People think of baby cukes as prime pickling material, but root vegetables like carrots and beets, as well as late-summer beans, onions, fennel, chard stems and even crabapples, are also perfect candidates for a dip in salty, vinegary brine.
Refrigerator pickles come together quickly and there’s no need to properly seal and process jars for long-term storage.
Spiced Pickled Beets
There’s no need for specific measurements here. Boil whole small beets in a large pot of water for half an hour or roast them wrapped in foil for an hour, or until tender. Cool and peel them. Pack whole, sliced or chunked beets into clean, hot jars. Put a cinnamon stick (or half), a couple of allspice berries and a few cloves into each jar. Sprinkle each with 1/2 tsp pickling salt. Bring equal parts white vinegar and sugar to a simmer and pour over the beets, leaving 1/2-inch headspace from the top of the jar. Refrigerate for at least two days before serving; store in the fridge for up to a month.
Pickled Chard Stems
Trim the ends off clean chard stems and slice the remainder into sticks. Pack into clean, hot jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup rice vinegar, 1/2 cup cider vinegar, 1/2 cup water, 1/4 cup sugar, 2 tbsp pickling salt and 1 tbsp pickling spices and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve. Immediately pour over the chard stems in the jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace from the top of the jar. Refrigerate for at least two days before serving; store in the fridge for up to a month.
Pickled Crabapples
Wash and stem as many small crabapples as you’d like to pickle. Bring equal amounts of vinegar, sugar and water to
a simmer, add the apples to the pot and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the apples are just tender but not split. Put a cinnamon stick, a couple of allspice berries, a few cloves and a sprig of rosemary into clean, hot jars and, with a slotted spoon, pack the apples in. Pour hot liquid overtop, leaving 1/2″ headspace from the top of the jar. Refrigerate for at least two days before serving; store in the fridge for up to a month.
Pickled Carrots
Scrub baby carrots and cut any larger ones into evenly sized sticks. Boil in salted water for one minute, then rinse with cold water and drain. Pack into clean jars. Boil equal parts water and cider vinegar with 2 tbsp sugar and 2 tsp salt per cup of vinegar-water. Add a few crushed garlic cloves, peppercorns, fennel seeds or a pinch of red chile flakes, cool slightly and pour over the carrots. Refrigerate for at least two days before serving, and store in the fridge for up to a month.
