Classic Mediterranean flavors from oregano, basil and citrus combine to create this simple Mediterranean Refrigerator Pickle recipe.
Because they’re refrigerated and not preserved for the pantry, you can get a little more creative with the vegetables and seasonings.
Excerpted from Ball® Canning Back to Basics. Copyright © 2017 Hearthmark, LLC. Reprinted with permission from Time Inc. Books, a division of Time Inc. New York, NY. All rights reserved.
Change It Up! This recipe works with any combination of the following vegetables: asparagus, button mushrooms, green beans, cauliflower, eggplant, onions, radishes, bell peppers, chile peppers, cherry or grape tomatoes, or zucchini.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds desired vegetables
- 2 cups white vinegar or red wine vinegar (5% acidity), or balsamic vinegar, or a combination
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon Ball® Salt for Pickling & Preserving
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano or basil
- 2 teaspoons citrus zest
- 1⁄4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 small bay leaves
Preparation
- 1 Wash, trim, and peel vegetables; leave whole (depending on size), halve, quarter, slice, or chop.
- 2 Bring the vinegar and next 8 ingredients to a boil in a small stainless-steel or enameled saucepan; reduce heat, and simmer 3 minutes, stirring to dissolve sugar and salt.
- 3 Tightly pack the vegetables into 1 hot (1-quart) or 2 hot (1-pint) jars. Pour the hot brine over the vegetables to cover. Cover jar with lid; let stand 1 hour or until cooled to room temperature. Store in refrigerator for 3 weeks for the best flavor; consume within 3 months. (The longer the pickles stand in the refrigerator, the more flavorful they will become.)
