10 vine-to-brine pickle recipes to juice you for Picklesburgh
By Gretchen McKay / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Pittsburgh is renowned for its wedding cookie table, but the city is pretty mad about pickles, too.
In 1869, H.J. Heinz started the company that would become synonymous with dill pickle spears (and later, tomato ketchup), and business for the food company — which became part of Kraft Heinz in 2015 — has been going gangbusters ever since.
Cucumbers preserved in vinegar remain incredibly popular and, at the height of the green pickle season, the company’s factory in Holland, Mich., produces more than 1 million pounds of pickles per day.
If you are a fan of briny food and drink, there’s probably no better place to celebrate while getting your fill than at Picklesburgh, which runs Friday through Sunday.
Now in its 10th year, the annual festival is expected to draw at least 250,000 pickle fans to Downtown, with an expanded footprint that will stretch across much of the Golden Triangle as well as the Andy Warhol and Roberto Clemente bridges, where longtime sponsor Kraft Heinz’s iconic 35-foot pickle balloon will sail across the sky. It runs from noon-10 p.m. July 11-12 and from noon- 6 p.m. July 13. Admission is free.
Along with pickle juice-drinking and pickle-eating contests, the family-friendly fun will include an opportunity to sample a wide variety of pickle-related foods, beer and other beverages from dozens of local vendors — everything from pickled peanuts, honey and popcorn to bratwurst with pickled cabbage, pickle pizza, pickle gelato and dill-flavored jerky. There also will be a “Li’l Gherkins” play area for the kids and a wide variety of pickle-related merch for sale (including the fest’s classic kelly green “I’m kind of a big dill” T-shirts and pickle balloons).
We love fruits and vegetables preserved in vinegar, too, and also enjoy a piquant drink made with tangy brine on a hot summer day. So, to keep the pickle party going at home, we’ve gathered seven favorite pickles recipes from the archives and expanded our pickle repertoire with three new ones. That’s one for each year of the festival, which for the fourth time has been named America’s Best Specialty Food Festival by USA Today 10Best.
The recipes include four very different, very easy refrigerator pickles; a briny twist on a classic cocktail; pickled corn, peaches and red onions; a tart and tangy Southern appetizer that pairs citrus with a favorite seafood; and a slushie that’s been on Sonic’s limited-edition pickle-themed menu since 2018 (and continues to be a social media darling).
They’re testament to the fact that almost anything you find at a farmers market or growing in your garden can — and probably should be — pickled so you can enjoy it long beyond the growing season.
All are brine-tastic, and simple to make at home during National Pickle Month in July.
Pickle Juice Slushie
PG tested
This sweet and tangy sno-cone-like drink is the perfect antidote to a hot summer day. It’s based on the pickle juice slush drink Sonic Drive-In debuted on a limited-edition menu in 2018 because in the words of a VP at the time, “Quite simply, pickle juice is fun.”
1 cup good pickle juice
½ cup water or Sprite, or more to taste
2 or 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, or more to taste
3 cups ice cubes
Dill pickle slices or a dash of hot sauce, optional
Combine pickle juice, water and sugar in a blender capable of crushing ice.
Add ice cubes and blend on low speed to break up the ice, gradually increasing to high speed until smooth and slushy.
Pour into a glass and garnish with pickle slices or hot sauce if desired.
Serve and enjoy immediately.
Makes 1 drink.
— Gretchen McKay, Post-Gazette
Dill Pickle Martini
PG tested
This twist on a classic dirty martini is not for the faint-hearted — the brine adds a zesty flavor you might not expect — but is pickle brine really all that different from olive brine? At any rate, it makes good use of that last little bit of juice in a jar of dill spears you often end up throwing away.
1 cup gin
½ teaspoon dry vermouth
2 tablespoons chilled dill pickle juice
A dash of hot sauce
Ice
4 miniature dill pickle spears
Combine gin, dry vermouth, pickle juice and hot sauce in a cocktail shaker, then add enough ice to fill.
