Is your garden overrun with zucchini? These homemade Refrigerator Zucchini Pickles are just what you need.
Zucchini ribbons, pickling brine, and a day or two in the fridge produce the most amazing quick DIY pickles ever.
Quick fridge pickles are crisp and tangy. Super easy to make and a great way to preserve fresh zucchini. The perfect pickle recipe for beginners.
Zucchini pickles are a delicious topping for burgers and sandwiches. Have you tried grilled zucchini burgers? Perfect for summer.
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.
You can never have too many ways to use the zucchini crop this time of year. Although they are delicious, we can only eat so many zucchini muffins.
Refrigerator Pickled Zucchini Is Easy
No-cook refrigerator pickles are perfect for people (like me) who 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.
Quick 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 omitted 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.
Easy homemade pickles are perfect in so many ways. Try making quick pickled onions, they are ideal 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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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 Zucchini Pickles
Ingredients
- 25 ounces zucchini (sliced into ribbons)
- 1 teaspoon 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).
Shanna Jones
I have so many ideas for this! And I would definitely add a bit of heat as you suggested. Great recipe!
Homemade & Yummy
These are such a great condiment. Our favourite by far.
Sharon
Now I have another great recipe to use for all the zucchini I have from the garden. I love pickled vegetables and I can’t wait to make these to have on hand.
Homemade & Yummy
ENJOY…these are so much fun to make.
Karyl Henry
Oh my gosh I’ve never thought to make pickled zucchini! This sounds so good, and a perfect way to put a spin on the “same old” zucchini dishes. I have a bunch of zucchini in the fridge, I’ll definitely need to give this a try
Homemade & Yummy
This is such a fun and easy recipe. ENJOY!
Elaina
I love how you ribboned the zucchini! This would be so yummy on top of bratwurst or on Italian-style sandwiches since they’re nice and thin.
Homemade & Yummy
YES…this is a great condiment…and by far our favourite.
Anne Murphy
I used to can zucchini pickles, years ago – my mom was allergic to cukes and I thought I’d make her an alternative! But I haven’t canned in years, and haven’t even thought about the zucchini pickles. I”m the only one in my current family who enjoys pickles, so making a single jar, just for myself, is perfect!
Homemade & Yummy
These will be a staple in our fridge ALL year long.
Sri Mallya
I am big fan of zucchini and always look for new ways to eat it. This recipe is so creative plus it looks so pretty and delicious too. Can’t wait to try this recipe. YUM!
Homemade & Yummy
These are by far our favourite pickles.
Emily Leary
This is a lovely recipe! These pickled zuccini look so pretty and delicious! I haven’t had time to grow any vegetables this year but I’ll definitely keep your recipe!
Homemade & Yummy
Hope you give this recipe a try next year. This has become our favourite by far.
Susan
This is pure genius, and thanks so much for the tips!! I have a spiralizer, always have zucchini on hand, and love to quick pickle. But somehow I’d never put it all together. I’m doing this!!!!
Homemade & Yummy
Have fun…these are so easy to make…and the presentation is great too.
Dana
Why oh why have I never thought to do this? Anyone who has ever planted zucchini in their garden knows you end up with an abundance and feel stuck, unsure of what to do with it all. (You can only make so much zucchini bread!) This idea is perfect though. I’m saving it for my gardening adventures next year 🙂
Homemade & Yummy
I know…this is a great way to use zucchini…and totally delicious too. Hope you give this recipe a try.
Sean
As someone who loves to preserve but also finds himself tight on time (like… all the time), I love how quickly this comes together. I mean, spiralized pickles? No chopping? Heck yes! And it’s certainly nice to have something so tasty and fast and easy to store because no matter how fast it is you’ll probably have more zucchini to pick by the time you’re done with this batch! Lol.
Homemade & Yummy
This is MY way of pickling for sure. Quick and easy….and the results are amazing too. Love when little effort produces such great results.
Tracy Koslicki
Oh my gosh, I’ve never thought of making pickled zucchinis before, but genius! They sound like the perfect fresh, summer topping / side. And headed over to check out those pickled eggs, too!!
Homemade & Yummy
This really is fun way to make pickles. The presentation is awesome.
Annemarie
My neighbors have SO MUCH zucchini and she’s been asking me for recipes. Now I have a great one to give her! And I love that they don’t require actual canning since that makes it so much easier. Great idea for the brats too.
Homemade & Yummy
I bet she will love you for giving her this recipe. So easy to make….and the results are amazing.
Marisa Franca
I’m planning on making these zucchini pickles as soon as we have a kitchen. We love a spicy taste so we thought we’d add some hot peppers to it as well. I can’t wait to see how they turn out. We love Italian giardiniera and I thought we could just use the zucchini spirals. What a great condiment for summer.
Homemade & Yummy
This is a great and super easy recipe for quick zucchini pickles. Good on so many things.
Stephanie Simmons
This sounds like a great way to preserve this excess of zucchini we have! And I’m always looking for new ways to eat it haha!
Homemade & Yummy
Hope you give this super easy recipe a try soon. ENJOY!
Jennifer Bigler
I can’t wait to make these! I want to smother my burgers in them! I bet they would taste amazing with some grilled chicken too! I have never pickled before because it feels intimidating, but this method looks like something I can handle.
Homemade & Yummy
YOU CAN DO IT…and you will be thrilled with the results.