can you use zucchini instead of cucumbers for pickles

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.
can you use zucchini instead of cucumbers for pickles

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can you use zucchini instead of cucumbers for pickles

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.

can you use zucchini instead of cucumbers for pickles

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!

can you use zucchini instead of cucumbers for pickles

How to Make Homemade Pickles EASY using Zucchini Squash OR Cucumbers Recipe Garden Vegetables & Dill

FAQ

Can I substitute zucchini for cucumber?

They can be swapped for each other in raw dishes—such as using thinly sliced zucchini in lieu of cucumbers in a salad, or shredded cucumber for shredded zucchini in a poke bowl. They’ll have slightly different flavors and textures, but the recipe should still be a success.

What can I use instead of pickling cucumbers?

Fermented veggies: Similar to pickles, fermented veggies offer a tangy and bitter flavor. Sauerkraut, kimchi, or pickled beets are popular choices. They provide probiotics and are a outstanding manner to add taste for your meals. Olives: Olives are brine-cured and feature a salty and tangy flavor.

Are pickles made from zucchini or cucumbers?

Crunchy, sour, salty or sweet – pickles all start the same way, as cucumbers! Cucumbers grow on vines or on a cucumber bush. They like hot temperatures and a lot of water! Kirby or Persian cucumbers are often used for pickling.

What keeps cucumbers crisp when pickling?

Use Calcium Chloride Calcium chloride (CaCl2), sometimes known as “pickle crisp”, is a type of salt that helps preserve the crunchiness of food.

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