These quick zucchini pickles are a little sweet, a tad spicy, and the perfect way to use up that zucchini harvest. If you have zucchini coming out of your ears this summer and are tired of making zucchini bread and zucchini muffins, these pickles are an awesome choice!
Years ago, my father-in-law planned and planted a massive garden in his backyard and brought us an assortment of fresh produce every week, and, like any garden, it always produced an abundance of zucchini to share.
After roasting them as a side dish, stuffing them for a main dish, and making zucchini bread, I wanted to try something different and made these zucchini pickles. They are refrigerator pickles, which means they are quick, easy, and incredibly tasty, as well as perfect for anyone who is a beginner to pickling and canning.
They are also a riff on the classic flavors of bread and butter pickles, which I love so much!
Zucchini Pickles vs Cucumber Pickles This means the zucchini will release less water as they pickle. So they stay crisp and crunchy longer than cucumber pickles. There isn’t a lot of taste difference, because the taste is more influenced by the spices you include in the brine.
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Picking the Perfect Zucchini
Much like when cooking or baking with zucchini, the best ones to choose are the smaller to medium-sized ones.
When zucchini get too large, they are tougher, have bigger seeds, and have a “chewier” texture. The smaller ones are better for a crisp texture and have smaller seeds.
For this recipe, I slice the zucchini extremely thin, which you can do by hand with a knife or use a mandoline. You can also slice the zucchini into spears.
The first thing you will do is soak the sliced zucchini and onions in a saltwater brine for 1 hour.
The purpose of this saltwater soaking, which I also do with my bread and butter pickles, is to pull out excess water from the zucchini before pickling, which helps to prevent soggy pickles!
How to Make Homemade Pickles EASY using Zucchini Squash OR Cucumbers Recipe Garden Vegetables & Dill
FAQ
Can I substitute zucchini for cucumber?
What can I use instead of pickling cucumbers?
Are pickles made from zucchini or cucumbers?
What keeps cucumbers crisp when pickling?