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Quick & Easy Sweet & Spicy Pickled Cucumbers

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Author: Colleen Kennedy
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Ingredients

  • 4 quart-sized mason jars
  • 4-5 large cucumbers sliced thin
  • 2 large red onions sliced thin
  • 3 cups white vinegar
  • 1 ¾ cups sugar
  • 1 TBS celery flakes
  • 1-2 teaspoon red pepper flakes depends on how spicy you like it
  • 1 ½ TBS Kosher salt
  • 3 cups of ice

Instructions

  • 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.

Notes

Colleen's Notes: In the photo I packed the jars much looser (with cucumbers and onions) than typical since I was giving them away to friends/family. Typically, you want the veggies more tightly packed, I just didn't want them going to waste based on who I was giving them to. The more veggies in the jar the less liquid you will use - so you might get 5 quart jars out of it.
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.