Shake for 30 seconds and strain into 2 chilled martini glasses. Garnish each with 2 speared pickles.
Serve immediately.
Serves 2.
— adapted from “Breakfast for Dinner” by Carol Hilker
Pickled Corn
PG tested
Corn is soon in season. When you tire of eating it off the cob, slice a few ears into a bowl and pickle it to use as a condiment. Stir in pasta or potato salads, salsas or use as a taco topping.
4 medium ears sweet corn, husked
1 cup white vinegar
½ cup water
¼ cup sugar
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
Cut corn from cobs; place in a large bowl.
In a saucepan, combine vinegar, water, sugar, garlic, salt, pepper and pepper flakes. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until sugar dissolves, 1-2 minutes.
Pour mixture over corn; cool.
Transfer to jars if desired; seal tightly. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. Store in the refrigerator up to 2 months.
— tasteofhome.com
Easy Dill Pickles
PG tested
Few varieties of pickles can match the tangy flavor and crisp texture of refrigerator dill pickles. You can either make them as spears or slice into chips.
8-10 pickling cucumbers
4 garlic cloves, halved
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
2 teaspoons peppercorns
1 or 2 good-sized dill sprigs, per jar
2 cups water
2 cups distilled white vinegar
¼ cup cane sugar
2 tablespoons sea salt
To make dill pickle spears, slice cucumbers lengthwise into quarters. To make dill pickle chips, thinly slice horizontally.
Divide cucumbers among four (8-ounce) or two (16-ounce) jars.
Place equal amounts of garlic, mustard seeds, peppercorns and dill sprigs in each jar.
Heat water, vinegar, sugar and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir until sugar and salt dissolve, about 1 minute.
Let cool slightly and pour over cucumbers. Set aside to cool to room temperature, then store in the fridge.
Pickle spears will be lightly pickled in two days, but their best flavor will start to develop around day 5 or 6. Pickle chips will be lightly pickled in 1 day, and will become more flavorful every day after that. Store in the fridge for several weeks.
Makes 4 8-ounce jars.
— loveandlemons.com
Bread and Butter Pickles
PG tested
These delightful pickles are crispy, sweet and just the right amount of tangy. Skip the water bath if you plan on eating them right away.
4 cups thickly sliced pickling cucumbers (8-10 cucumbers)
1 cup sliced red bell peppers (about 1 small)
1 cup sliced onion (about 1 medium)
2 tablespoons pickling salt
1 cup apple cider vinegar
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon mustard seed
1 teaspoon celery seed
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
Combine sliced cucumbers, bell peppers, onion and pickling salt in a colander set in a large bowl. Refrigerate for 1 hour to remove excess liquid. Rinse vegetables and discard liquid; set aside while you make the brine.
Combine vinegar and sugar in a large pot. Heat over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved.
Add mustard seed, celery seed, red pepper flakes and cloves. Increase heat to high and bring the brine to a boil.
Pour the brine over the cucumbers and onions. Let the mixture sit at room temperature for about an hour.
Transfer the pickle and onion mixture (including the liquid) into airtight containers. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
— adapted from seriouseats.com
Hot and Spicy Pickles
PG tested
These pickles are exactly as billed — spicy, with a hot kick from red pepper flakes.
2 cups water
1¾ cups white vinegar
½ cup sugar
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon mixed pickling spices
8 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
2 dill sprigs or heads
3 pounds pickling cucumbers (about 12), halved lengthwise
Combine water, vinegar, sugar and salt in a large bowl, then whisk together until salt and sugar are completely dissolved. Mix in red pepper flakes, pickling spice, garlic and dill.
Add cucumbers and toss until well coated. No need to let them sit, since you’ll be storing them right away.
Pack spicy pickles in whatever container(s) you’re using for storage — glass or ceramic jars or bowls are our choice, but plastic is fine — and fully cover with brine. If using fresh dill, try to get a sprig or two into each container.
