a great idea and for kids who love pickles why wouldn’t they love pickled carrots?? Everything on your page looks so yummy too!
This looks great Averie! My garden is starting to produce some veggies and I am always looking for new ways to enjoy my harvest. Pickling is a great alternative to canning. I planted beets this year and am really like Paula’s suggestion of balsamic beets, sounds delicious.
If you try them, any version, LMK!
I got my vinegar groove on too–these were absolutely great! I’ve had store bought pickled veggies and wasn’t a fan, but these…..sooo much better! I used baby carrots and beets (I steamed the beets and peeled them) and golden balsamic vinegar so the carrots wouldn’t turn dark. The only drawback is that white/golden balsamic is pricier, but it was worth it (I got the cheapest bottle I could find and needed 2 of them). They do taste best on day 2..the hard part is waiting. Great recipe Averie (and easy too)!
Paula they sound incredible! Storebought pickled veggies is like storebought PB vs. homemade – the two can hardly be compared! So glad you tried these and I bet the steamed beets were incredible. I love beets (one of my fave veggies, period – but not everyone does and so don’ t bother with them on my blog) but the golden balsamic sounds worth every $$ drop! You could probably do golden beets and regular vinegar next time. I love golden beets, too! And yes, they taste even better after about 5-7 days, if you have any that will last :)
Looks delicious !
Your pictures are great!! I love how the veggies just pop! ;) I must find time to try pickling something!!! Thanks for the motivation!
Never thought it could be so easy! Now I look forward to preparing many many jars of pickles. Just need to buy more jars :)
Yum i love pickled vegetables (and some fruits even!) and they pack so much flavor with relatively few calories. Pickled carrots especially, with Mexican places they can be so hit or miss.
I followed your link to the spice blends. I found the blend you used, but it came in a grinder. Do you open the grinder or did I miss the opportunity to buy it without the grinder attachment on the bottle?
I opened the lid and just dumped them right in. Lid comes off very easily.
I can easily go through a jar of dill pickles in an hour – I never even thought about making my own pickled veggies! *Love* the idea of using parsnips!!
Love it! I don’t want to miss my favorite vegetables after the season :)
I also love pickled vegetables. Especially carrots and parsnips. You have brought back memories and I will be making these soon. Thanks so much.
I love pickles with any vegetable. They look so beautiful. I’ve pickled green chillies and garlic too in vinegar and they are so good. Your photography is beautiful as usual
Yum – my lips are puckering – hey, neighbor, come over to my herb garden and I will share 4 different kinds of thyme for “pickling”. Lovely, Averie.
Such a healthy snack Averie. I need to focus more on veggies. This inspires me!
I have to laugh! I was going to pickle carrots today, but got lazy! I have like 4 or 5 pounds of them, and I need to use them! It’s so funny you posted this today! :)
you totally should! it’s so easy and you’ll thank yourself later! :)
Thank you for this Averie! Have you ever done cucumbers? I want to make sweet pickles, and this sounds like the best and easiest method I’ve seen so far!
It would totally work for cucumbers and it’s so easy! Now mind you they will be mushier than the veggies I used but pickles ARE mushier than carrots anyway. I would just slice them thicker and/or use spears rather than paper thin little cucumber slices (who has time for all that slicing anyway…lol) LMK if it works for you and what you do!
mmm Pickled anything = delicious
my husband and I have made some spicy pickled yellow and green beans, the yellow ones always come out “snappier” than the green for some reason.
we’ve done a vegetable mix as well with cauliflower, onions, carrots and garlic. so. good. the garlic at the bottom is ALWAYS the best part. <3
I know exactly what you mean about snappy yellow beans. I love them that way! And your cauli, carrots, mmm, I need to do that soon here, too!
Carrots and parsnips are delish! And I’m all for a refreshing summer snack ;) So happy these aren’t overly salty. Salty usually means being bloated which I definitely do not need!
I love vinegar and eat waaaaay more than my fair share. I feel so good when I eat it – like it’s detoxifying. It probably is. Love that you pickled vegetables without salt. I always avoid them because of the high salt content but now I don’t have to!
Enjoy the lack of salt :)
I love homemade pickled veggies! I make pickled jalapenos all the time, best nacho topping!
Great how to post, I know so many people have never attempted this and will be surprised at how easy it is! Also, it’s a great way to use up vegetables that might go bad before we get around to eating them.
