Hold on to summer just a teeny tiny bit longer by putting some of the seasons best fresh fruit bounty in jar and pickling it!
Ready to explore the whole wide world of pickled fruit?! Cause pickling is not just for cucumbers!
What you’ll need: a jar, fresh fruit, and just four simple ingredients: vinegar, water, sugar, salt. Done & done!
Why this Recipe Works
- Quick & Easy! These quick pickled fruits take only a few minutes to make and should sit in the fridge overnight for the best flavor.
- No special equipment required! Quick pickles mean no special equipment or hot water bath processing needed.
- Completely customizable: pickled fruit can be flavored with a wide variety of different spices, seeds, and herbs and more!
- The magic pickling brine ratio! Means you can learn to pickle anything, anytime!
Quick Pickling vs Regular Pickling
Quick pickle are also known as refrigerator pickles.
The major difference between quick pickling and regular pickling is that we're not canning anything.
The fruits are pickled in vinegar, water, salt and sugar, must be stored in the fridge and eaten within a month or two of making them.
The magic of quick pickles is that they’re the easiest pickles to make!
pickled peaches
The rules for making them are much more chillax, and you can get wildly creative in the process!
You can def properly can these pickled fruits to achieve the longer term storage and fermentation of regular pickling. This post only covers quick pickling. Feel free to comment below if ya make water bath processed pickled fruit.
How to Make Pickled Fruits
Ready for how damn easy it really is?
- Prep your fruit – wash & cut it
- Pack fruit in a pickling jar
- Heat brine in a saucepan
- Pour brine over fruit in pickling jar
- Seal jar and store in the fridge overnight
The Magic Pickling Brine Ratio
The foundation of every pickled fruit recipes (or any pickled recipe in general) is the brine.
The four simple ingredients in a brine are: vinegar, water, sugar and salt.
Vinegar: for acidity
Water: to cut the harshness
Salt: for flavor
Sugar: to balance the acid (optional)
Magic Brine Ratio:
- 1 cup vinegar
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 Tbsp. salt
As a general guideline for quick pickles, a basic brine is equal parts vinegar to water (but you can adjust the exact ratio to your preference), ½ cup of sugar and 1 tablespoon of salt for every 2 cups of total liquid.
Make as much or as little of this pickling brine as you’d need. Just keep the ratios in mind and adjust quantities accordingly.
Note: this is a *general* guideline formula – if you like yours on the vinegary side – do a little more vinegar than water. If you like your less sweet, use less sugar. You do YOU!
To make the pickling brine, all you need to do is bring all four of the ingredients, plus any spices you choose (more on this below), to a boil.
Notes and Variations
What is pickling?
Pickling is a preserving process that can be applied to vegetables, meat, fish, eggs, fruit and even nuts.
Fruit
Any fresh fruits can be used! Even veggies too!
Vinegar
vinegar is perhaps the single most important element needed in pickling. Most pickle recipes call for distilled white vinegar, but any basic vinegar is game — white vinegar, apple cider, white wine, and rice vinegar all work well. You can use these vinegars alone or in combination.
White vinegar: This is the clear, colorless vinegar made by fermenting grains. It has a mellow aroma, tart acid flavor and does not affect the color of the light-colored vegetables or fruits.
Apple cider vinegar, made from fermented apple juice with its mellow, fruity flavor that blends well with spices is a good choice as well.
Note: When making regular (canned) pickles, vinegars must have an acetic acid content of at least 5% but quick (refrigerator) pickles are not bound by that constraint.
The general pickling consensus is to steer clear of aged or concentrated vinegars like balsamic or malt vinegar but if you’d like to get creative and experiment with these… I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!
Salt
For pickling as long as the label says "pure" salt (meaning non-iodized salt without additives) you’re all good!
Examples include pickling salt, sea salt, pink salt or kosher salt.
Iodized or table salt is perfectly safe to use in pickling but not recommended because the quality of the pickles can suffer due to the additives in salt. The additives can cause clouding of the brine and discoloration of the pickles, making them look unappetizing.
