ZUCCHINI REFRIGERATOR PICKLES

These zucchini refrigerator pickles are delicious and SIMPLE! They are almost effortless to put together!

They take ten minutes to put together. You just cut up your zucchini and onions, prepare a quick brine, and then after sitting in the refrigerator for 24 hours, they are ready for you to enjoy! I love to make these easy pickles when we have an abundance of zucchini coming in from our garden. These are bread and butter pickles, not dill. So they are sweet and delicious.

❤️WHY PICKLE ZUCCHINI?

So many of us find that in late summer, we have an abundance of zucchini from our gardens. These pickles take 10 minutes to assemble, and I love having them in my refrigerator. They are perfect to pull out and add to burgers, sandwiches, salads, etc. 

The good thing about zucchini is that it has a very light flavor on its own, so it quickly takes on the flavor of what it is cooked with. That is why you’ll find it used in many recipes, like our cheddar zucchini biscuits, southern zucchini hoecakes, and sour cream zucchini brownies.

🔪KEY INGREDIENTS

Zucchini– 3-4 medium-sized equals (about 1-1.5 pounds of zucchini). We always use fresh garden zucchini but feel free just to buy them from the grocery store. Most of the time, zucchini is a lower cost which makes this a very budget-friendly recipe. 

Onions-I recommend a sweet onion for this recipe because we’re making bread and butter pickles. White or yellow is good.

Vinegar-I use white vinegar. It’s cheap and works great for pickling. 

Sugar– This is what makes them sweet and helps give them the bread and butter flavor.

Spices-the brine includes mustard seed, celery seed, dried dill weed, and turmeric. All of these can be easily found at your local grocery store. I rarely have fresh spices on hand, so I’ve only made this with dried spices.

SWAPS

⭐If you aren’t a fan of onions, you can leave them out. 

⭐Apple cider vinegar can be used instead of plain white vinegar. 

⭐You can use sea salt instead of Kosher salt

EQUIPMENT NEEDED

Quart jars with lids-this recipe will make two quarts of pickles. Be sure that your jars are clean. You can easily sterilize them by running them through the dishwasher.

Remember, we are not canning; these jars will not be sealed through a water bath, so you can honestly use any jar you like as long as it is quart sized and has a lid that will tighten. You do not have to use a mason jar or a specific canning jar for this recipe. 

🍽️HOW TO MAKE ZUCCHINI REFRIGERATOR PICKLES

It takes about 10 minutes to put these pickles together. It consists of chopping up your vegetables, making a brine, placing everything in jars, and placing it in the refrigerator so the flavors can meld together.

PREPARATIONS

Go ahead and wash your jars and lids so they are ready. You can wash your zucchini and let it dry on paper towels. Get your cutting knife, spices, vinegar, salt, and sugar together.

COOKING STEPS

Step one:

Peel and slice onions. I like just to slice and dice mine up. Feel free to slice them how you like.  Slice zucchini into round pieces. 

Step Two: 

Fill clean quart jars to within one inch of rims with zucchini and onion slices.  

Step Three:

In a pan on top of the stove, combine vinegar, sugar, and spices.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for five minutes. Remove from stove and let cool to warm.  

Step Four:

Pour brine over slices in jars, leaving at least an inch at the top. Using a spoon, push the zucchini and onions down to make sure the brine is covering them. Place in refrigerator for at least 24 hours before eating.

⭐EXPERT TIP

Be sure and let the brine cool a bit before pouring it into jars. We don’t want the brine super hot when it goes into the jars and then directly into the refrigerator because this can cause your jars to crack. 

Also, please remember that ground turmeric will stain your hands or anything white. Once it’s mixed with the vinegar, it will no longer stain. You could easily do your zucchini in spears instead of slices.

RECIPE VARIATIONS

Have an abundance of yellow squash? You can make these pickles using it as well. 

⚫You can easily make a combination of yellow squash, zucchini, and onions. 

⚫You could also add a garlic clove to each jar.

⚫Add green peppers or red pepper for a different variety and a pop of color.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

HOW LONG DO THEY KEEP?

They will keep for up to 4 weeks in the refrigerator. Pickles must remain in the refrigerator.

CAN I DOUBLE THE RECIPE?

Absolutely, you can double it or triple it.

DO I NEED TO COOK THE ZUCCHINI FIRST?

No, you do not cook the zucchini.

DO I NEED A CANNER?

No, we are not canning these pickles. They are refrigerator pickles that just require a hot brine and time in the fridge. That is what makes them so easy!

WHAT TO SERVE WITH

These pickles are lovely as a simple side to a meal, on burgers, sandwiches, salads, on hotdogs, or just straight out of the jar!