Quick Fridge Pickles

Eat the rainbow with a range of fridge pickles

Fridge Pickles

One of my favourite ways to make sure I’m eating the rainbow is to batch pickle an assortment of veggies so I’ve got them on hand in the fridge. I could happily add pickles to just about every savoury dish I eat because they add such depth of flavour and so many gorgeous pops of colour. As well as being exceptionally good for you (think of the diversity of gut friendly fibre and nutrients across all those different colours), they’re also just a joy to eat. The intense salty / acidic tang of pickles, together with the crunchy texture of the vegetables, is highly addictive!

When I’m having a pickling day (actually you can make several jars in an hour or so – they’re quick to make), I like to prepare a few different types to get a range of nutritional benefits. In my latest batch, I pickled red onions, mixed peppers, cherry tomatoes, and cucumber, flavouring them all slightly differently to bring out their unique flavours. It’s one of the fun things about pickling – you can experiment with different combinations of veggies, herbs, and spices to see which ones you like best.

Garlic and thyme are perfect for cherry tomatoes

For pickled red onions I tend to stick with just the basic pickling solution which is flavoured with black pepper and bay leaves – I want the flavour of the onions to sing uninterrupted. With the mixed peppers, I add a pinch of dried chilli flakes because I like the mixture of heat and sweet. For the cherry tomatoes, I add some garlic cloves and fresh thyme which combine with the tomatoes to give those gorgeous Italian flavours. And for the cucumbers I add plenty of fresh fragrant dill which is light and bright - a perfect partner for more subtle flavours.

Jars packed with veggies and seasonings - waiting for the pickling solution

You can of course pickle just about anything on the veggie and fruit front (pickled brambles are a delight!), but if you’re new to it try starting with some of the classics like red onions or cucumber and see where it takes you. You can also experiment with how finely you slice veggies like onions, peppers, and cucumber. I prefer to cut the onions fairly thinly and leave a bit of bite on the peppers and cucumber slices as shown in the photo.

The recipe below is for the basic pickling solution I use. Before I make the solution, I sterilise the jars I’m going to use (I favour clip top jars like Kilner but old jam jars are just as good) and fill them with the prepared veggies and seasonings I’ve chosen.

Black pepper and bay leaves - base flavours for the pickling solution

Every jar, when filled with veggies, gets 1 tsp of black peppercorns and one or two bay leaves (fresh or dried) added as base seasonings, but you can then add more as outlined above.

The following solution makes enough for 1 x 1 litre jar – just multiply the quantities based on the number of jars you’re filling.

Ingredients:

1 x cup white wine vinegar

1 x cup water

1 x tbsp salt (use a good quality sea salt such as Himalayan pink)

1 x tbsp sugar

To make:

1.      When your jars are filled with veggies, and you’re ready to make the solution, put all the ingredients together in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Leave simmering (lid on) for 5-10 mins until all the salt and sugar has dissolved.

2.      Gently pour the hot pickling solution into the jar(s) making sure you cover the fresh ingredients completely (note the veggies may float up a little so press them back down with a spoon so they’re completely immersed.

3.      Leave the jars to cool, lid open, and then store in the fridge. These will keep for up to 3 months.

Gorgeous pops of colour for your plate