Is your garden overrun with zucchini? This homemade Refrigerator Pickled Zucchini Recipe is for you.
Zucchini ribbons, pickling brine, and a day or two in the fridge produce the most amazing quick pickles ever.
Old-fashioned refrigerator pickles are the perfect topping for burgers and sandwiches. Have you tried grilled zucchini burgers? Perfect for summer.
RECIPE and INSTRUCTIONS for these fridge pickles can be found at the bottom of this post.
Pickled Eggs are still my most popular recipe on the blog. If you have read that post, you would know I am NOT a canner/preserver per se. Quick pickles are my way to a great tasting condiment.
This time of year you can never have too many ways to use the zucchini crop. Although they are delicious, we can only eat so many zucchini muffins.
This Refrigerator Pickled Zucchini Recipe Is Easy
No-cook refrigerator pickles are perfect for people (like me) that don’t want all the work involved in the traditional canning method.
- Slice the zucchini into ribbons.
- Remove excess liquid (see recipe).
- Boil brine (this takes 5 minutes).
- Pack zucchini into jars.
- Add brine.
- Put the lid on the jar.
- Place in refrigerator.
- In a few days, you will have pickled zucchini.
To cut the zucchini into ribbons I used a spiralizer (affiliate). Do you have one? This really is a fun kitchen gadget.
It is great for making zoodles too. Greek Zoodle Salad is a favourite around here. If you are looking to cut some carbs out of your diet, try Zucchini Noodles with Shrimp for an easy weeknight dinner. Have you tried Zucchini Gazpacho?
If you are a fan of Caesar salad, then this Zucchini Caesar Salad is right up your alley. The perfect raw zucchini salad.
Pickling Tips
- Prepare the jars and lids (wash with hot, soapy water, rinse and dry).
- I even poured boiling water in mine just to make sure I got all the soap out.
- Wash and dry the zucchini before slicing.
- Tightly pack the ribbons into jars (leaving a bit of room at the top).
- Pour the HOT brine into the packed jars (chances are you will have extra brine).
- Lightly tap the jars to remove air bubbles, and top off with additional brine.
- Tightly seal the jars.
- Let the jars cool before placing in the refrigerator.
- Refrigerate for at least 24 hours before eating (pickles improve with age).
Feel free to experiment with the brine. Some recipes will use equal amounts of vinegar and water. For this pickled zucchini recipe, I used more vinegar than water.
The type of vinegar you use will produce different results as well. I used rice wine vinegar, but you can experiment with white vinegar, cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, or a combination. It is best to avoid concentrated kinds of vinegar like malt or balsamic.
I did not include salt in my brine (but feel free to add some) since I used salt to remove excess liquid in the zucchini ribbons before placing them in the jar. I added a small amount of sugar, but you can omit that if you like.
Pickling spice is the flavouring in this recipe. Feel free to experiment with fresh herbs such as dill, thyme, or rosemary (add them to the jar before pouring in the brine).
Whole spices such as mustard seed, peppercorns, or chili flakes work great in the brine (especially if you want to add a bit of spicy heat). If you like garlic, by all means, add that too.
Here is a great article on common pickling mistakes.
After a few days in the fridge, I was eager to see how these tasted. Hubby grilled up some Octoberfest sausages for the taste test. I stuffed a bun with that juicy sausage, topped it with honey mustard, and piled on these zucchini pickles. WOW! They had a nice tang, and are the perfect alternative to sauerkraut.
Try making quick pickled onions, they are perfect for burgers and sandwiches. Check out this Homemade Burger Roundup!!
This pickle roundup is packed with lots of great ideas. Did you know you can pickle fruit too?
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Quick Pickle FAQ
Normally about two months. They will begin to lose some crunch over time. They should always be kept in the fridge.
White distilled vinegar is the norm for pickling vinegar.
Yes, you can reuse it to make another batch of refrigerator pickles, but not canned/fermented pickles.
Refrigerator Pickled Zucchini Recipe
Ingredients
- 25 ounces zucchini (sliced into ribbons)
- 1 teaspoons Kosher salt
For the Brine:
- 1 cup rice wine vinegar
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons pickling spice
Instructions
Prepare The Jars:
- Wash jars and lids with hot soapy water and rinse well.
- You can also then pour boiling water into the jars to ensure all the soup is out.
- Let air dry, or dry with a cloth.
To Prepare The Zucchini:
- Wash and dry zucchini.
- Slice into ribbons.
- Place in a colander, sprinkle with salt, mix with your hands to distribute.
- Let sit for 10-15 minutes to drain excess liquid.DO NOT RINSE (that is why I did not add salt to the brine).
- Place zucchini ribbons in a kitchen towel, and squeeze to drain the liquid.
- Pack tightly into jars, leaving a bit of room at the top.
