Quick Pickled Summer Squash is a great way to preserve summer vegetables. Perhaps you've seen Summer Squash in the grocery store when it's in season, and cheap, and wondered what you could do different with it?
What is Summer Squash?
Maybe I should start by explaining what is Summer Squash. The most common one is Zucchini, followed by Pattypan Squash, which is my favourite. Pattypan looks like a flying saucer from a bad 1950's movie. It comes in a variety of colours, yellow, white and shades of green. According to wikipedia, the Pattypan Squash is also known as a Button Squash, Scallop Squash, Sunburst Squash, Granny Squash. Also known as Custard Marrow, Custard Squash, Ciblème in Cajun French, White Squash, and Scallopini.
Summer Squash is usually picked and sold when it is very young and small, but that doesn't mean you can't let it grow a bit in your garden. The skin simply gets a bit thicker, but it still works in different recipes instead of plain steaming them! I grew a few very large ones, that I cubed into a delicious Summer Squash Stir Fry, but I'm off topic now.
Can You Pickle Summer Squash?
Yes, but not all pickling requires canning. Quick pickling is brilliant, as the process is incredibly fast, maintains the fresh taste, and doesn't need to be canned. That being said, it must be refrigerated at all times, and doesn't have the shelf life canned goods have.
I never realised how hard it would be to find pickling salt in Australia. They don't sell it in our grocery stores. If you use table salt, there are additives and anti-caking agents and iodine. Check the ingredients, it will make your brine cloudy and make your food look darker and unappealing. The work around I have is to find 100% salt, without any additives. Coles sells a Cooking Salt which works fine, without any additives. If you are feeling a little bit fancy, use Maldon Salt Flakes, but I would add 50% more salt due to the size of the flakes, your salt content wouldn't be the same for your pickling.
If you don't have any 1 Litre jars, I suggest that IKEA sells the hinged glass KORKEN jar in the litre size, with a rubber seal with works perfectly for refrigerated goods. And it's only $2. I also re-use my Moccona Coffee Jars, as this recipe is only refrigerated and not canned, so it works great.
My recipe provides you with 2 separate flavours of Quick Pickled Summer Squash. Recipe Jar #1 has a slight lemony kick to the classic picked flavours, while Recipe Jar #2 has a slight chilli pepper kick. If you want it more spicy, then don't deseed the Jalapeño, but do so at your own risk!
How to Make Crispy Pickled Squash?
When we make Canned Whole Tomatoes and Dill Pickles, we always add a black currant leaf to the mix, it's meant to keep the pickles crisp. It has to do with the tannins that the blackcurrant leaf releases to the pickled mixture. So I added a black currant leaf to my Recipe Jar #2 recipe, which is optional, but who likes soggy vegetables!
I'm sure you'll enjoy these 2 easy recipes for Quick Pickled Summer Squash. Easy to eat on a sandwich or burger, or even just as a side dish. Which one is your favourite? Bon Appetit! Приятного аппетита!
Ingredients
- 2 lbs /1 kg Summer Squash Button Squash enough for 2 - 1 Litre jars
Recipe Jar #1 - Lemon Pickled Summer Squash
- 4 cloves Garlic cut in half
- 2 Dill pieces
- 2 slices of Lemon
- 1 teaspoon Coriander seed
- ¼ teaspoon Celery seed
- 1 teaspoon Mustard Seed
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 8 whole Peppercorns
Recipe Jar #2 - Jalapeno Pickled Summer Squash
- 4 cloves of Garlic cut in half
- 2 Dill pieces
- ½ White Onion thinly sliced
- fresh Cilantro pieces
- 1 teaspoon Celery Seed
- 1 teaspoon Mustard Seed
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 2 Cloves
- 8 whole Peppercorns
- 2 Jalapeños split lengthways - leave seeds in for more of a kick
- 1 Black Currant leaf
Brine Ingredients
- 3 cups white vinegar
- 3 tablespoons pickling salt
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 3 cups of water
Instructions
- Wash and prepare 2 sterilized 1 Litre jars.
- Wash and slice the Button Squash into uniform ¼" slices and mix together with the onions. For this recipe, Jar #1 is onion free, so set aside enough to fill a jar before you add the onions.
- In the bottom of the jar, before you place the Summer Squash inside, put all the garlic, herbs, chili, lemon and spices in the jar.
- Tightly pack and squash the Summer Squash inside the jar.
- In a pan, place the vinegar, pickling salt, sugar and water and bring to a rolling boil.
- Fill the jars with the hot brine, completely submerging the Summer Squash, leaving a ¼" gap from the top of the jar.
- Close the jars and allow to cool on the counter overnight. Keep refrigerated, that's the quick part. It's best for the pickled vegetables to sit in the brine for at least 2 days before you eat them. Enjoy!
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