How to Pickle Basically Everything

Savor summer produce by pickling cucumbers, jalapenos, carrots, corn and more with recipes from Food Network.

Photo by: Matt Armendariz ©2014, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved

Matt Armendariz, 2014, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved

Odds are, you believe a burger is not nearly complete without a good slice of dill pickle, or you just can’t help but devour pickle spears straight from the jar, one by one until they disappear. Hey, maybe you’re even one of those people who slather their pickles in peanut butter (yes, that’s a thing). Not only does the practice of real-deal pickling extend summer produce longer, but submerging veggies in a saltwater or vinegar-based brine imparts a distinctively tangy and addictive flavor. And there’s so much more to the world of pickling than cucumbers. In fact, the practice of pickling can extend to all kinds of summer produce.

If you always have a jar of pickled jalapenos on hand for topping chili, tacos, sandwiches and more, then perhaps you should try your hand at making your own Easy Pickled Jalapenos. While the store-bought variety are often limp and soft, these pickled peppers retain their crispness, since the hot brine is poured over them, rather than the jalapenos being boiled in it.

Photo by: Matt Armedariz ©2012 Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved

Matt Armedariz, 2012 Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved

Pickled in rice vinegar, Bobby Flay’s Homemade Spicy Dill Pickles come with a whole lot more than dill. In fact, they achieve a complex spicy-sweet flavor from honey, toasted cumin seeds, red pepper flakes and fresh cilantro.

Photo by: Matt Armendariz ©2014, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved

Matt Armendariz, 2014, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved

Even fruit can benefit from the pickling treatment. Food Network Kitchen’s Slightly Pickled Honeydew dish is a cross between a salad and a pickle. Create a brine with distilled white vinegar, sugar and hot red chiles, then let it sit with the honeydew pieces for just two hours. Unlike most pickle recipes, this one doesn’t get better with age and should be eaten pretty immediately.

Photo by: Matt Armedariz ©2012, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved.

Matt Armedariz, 2012, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved.

While Bobby’s recipe takes hours and hours of brining time, Alex Guarnaschelli’s Quick and Easy Pickles are ready to chow down on in just 30 minutes. Submerged in a mixture of apple cider vinegar, sea salt, bottled water and fresh dill, these Kirby cucumber pickles can last up to a few weeks in the fridge.

From Food Network Magazine

You may have seen these tangy, blushed-pink pickled onions at restaurants and wondered how they managed it, or maybe you’re already an expert at pickling red onions at home. Either way, Food Network Magazine’s Pickled Red Onions recipe should be your go-to, with its flavor-packed combination of vinegar, orange and lime juices, sugar and spices. Plus, it takes just 20 minutes before the onions are ready to be used as crunchy, tasty toppers.

Just like the cucumber-born pickles that preceded them, Pickled Dill Carrots like these from Food Network Magazine are a crunchy, tangy dose of refreshment that couldn’t be easier to make. Even after they sit in the brine, they retain the crunchy texture of an untouched carrot, but each bite comes with a shot of briny goodness.

While corn is so juicy and in-season, pickle it to uncover another side of this late-summer crop. You’ve never nibbled corn off the cob like Food Network Magazine’s Pickled Corn and Peppers.

Get more inspiration for DIY pickling right here.

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