Sugar
Sugar balances out the vinegar's sourness, creating a more pleasant, well-rounded flavor. White and brown sugar can be used in the brine. Sugar can also be omitted all together or swapped for honey or another sugar substitute. It’s really a matter of personal preference.
Spices & other Flavor – the most fun part!!!
General rule of thumb for best quality of pickled fruit flavor, use fresh whole spices! Powdered spices may cause the brine to darken and become cloudy but are safe to experiment with – that said ground turmeric or smoked paprika are great for both color and flavor.
Use a store-bought pickling spice or you can make your very own creative combination!
Whole Spices
- hot pepper flakes
- mustard seed
- coriander seed
- fennel seed
- cumin seed
- dill seed
- bay leaves
- cinnamon sticks
- cloves
- black peppercorns
Fresh & Dry Herbs
- dill
- thyme
- oregano
- rosemary
- basil
- marjoram
- lavender
- mint
Other Flavor Additions
- vanilla beam , split in half & seeds scraped out
- ginger, peeled & thinly sliced
- turmeric, peeled & thinly sliced
- garlic cloves, smashed or sliced
- thai or other chilies
- shallots
- lemongrass
Get creative and experiment!
There is no definitive recipe for pickling spices and flavors. The flavor combinations are endless!
Let’s preserve seasonal produce so we can enjoy the tastes of summer all year long!
Examples
Pickled Peaches
With habanero, apple cider vinegar, basil, habanero, cloves and ginger.
Pickled Plums
With star anise, cardamon, cinnamon and pink peppercorns.
Pickled Blueberries
pickled blueberries!
With shallots, lavender and thyme.
Pickled Cherries
pickled cherries! pickled cherries!
With Rosemary, vanilla, pink peppercorns and cinnamon.
Pickled Mix Fruit
pickled mixed fruit!
With star anise, pink peppercorns, chili, and thyme.
Uses for Pickled Fruit
Pickled fruits are great straight out of the jar, on their own, and also add a nice flavor to so many things, including:
- cheese and bread appetizers
- salads
- noodle bowl
- tacos
- sandwiches
- paired with grilled chicken, pork, duck or meat
- over ice cream, pound cake or cheesecake
Pickle the the best of summer most colorful fresh fruit harvest to savor the bounty weeks after summer ends!
Cooks Tips
- When possible, buy sustainably grown fruit from your local farmers market.
- Get creative and experiment with all sorts of flavor combinations!
- For best flavor, let this quick pickled fruit sit in the fridge overnight before enjoying.
- Quick pickled fruit will keep for 1-2 months in the fridge.
Have ya tried this recipe? I’d love to hear about it and see it too! Please leave a comment below and take a pic and tag it on Instagram with #chefdanielagerson. You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest to see more colorfully delicious food and all sorts of awesome adventures!
Let's make waves in the kitchen!
Pickled Fruit
Ingredients
- 1 cup vinegar
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 Tbsp. salt
- 2 cups fresh fruit any kind or a combination
- spices, herbs and other flavorings see notes for suggestions
Instructions
- Prep your fruit – wash & cut it.
- Pack fruit in a pickling jar.
- Heat brine in a saucepan.
- Pour brine over fruit in pickling jar. Add your fresh and dried spices, herbs and all other flavorings to the jar.
- Seal jar and store in the fridge overnight. Enjoy!
Notes
- When possible, buy sustainably grown fruit from your local farmers market.
- Get creative and experiment with all sorts of flavor combinations!
- For best flavor, let this quick pickled fruit sit in the fridge overnight before enjoying.
- Quick pickled fruit will keep for 1-2 months in the fridge.
Whoa! Now this is a game-changer in the world of pickling! I am crushing HARD on your photos and fruit varieties! Seriously amazing and I can't wait to try this!
So super stoked to hear that Lori thank you!!! I'm crushing hard on your sweet feedback :). I'd love to see a pic when ya make your pickled fruit :)!
