I wish I could just wave a magic wand and make summer last forever. Wouldn’t that be one of the best gifts ever? From the warm weather, to the lush landscape, to the abundance of fresh produce, there’s really nothing quite like summer.

One of my favorite weekend activities to do during the summer is to stroll through the farmer’s market and see what veggies I can discover. Each week, I tend to stick with my standards, but I do try to make new recipes with them at home. And since I know you probably also wish you could make summer longer, today I’m going to show you how to make simple picked summer vegetables out of any of your favorite farmer’s market goodies.

Today we’re starting with three veggies and three different brines, but what I love about this method of pickling is that you can mix and match to your hearts content. Each of these brines would be delicious with numerous types of vegetables, so even if you don’t like exactly what I’m using here, the preparation is still the same.

The three veggies I’m using today are…

• Radishes
• Cucumbers
• Beets

Since each has a very distinct flavor, I used a brine that I thought would pair best. I’m particularly fond of the brine for the beets since it has some unexpected spices and fun flavors that come through, but each are super delicious on their own. And I love that they only a few minutes to whip up.

I used to be under the impression that canning and pickling takes a tremendous amount of time. Truth of the matter is, if you’ve got 10 minutes and a few simple tools, you can totally pickle vegetables at home. And they’re delicious!

I often eat pickled vegetables the same way, just thrown on top of a salad, but there are actually TONS of ways you can enjoy them. Some of my other favorites are:

• In my veggie collard wraps
• On top of avocado toast
• On top of pesto pizza after it’s cooked
• With hummus and homemade crackers
• …or just straight out of the jar!

And now, let’s dive into the actual recipes! Like I said we’ve got three veggies and three brines, but feel free to mix and match to your heart’s content

Easy Pickled Cucumbers

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

5 mins

Total time

10 mins

Author: Alyssa Rimmer

Serves: 2 cups

Ingredients

• 2 cups sliced cucumbers (about 1 medium)
• ½ cup rice wine vinegar
• ½ cup water
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 garlic clove finely sliced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper

Instructions

1. Add vinegar, water, syrup and spices into a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil then reduce to simmer for 5 minutes.
2. While the brine is cooking, thinly slice the cucumbers using a mandolin slicer. Add the cucumbers to a wide mouth mason jar.
3. Pour the warm brine into the jar, close the lid and let sit on the counter until it reaches room temperature. Then transfer it to the fridge and allow to pickle for at least 4 hours.

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Easy Pickled Radishes

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

5 mins

Total time

10 mins

Author: Alyssa Rimmer

Serves: 2 cups

Ingredients

• 2 cups thinly sliced radishes (about 1 bunch)
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• ¼ cup white wine vinegar
• ½ cup water
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

Instructions

1. Add vinegar, water, syrup and spices into a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil then reduce to simmer for 5 minutes.
2. While the brine is cooking, thinly slice the radishes using a mandolin slicer. Add them to a wide mouth mason jar then pour the warm brine into the jar. Close the lid and let sit on the counter until it reaches room temperature.
3. Then transfer it to the fridge and allow to pickle for at least 4 hours.

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Easy Pickled Beets

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

20 mins

Author: Alyssa Rimmer

Serves: 2 cups

Ingredients

• 1½ cups thinly sliced red beets (preferably small)
• ½ cup thinly sliced shallot (about 1 small)
• ½ cup red wine vinegar
• ½ cup water
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon pink peppercorn (or black)
• 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
• 2 - 3 cardamom pods
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Thinly slice the beets and shallots using a mandolin slicer. Add them to a small sauce pan and cover them with water. Bring the water to a boil, cover and reduce to simmer for 5 - 10 minutes until the beets have softened.
2. Strain the beets and shallots, then transfer them into a wide mouth mason jar.
3. Add vinegar, water, syrup and spices into the sauce pan. Bring to a boil then reduce to simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Pour the warm brine into the jar with the veggies, close the lid and let sit on the counter until it reaches room temperature. Then transfer it to the fridge and allow to pickle for at least 4 hours.

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