Give Green Strawberries A Simple, Sweet Pickling For A Tart And Tasty Snack

You may have heard of pickled onions, or even pickled cabbage, but have you ever heard of pickled strawberries? Pickling is typically associated with savory, sour vegetables but you can actually pickle a variety of produce, including strawberries. Pickled green strawberries are crunchy, tart, and lightly sweet; they're perfect for using those unripened strawberries you have and pair excellently with a charcuterie spread. The best part is that pickled strawberries are simple to make. All you'll need are some pickling-safe jars, white balsamic vinegar, green strawberries, salt, sugar, and any other spices you'd like to include in your pickling brine.

Your pickling process begins with clean strawberries. You don't have to remove the tops if you don't want to, you can pickle them whole or slice them into smaller pieces, it's your choice. Create a customized pickling brine by combining equal parts vinegar and water in a pot over low heat. It's important to use a proper brine ratio to ensure your strawberries stay pristine and don't spoil or become mushy. Your brine can be customized by including different whole spices, herbs, and sugar. There's no wrong ways to make pickles, so have fun experimenting. After pickling your strawberries they're ready within 24 hours but the longer you leave them the more intense flavor they'll develop. These customized pickled strawberries can be a unique holiday gift, or a fun new snack.

The brine is what will bring intense flavor to your pickled strawberries, so have fun when thinking of what to include in it. White balsamic vinegar is recommended due to its subtle sweetness. But you could opt for using plain white vinegar, white wine vinegar, or even champagne vinegar for a unique depth of flavor. You can play around with your sugar ratio to find one that has the perfect amount of tart and sweetness for your liking, creating your own pickles is a fully creative process so you may have to experiment a few times to find a mix you enjoy best.

When thinking of what spices to include you'll want to go for spices that won't overpower the subtle sweetness. Pink peppercorns, black peppercorns, ginger, sprigs of thyme, or basil can add layers of flavor to your pickled strawberries. If you wish to utilize fresh herbs, you'll want to add these to your jar with your strawberries before you pour the pickling liquid. Whole spices like peppercorns can be toasted and added to the brine before pouring. Now that you know how to pickle green strawberries, you'll never complain about finding unripened fruit in your farm share again.