Exactly right on preserving things before they go bad!
Also those last sugar cookies of yours, I left a comment but was curious, do they taste like Lofthouse cookies at all?
I don’t get to complex in the kitchen, I usually leave that to the Mrs, but this looks pretty simple. Awesome Photos BTW. Cheers!
I love crunchy vinegar-packed veggies! I have been eating carrot salad with vinegar every day for a long, long time. I’d have to make several jars of this at once because I can easily eat an entire jar in one go. :D
LOL :) And perfect for those of us who don’t want to eat a ton of salt, either!
i love pickled veggies. these sound wonderfully refreshing!
I love vinegary things too, great idea to preserve veggies – love the mustard grains!
It’s nice to see a post on pickling vegetables since it seems to be becoming a bit of a lost art. I think I would have to do a big batch of them because I would probably finish a jar in a day or two! These would be great for little party appetizers, too.
It’s getting kind of trendy again though. Many of the food magazines, Bon App, Saveur, etc. frequently do stories on them. Like in this month’s issue in B.A. there’s a recipe for some!
I am a pickling maniac this week with garden harvest, so was super glad to see this on your blog today!
Sounds like you’re an old pro at pickling!
Loveeee pickles-never pickled! This sounds super easy. Hope youre well
I’ve always wanted to pickle stuff! It’s been on my bucket list for years! And I’m really loving the mustard grains in this.
I´m a vinegar person, no doubt! Love pickles and mustard and chutneys. And I like that the salt here is optional. Really good recipe Averie.
Too often salt is all I taste in recipes like this – so kept it out!
I just posted yesterday about the quick pickles I made a couple days ago! I’m not even surprised any more.
I also just put some pickled broccoli stems in the fridge yesterday. I don’t even bother with heating the brine anymore – I just mix the vinegar with equal part water, add some spices and some stevia directly in the jar, shake the jar up, then throw in the veggies. That’s it. For cukes, you only have to wait about 2 hours, but the thicker roots and heartier veggies are better after a couple days.
Not a day goes by that I don’t eat pickled or fermented veggies in some way. I made a gigantic batch of kimchi last week that I just put in jars and refrigerated yesterday too. I’m set for a while now. Or a week anyway. Maybe. ;)
We are ALWAYS on the same wavelength :) And great info about what you do! Need to try stevia next time!
Just looked over your recipe again – no water at all?! Wow.
I used this method above again today with some small pickling cukes from the farmers market – about 2-3 inches each. I’m pickling them whole, so I’m guessing they will take a bit longer to really soak in the flavors.
I also threw in a few cloves of garlic in each of the jars. Can’t wait to eat these!
No water at all! Just the vinegar, sugar, and natural water the veggies will leech anyway. I bet your veggies will turn out great!
I’m so excited, I love pickled veggies but I’ve never made them! Thanks for this recipe, Averie! Have a good weekend :)
And super easy! enjoy!
I also love vinegary foods. Actually the pickle was my very first food! LOL
These sound and look awesome!
Oh that cracks me up about your 1st food :)
This is great, I will definatly use this for cucumbers!
Great post!! I love pickled veggies as an addition to sandwiches or salads. Pickled red onions are an obsession of mine! Pinning this post to try when I get home from vacation! :) Have a great weekend, Averie!
Thanks for pinning! :)
Jason has tried pickling cucumbers a few times. Not always a huge success but it gives him something to do LOL
Something to do…love it. LOL :)
I love vinegary foods too! Great recipe….hope u had an amazing 4th :)
And I hope you and your fam enjoyed the day, too. Can’t believe it’s NOT the weekend though today. So weird!
I never knew pickling veggies was so easy! I love this recipe and look forward to giving it a try!
I tried refrigerator pickles, but it has been so long I can’t remember if they were sweet or dill! Knowing me, they were probably sweet pickles. I love this recipe and will have to give it a try this weekend. Beets also sound wonderful –I think I’d like those in a sweet balsamic pickle bath!
Beets with a sweet balsamic bath sounds heavenly! Better you than me with the red hands and fingers (I think wearing gloves would be a must for that one…haha!) but gosh, that sounds so good! LMK if you pickle anything this weekend!
If you coat your hands with vegetable oil before handling the beets, there are no stained hands!!
oh it would be so great to be able to do this myself! thanks so much for sharing!
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