Exactly the recipe I was looking for! I had an abundance of nectarines around, and was looking for a way to preserve them that I could use instead of jams and syrups in the next few months. This recipe is delicious, and can't wait to make it again!
So super stoked to hear that Candice + thank you! And yes exactly - most folks don't realize you can pickle fruit too! Can't wait to see how your pickled fruit creations turn out :).
I'm so glad I found this recipe. I have a half bushel of peaches and I wasn't sure what I was going to do with the extra. I have the jars so quickly pickling them is such a great solution. I'll have to see what other fruit we can buy so I can do the same. I also like the the bine isn't extremely sweet.
Thank ya so much Marisa and I'm so glad you found this post too! I'd love to see how your pickled peaches came out too! And your other fruit :).
This is so great thank you so much for all of the detailed instructions. My fall / winter charcuterie boards are going to be amazing now!! I can't wait to use them on some sandwiches, too!
Wooohooo's Tracy I can't wait to see your pickling fruit creations on your fall/winter charcuterie boards! And thank so much for the sweet feedback :)!
I never even thought of pickling fruit! And I love pickles so much, so so much. This post opened a whole new game and I'm ecstatic. Thanks for sharing so much info and details!
Wowie Paula thank you so much I'm so super stoked to read you feedback! And yessss thats exactly why I wanted to do a mega pickling fruit post... mot people don't realize you can even pickle it ;-)! Love that your ecstatic + please let me know when ya make some!
Oh my goodness, these are some of the most beautiful jars I have ever seen! I don't think I realized you could pickle fruit, but it's such an obvious - and really fun - way to extend all the great summer produce. Thanks for sharing so many helpful tips!
Absolute pleasure Monica and yes exactly that's why I wanted to do a pickled fruit post... most people don't realize you can pickle fruit :)! Thank ya so much!
This is perfect! I have pickled vegetables but never fruit. Can't believe I never thought of it. Such a great way to hang on to summer produce. Thank you!
Absolute pleasure Sam! Would love to see your pickled fruit creations :)! And yes exactly ~ most folks don't realize you can pickle fruit which is exactly why I did this massive post ;-).
Such an amazing idea! I have never pickled my own fruits before, thanks for the motivation. This is going to happen soon in my kitchen now;
So super stoked to hear that Neha! Yes so many people don't realize you can pickle fruit too! Would love to see how yours comes out :)!
I can't seem to find any information about how to tell when pickled fruits have gone bad? And after opened, how long do they last? Or how long do they last unopened? Since it's quick pickling, I'm assuming at most, 2 months until they go bad? Thanks!
Hi Fuchsia and thanks so much for reaching out! Most quick pickled veggies will last up to 2 months in the fridge. Thanks again :).
Love the combinations and the beautiful photos. Very inspiring! I’ve made a quince and orange pickle and li hing pickled mangos. But this gives me a whole new range of fruit pickles to experiment with! Thank you!
Absolute pleasure Mary Lynn and it's a whole wide world of pickled fruit possibilities out there! Your quince and orange sound divine and excited for your future experiments :).
I pickled some fruit for the first time using the recipe from this page and OMG OMG OMG I am in love I will do this forever. I can't thank you enough.
Super stoked on your super sweet feedback Christina and so happy to hear that! Thanks so much for sharing :).
THIS WAS SO FUN! Our West Indian cherry tree produced a ton of cherries this season and we didn't know what to do with them until I saw this recipe. Just tried it this morning and it was so fun to do. Didn't taste them yet but from the way it looks I expect them to taste amazing 🫶🫶🫶
So stoked to hear the Gabrielle and thanks so much for sharing! Really appreciate the feedback and think it's super rad that ya have a cherry tree!!
Just a question for what will certainly be a 5 star recipe: is ripe or slightly underripe fruit best for pickling?
Thank ya so much Lindsay and think slightly underripe fruit may be best as it retains its shape and texture better after pickling :).