Basic Pickle Brine Secret Revel. Pickles are a popular and oft-used sandwich topping now, but did you know that you can make them at home with only 4 ingredients and 20 minutes of hands-on time? With this pickle brine, vinegar, sugar, and salt to make a balanced mixture that transforms any fruit or vegetable into a tasty pickle.
Pickles are a stalwart favorite on sandwiches or eaten on their own. They’re also incredibly simple to make at home with just four ingredients and 20 minutes of hands-on time. Vinegar, sugar and salt make a balanced brine that transforms any fruit or vegetable into a pickle.
What Is Pickle Brine?
Pickles were originally created for the purpose of conservation. The salted and boiled vinegar in a pickle brine was an easy way to preserve fresh and seasonal fruits and vegetables on-the-go. In this day and age, it is especially important to prepare seasonal produce so you can still enjoy the fruits of summer throughout the whole year.
Basic Pickle Brine Ingredients
Making pickles doesn’t require a complex recipe. You’ll only need four ingredients – white vinegar, sugar, salt and water. The white vinegar keeps the brine mild and also provides an acidic tang that makes fruiting veggies and fruit taste great. A small amount of granulated sugar enhances sweet flavor. Kosher salt is most suitable for this recipe because it’s not iodized like table salt, which can impart a distinctive taste to foods like pickles that you don’t necessarily want.
How to Make Pickle Brine
This recipe is easy to make and can be used with fruits and vegetables of your choosing. To make it, simply dissolve the salt and sugar into water and vinegar in a medium saucepan over high heat. Stir until dissolved. Cool 10 minutes off the heat before using or refrigerating the brine for later use. Also, bear in mind that this is called a “master” pickle brine for a reason:
It’s not the perfect pickle brine because it does not have all the flavors out there, but rather it’s a jumping-off point for you to riff on according to your own taste preferences. Some folks like to add dill and garlic when picking their own flavors, but coriander seeds or even turmeric are good seasonings that can give any pickles you’ve made rich flavor.
How to Use Pickle Brine
What should you do after buying the ingredients for homemade pickles? Find a way to transform your produce into a delicious (and healthy) pickle. Cucumbers are a popular choice, but you can also make this brine recipe with cherry tomatoes, zucchini spears, okra, red onions and more.
Your pickles will keep for up to two days before you want to eat them, so feel free to use them as part of your plate or as part of your sandwich. Consider adding some homemade pickled onion to a pulled pork slider for an instant flavor explosion!
How to Store Pickle Brine
If you can keep the pickle brine refrigerated for two months, you’ll be able to make these pickled vegetables for your next barbecue! Be sure to sterilize your canning jars and lids before adding them to the vegetable mixture. However, if you prefer water-bath preservation (or are afraid of canning), feel free to skip that step by following our instructions.
Can You Reuse Pickle Brine?
Keeping your brine is a great way to preserve it, but you should only reuse it once. Throughout the treatment of your pickles, yeasts and molds will start to break down flavorsome compounds in the brine, resulting in less flavorful pickles over time. It’s best to wait until you have enough fresh brine before beginning this process again. Thankfully, it’s so quick and easy to make these pickles that that hardly creates any hassle at all!
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 1/3 cup white vinegar
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
Directions
In a medium saucepan, add 1 cup of water and all the ingredients. Bring mixture to a boil over high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat, cool for 10 minutes, and then pour it over your favorite fruit or vegetables. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate it for 2 days. After 2 days, store in a covered container in your refrigerator up to 2 months.