To Make The Brine:
- Combine vinegar, water, sugar and pickling spice into a small pot.
- Bring to a boil, and boil for about 2 minutes (to dissolve the sugar).
- Remove from heat, and let cool for a couple of minutes.
- Pour over the zucchini ribbons in the jar. (I used a knife to move the zucchini a bit so the brine could get all the way down and around the zucchini.)
- Be sure to add some of the pickling spice throughout the jar.
- Tap the jar slightly to release any air bubbles. You will likely be able to add a bit more brine to the jar at this point.
- Tightly seal.
- Let cool to room temperature, then place in the refrigerator.Let sit in the fridge for at least 24 hours (the longer the better).
Dawn
Love zucchini and this is such a yummy twist on pickles! I bet this would be a yummy side to a sandwich for lunch! I also usually make homemade foodie gift baskets for Christmas for family and this would make a lovely addition 🙂
Homemade & Yummy
This is a great food gift idea. I know I will be handing some of these out over the holidays.
swathi
Your pickled zucchini looks delicious, I haven’t tried pickled Zuchini. I need to give it try. I like the idea of cutting zucchini into ribbons/
Homemade & Yummy
It does make for a pretty presentation that is for sure. Hope you give this recipe a try.
Alexis
I’ve never thought about picked zucchini before. Great idea! And I love how you put it on a sandwich, sounds delicious.
Homemade & Yummy
YES….these are the perfect sandwich topping for sure.
Natalie
Wow!!! I never thought of pickling a zucchinis. Such a wonderful idea. I LOVE it! It’s great way to use all the garden zucchinis + it’s so healthy for digestion and gut. + I bet is soooo tasty in a sandwich. Can’t wait to try this.
Homemade & Yummy
YES, YES and YES….enjoy!!
Tammy
I love the sound of this recipe. I’ve been getting into pickling vegetables since I started making my own Kimchi. Pickled zucchini is next on my list 🙂
Homemade & Yummy
Well if you can make kimchi, you can make these for sure. ENJOY!
Debra
OMG…why have I not thought of this before? This is such a tasty and healthy way to use up the abundance of zucchini we have. Thanks for the easy and step by step directions, An awesome recipe, I’m definitely going to make these.
Homemade & Yummy
I know…so easy. Hope you give this recipe a try.
Denise
I love you pictures! I love pickles the older I get and these look great. Can’t wait to try these on hotdogs!
Homemade & Yummy
These are super easy. ENJOY
Celeste
This looks so delicious, a nice new way for me to use zucchini. I would love to have some of this piled high on a salad.
Homemade & Yummy
They are delicious on SO many things. ENJOY!
Marisa Franca
I’ve done lots of canning in my lifetime but I haven’t pickled zucchini. Lots of cukes and other veggies but not the squash. I think spiralizing it is so clever — it would fit on a sandwich much better than in slices. I do like pickles and so does Hubby. This is one recipe I’ve got to try. Zucchini are pretty plentiful in the stores – even in the off season. Looking forward to trying it.
Homemade & Yummy
Well you sound like the “typical” European …. I am from a Ukrainian background. This is my way to canning….however kudos to all the traditional pickles out there.
Sarah
Some mean animal ate the tops off all of my zucchini plants this year.. sooooo yeah. I didn’t get a single one. BUT I’m going to (probably) try again next year! And maybe I’ll use chicken wire lol. I love this idea though- it’s so simple and delicious!!!
Homemade & Yummy
HAHA….some mean rabbit destroyed my roses this year. Hope you can eventually give this recipe a try.
Cathleen
I have never pickled anything in my life, but it is definitely on my to do list! Never thought of pickling zucchini before!!
Homemade & Yummy
This is the perfect EASY way to pickle. The only way I will do pickles!!
Jacqueline Debono
Your zucchini pickles look amazing. Plus so easy to make. Def want to try this before zucchini season ends here in Italy!
Homemade & Yummy
Super easy for sure. Hope you give this recipe a try.
Melissa
Oh this has me so excited!! I too am NOT a caner (ha!) so anything simple is a winner in my books, I would have never thought to pickle zucchini, but now that you have given me the idea you know I have to make it 🙂
Homemade & Yummy
I am not a canner either…this is the way to go for me.
Noel Lizotte
What a great idea to use up that zucchini! I love how pretty your jars look with the spices floating around. They would be wonderful gifts!
Homemade & Yummy
I agree…this would make a great food gift for sure.
Veena Azmanov
I’m the only one who eats pickles in my home. I think the younger generation in my home really miss out on how delicious pickles can be. I’ve always loved pickles. Can’t wait to try this.. Love the ribbons.
Homemade & Yummy
This was a fun recipe to make for sure….and totally delicious. Hope you give it a try. You will LOVE that spiralizer for sure.