How to Quick Pickle Cukes, Onions, Green Beans, and More!

By Mary Margaret Chappell Jul 6, 2023

Brighten up snacks and meals with low-sodium, no-sugar, no-hassle quick pickles! You won’t believe how tasty homemade pickles can be, using zero added sugar and just a fraction of the salt found in store-bought pickles. And there’s no need to sterilize the jars. Read on for an overview of the quick-pickling process and a base recipe for low-salt brine, plus five of our favorite ways to use it.

Note: Using less salt means pickles won’t last more than a week (max), so make them in small batches and gobble them up.

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DIY low-sodium pickles are as easy as 1, 2, 3. Just follow these basic steps, and refer to the recipes below for more guidance and inspiration.

Place seasonings in the bottom of each jar, then pack with trimmed raw vegetables. Feel free to mix and match different veggies (anything goes except for potatoes and winter squash) in the recipes below, or come up with your own seasoning combinations.

Follow the Low-Salt Quick Pickle Brine recipe. You’ll need about 1 cup brine per 12-oz. Jar. Pour the hot brine over the vegetables in the jar, making sure they’re completely covered.

Seal the jar, then shake well to distribute the seasonings throughout the brine. Cool to room temperature. Refrigerate at least 24 hours to allow flavors to develop. Store in the fridge up to a week.

Any vinegar except balsamic can be used to make this reduced-sodium pickle brine. Makes 2 cups.

1. In a medium saucepan bring all ingredients to boiling over medium. Simmer 15 seconds or until salt has completely dissolved.

2. Immediately pour hot brine over the vegetables to be pickled.

You can use the brine recipe and process outlined above to pickle any vegetables you like. But to get you started, here are a few of our go-to recipes.

Place 1 large sprig fresh dill (or 1 tsp. dried dill), 1 clove peeled garlic, and ⅛ tsp. crushed red pepper in the bottom of a 16-oz. canning jar. Pack jar with cucumber spears (from 1 medium cucumber). Pour hot Low-Salt Quick Pickle Brine over top; seal jar. Refrigerate at least 24 hours and up to 1 week.

Fill a 12-oz. canning jar with thinly sliced red onion (from 1 small onion). Add ⅛ tsp. whole black peppercorns. Pour hot Low-Salt Quick Pickle Brine over top; seal jar. Refrigerate at least 24 hours and up to 1 week.

Place 1 bay leaf and ½ tsp. each cumin seeds, whole black peppercorns, and mustard seeds in the bottom of a 12-oz. canning jar. Pack jar with carrot sticks (from 2 large carrots). Pour hot Low-Salt Quick Pickle Brine over top; seal jar. Refrigerate at least 24 hours and up to 1 week.

Place 1 white onion slice; ¼ tsp. each mustard seeds, coriander seeds, and ground turmeric; and 1 small bay leaf in the bottom of a 12-oz. canning jar. Pack jar with small cauliflower florets. Pour hot Low-Salt Quick Pickle Brine over top; seal jar. Refrigerate at least 24 hours and up to 1 week.

Place ½ tsp. each mustard seeds and whole pink peppercorns, 1 sprig fresh tarragon, and 1 clove peeled garlic in the bottom of a 12-oz. canning jar. Pack jar with 2 oz. trimmed green beans. Pour hot Low-Salt Quick Pickle Brine over top; seal jar. Refrigerate at least 24 hours and up to 1 week.

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When Mary Margaret Chappell first started out in the plant-based food world as a writer, editor, and recipe developer, she was a bacon-loving former pastry chef who didn’t think she could ever cook without butter. Fourteen years, four cookbooks, dozens of cooking classes, and hundreds of recipes later, her favorite thing in the world is sharing the tips, techniques, and recipes that show just how easy and delicious whole-food, plant-based cooking can be. The former food editor of Vegetarian Times magazine has done away with her dependency on butter and is honing her skills at baking with natural sweeteners. Chappell lives in France, where plant-based eating can often be a challenge, but the fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes available are simply amazing. Find her on Instagram and Facebook.

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