It’s that time of year, when gardens both big and small are beginning to explode with a bounty of crispy, juicy goodness! Now we see just why we toiled, sweated and nurtured our little plants! These Quick & Easy Sweet & Spicy Pickled Cucumbers are one of the reasons we did!
I however have a black thumb, really, I do! Just ask my husband, no wait…I changed my mind…don’t ask him, It will be too embarrassing!!! The best yield I ever had from planting a garden was about 4 years ago – I planted a ton of stuff – waaaay too close together and barely paid it any attention. Everything grew and I was up to my eyeballs in vegetables! My next door neighbor, Amanda, who is a serious gardener (actually she’s perfect at just about everything), just kept scratching her head and couldn’t believe all that grew, lol!
That year, I decided to use some of the cucumbers and pickle them. My husband is a big fan of pickles, and adores any spicy food. My dad makes incredibly delicious Kosher pickles, so I wanted to do something different. My husband flipped over these so been making them every year since. These Quick & Easy Sweet & Spicy Pickled Cucumbers are a perfect & light accompaniment to any BBQ meal and they seem to be a go-to late night snack for my hubs.
Last year the deer took out my whole garden in one night, so this year, I am only growing a variety of tomatoes and peppers, as well as herbs in pots that I have sprinkled around our property. Other than that, I have my trusty blueberry bush & Fergie the fig tree (update…Fergie the fig tree has bit the dust…). That is it. Even though I really have been trying to do all that I need to to get the most out of them (and keep them alive), our 2 resident groundhogs, Munchie & Crunchie, have really been up to no good. I literally stood at my sliding doors and watched Crunchie eat a huge jalapeno plant down to a tiny stalk in under 4 minutes. Ugh! For the last 4 years my daughter had considered those two rascals, who live under our pool house, her pets. Oh well, she’s happy that they are happy (and well fed) and I run an unofficial vegetarian buffet…its all good!
If you’re looking for something to do with your cucumbers, try this! It is ready to eat in about 18 hours, plus these Quick & Easy Sweet & Spicy Pickled Cucumbers make a fantastic hostess or food gift!
This is also a great way to cook with your kids! The onions however might get to them (they make my daughters eyes tear like crazy – but she gets through it, lol). Kids who have an understanding of a knife can help slice your cucumbers and just about any age can help pack the jars. Then, they can proudly announce…”I made this and give jars away as gifts!!”
Do you have a favorite vegetable to pickle? I would love to hear what it is if so!
After 18 hours:
- 4 quart-sized mason jars
- 4-5 large cucumbers, sliced thin
- 2 large red onions, sliced thin
- 3 cups white vinegar
- 1¾ cups sugar
- 1 TBS celery flakes
- 1-2 tsp red pepper flakes (depends on how spicy you like it)
- 1½ TBS Kosher salt
- 3 cups of ice
- Toss your sliced cucumbers and onions in a large bowl, then fill each jar with the mixture, gently pushing down the veggies to allow room for more.
- In a pot, combine the vinegar, sugar, celery flakes, red pepper flakes and salt and bring to a boil. Remove the pot from the heat and add in 3 cups of ice.
- Stir until the ice is melted. Pour mixture into your jars, until you are just shy of the top.
- Place the lids on and allow jars to cool to room temperature.
- Place jars in the refrigerator until you are ready to enjoy or share them.
To help gently hold down the veggies, often I use the opposite end of a muddler to do so.
Feel free to try variations as well - add some red bell peppers sliced thin to this or try doing it with some blanched cauliflower, broccoli and/or carrots. You can add in a couple cloves of garlic and/or some black peppercorn seeds as well for a different flavor. You can also increase or decrease the amount of sugar. These keep well for a week in the refrigerator.
Asha Shivakumar says
July 24, 2013 at 5:21 amIt was such a funny post from the neighbor to the rascals..:)
You grow that much in your garden, Wow. The pickles look soooo good, I would put in on everything..
sb15admin says
August 4, 2013 at 3:52 pmThanks – we do eat these a lot and I usually bring a jar or two to BBQ's as well – they always seem to be a hit 🙂
isabelleathome says
August 4, 2013 at 1:07 pmHi Colleen, saw your recipe on Tasty Kitchen. I made your pickled cucumbers last week. I also made some pickled carrots and I am blogging about it tomorrow (Monday) I did connect your recipe, I always give credit where credit is due! 🙂 Just wanted to let you know 🙂 Great recipe. Have a wonderful week.
sb15admin says
August 4, 2013 at 3:54 pmThanks Isabella, I can't wait to see how your carrots turned out (and don't you just love TK!!)!
Lori M Smith says
June 1, 2017 at 2:57 pmCan these be water bathed to last longer?
Colleen says
June 2, 2017 at 9:35 pmHi Lori, I can’t answer that since I have never canned. Something I really would like to learn.
Deb says
June 4, 2017 at 5:36 pmSince the cucumbers and onions are fresh and placed into jars without processing (cooking), you can not hot water bath.
An alteration to the recipe to include hot water bath (canning):
In a pot, combine the cucumbers, onion, vinegar, sugar, celery flakes, red pepper flakes and salt. Add in 3 cups of ice, stir until the ice is melted and bring to a boil.
Pour mixture into your jars, until you are just shy of the top. Remove air bubbles.
Place the lids on.
Process in a hot water bath for 15 mins.
Billy says
September 22, 2017 at 5:57 pmI love that you included some red onion in the pickle – to be frank, pickled red onions are my favorite pickle by far! Cucumbers are a close second – so killing two birds with one stone and using your recipe is gonna send me to the moon! Thank you for sharing!
Colleen says
October 3, 2017 at 2:21 pmAwesome Billy! Thanks…I hope you enjoy!
Merianne says
July 8, 2019 at 1:26 pmWhat are celery flakes? A spice? I know of celery salt and celery seeds. Please advise. Recipe looks awesome. Thanks, Merianne