Cover containers tightly and refrigerate for 10 days. You can eat the pickles before 10 days, but they won’t pack as much of a flavorful punch. Spicy pickles can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
— tasteofhome.com
Sour Pickles
PG tested
Loaded with probiotics, gut-friendly fermented pickles have an old-school, sour pickle taste that’s as great on burgers as it is tucked into potato salad.
2 pounds freshly picked firm, unwaxed, bumpy pickling cucumbers, often called Kirby
2 cloves spring garlic, sliced thin, optional
1 dill flower, 5 sprigs fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dill seed, optional
½ teaspoon coriander seed, optional
½ jalapeño, seeded and slivered, optional
2 tablespoons salt
Soak cucumbers for 30 minutes in a bowl filled with ice water to loosen any dirt. Slice the blossom end off each one (it’s opposite the stem end). If you aren’t sure which end is which, slice a little off each. Cut cucumbers into spears or chunks, if desired.
Pack cucumbers into 1 or 2 clean quart jars. Tuck in garlic, dill, coriander and jalapeño, if using.
Add salt to 2 cups boiling water. Stir until dissolved. Add 2 cups of ice (made with filtered water if yours is chlorinated).
Stir well until the ice has melted and the brine is cool. Pour brine into jars, covering cucumbers.
Loosely cap jars and place in a bowl or pan because the jars may leak during fermentation.
Leave pickles on the counter to ferment. The brine will bubble lazily and become cloudy. Taste after three days, leaving on the counter another day or two if you want your pickles more sour, or refrigerating if they’re ready. They keep a month in the refrigerator.
Makes 1-2 quarts of pickles.
— Cathy Barrow
Pickled Red Onions
PG tested
This condiment takes just 5 minutes to prepare, but the flavor is incredible. Layer in quesadillas, sprinkle on salad greens, add to potato salad or use to top burgers.
⅓ cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
½ cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
1 jalapeno chile, sliced thin
½ tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
¼ pound red onions, julienned
Heat all ingredients except onions with 1 cup water to a simmer in a saucepan. Simmer for 5 minutes and remove from heat.
Pour pickling liquid over onions in a mixing bowl and let cool to room temperature. Reserve onions in the liquid until you are ready to use them. Onions will hold refrigerated for 7-10 days.
Makes ¾ cup.
-- MarthaStewart.com
Pickled Peaches
PG tested
Soaked in a piquant brine of vinegar, sugar and spices, peaches go from sweet and juicy to an addictive marriage of sour and spicy. These are delicious on pork chops or spooned over ice cream.
2 cups white wine vinegar
1½ cups water
¼ cup sugar
2 tablespoons yellow mustard seeds
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon whole white peppercorns
2 tablespoons kosher salt
6 large ripe but firm peaches, pitted and diced small
In a large saucepan, combine white wine vinegar with water, sugar, mustard seeds, bay leaf, peppercorns and salt.
Bring to a boil to dissolve the sugar.
Put diced peaches in a large, heatproof bowl and pour the hot brine over them. Let stand for 1 hour.
Refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes, then serve.
Makes about 2 pints.
— Gretchen McKay, Post-Gazette
Southern-Style Pickled Shrimp
PG tested
A popular appetizer in the South, pickled shrimp also can be added to salads and pasta, served as a garnish on deviled eggs or be eaten straight out of the jar. They also make a terrific bloody Mary garnish!
1 Vidalia or sweet onion, thinly sliced
1 lemon, thinly sliced
¾ cup cider vinegar
½ cup canola oil
¼ cup capers with their juices
¾ teaspoon celery seeds
½ teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
Splash of Tabasco or hot sauce, to taste
1½ pounds peeled and cooked shrimp
In a large bowl, combine onions, lemon, cider vinegar, canola oil, capers, celery seeds, sugar, salt and Tabasco.
Add shrimp and toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 24 hours, stirring occasionally.
Serve chilled. Keeps for at least a week.
Serves 6-8.
— thekitchn.com