Once I got into making pickled foods, there was no turning back. You’ll rarely see my refrigerator without a jar of something pickled, and on those rare occasions, there’s definitely something fermented hiding on a shelf. Pickling is a delicious method for preserving food, and it’s great for quickly adding depth and tang to a basic meal. All you really need is some vinegar, salt, sugar, and pickling spices! The good news is we have a distinctive, easy pickling spice recipe for you to make pickling your own foods that much easier, cheaper, and fresher.
Pickling Spices Recipe
There’s no need to buy an overpriced jar of pickling spices from the store. This pickling spice recipe is both incredibly simple and versatile. Just mix up a few dried whole seeds and spices and you’ll be on your way to pickling success. You might even be growing some of these in your garden! If you let a few of your cilantro, dill, and mustard plants go to seed, you’ll be amazed at the ease with which you can collect fresh spices for your kitchen.
Ingredients
Spices will infuse your brine and thus pickled foods with lovely savory flavors. There is no right way to make pickling spices, but this is a tried and true recipe! I use a few spices as my base ingredients, and I’ll often add spices to that mix based on what food I’m pickling. Feel free to use this base recipe as a jumping-off point for creating your own signature blend.
It’s nice to have a base recipe mixed up for quick picking projects. A jar of this in the cabinet will make pickling even more accessible for those busy days.
Base Pickling Ingredients:
Mustard Seeds
Coriander Seeds
Dill Seeds
Allspice Berries
Black Peppercorns
Bay Leaves, crumbled
Other Spices To Consider:
Red Pepper Flakes
Cinnamon Sticks, crushed
Cardamom Pods
Star Anise
Ground Ginger
Whole Cloves
Caraway Seeds
Celery Seeds
Purchasing Spices
I always recommend buying spices in bulk instead of those small jars at the store. You can save money and usually get much fresher spices. Check with local sources or stores with an emphasis on international cooking. If you don’t want to make your own pickling spices, look for an organic source online or in stores.
Making Pickling Spices
These directions are as simple as it gets. Combine your mustard seeds, coriander seeds, dill seeds, allspice berries, peppercorns, and crushed bay leaves in a bowl. Stir to combine and voilà!
Using Your Pickling Spices
I started writing out a list of my favorite pickled foods, and it got ridiculously long. They’re all too good! So, instead, I’ll just give you some ideas…
Cucumbers
Red onion
Jalapeños
Green beans
Asparagus
Beets
Corn
Radishes
Eggs
Okra
Carrots
Cauliflower
You can even use your pickling spices to create a brine for curing meats like ham, bacon, and corned beef.
As a general guide, use ½- 1 tbsp of pickling spices for a pint-sized jar. For a simple brine consider equal parts water and vinegar (either white distilled or apple cider). You can add about .5 tbsp of both salt and sugar to make every cup of brine. You might also want to include fresh dill, garlic cloves, diced peppers, or onion in some of your pickling creations.
The beauty of pickling is that the longer it sits, the more the subtle and bold flavors of the vinegar and spices will infuse your foods. It varies for every recipe, but usually, I’ll wait at least 3 days to indulge in my creations (unless I’m making quick pickled onions). I find pickles best after a week.
As with other spices, for optimal preservation of flavor, you’ll want to store your pickling spices in an airtight container, in a cool location, and away from direct sunlight.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
Absolutely! You can increase or decrease the amounts of certain spices, add additional spices, or omit ones you don’t like.
Toasting spices can enhance their flavor by releasing their aromatic oils. You can lightly toast whole spices in a dry skillet over medium heat for a few minutes until fragrant before adding them to your pickled foods.
Properly stored, these pickling spices will last for 6 months to a year. The flavor might dissipate slightly after several months, but I usually mix up enough for an entire year of pickling with great results.
More From Scratch Foods
Making food from scratch is a great way to keep your kitchen healthy.
Pickling Spices
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp black peppercorns, whole
- 2 tbsp mustard seeds, whole
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds, whole
- 2 tbsp dill seeds, whole
- 1 tbsp allspice berries, whole
- 8 bay leaves, crumbled
Instructions
- Add ingredients to a bowl.
- Mix well with a spoon.
- Funnel into an airtight container and store in a cool, dry, dark location with your other spices.
Notes
- For general pickling, use .5-1 tbsp of pickling spices for a pint-sized jar.
Hi Michelle! I’m making a list of spices for pickling per your post! Very excited to begin, have been wanting to pickle for awhile! Thank you! Your site is beautiful btw!
Thiel😀