Refrigerator pickling is an excellent and easy way to enjoy fall’s apple harvest, whether you have fruit trees or are inspired by the wide variety at the supermarket or farmer’s market.
In less than 30 minutes, you can make these tasty pickles, which, unlike stewed fruit, have a remarkably crisp, bracing bite.
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What to do with pickled apples
Use their tangy sweetness to liven up salads and sandwiches. Offer them as a snappy side with grilled poultry and pork, or as a sweet-sour topping for tacos!
These piquant apples are perfect for a charcuterie board. They cozy up nicely to cured meat and aged cheese!
What kind of apples should I use?
My favorite variety for pickling is the crunchiest: red Cosmic Crisp apples. Any variety will taste amazing, however, so use what you’ve got! You can even pickle small, whole crabapples, which will improve their flavor and creates a fun, beautiful accent to place on a dinner plate!
How to quick pickle
The steps are very simple. Just add water and vinegar to a saucepan (affiliate link) in a 1:1 ratio. Add a dose of sweetness and salt plus any flavorings or whole spices, such as lemon peel, cloves, and/or star anise.
Bring this mixture to a boil. Then, let it sit for 10 minutes while you prepare your jars (affiliate link) and apples. I like ¼- to ½-inch slices that stay firm and crunchy.
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Temper the jars and lids by rinsing with hot water before packing the apples into them. This keeps them from cracking when the hot brine is added.
Bring the pickling liquid back to a boil before pouring it over the apples to the top of the jar. A funnel (affiliate link) can be helpful with this. Screw the lid on tightly and let cool.
🗓️How Long Do Pickled Apples Last?
Once the jars have cooled, place them in the refrigerator. They should keep for two to four weeks. After this, you may notice that the brine starts to look cloudy and the apples begin to soften.
Related Recipes
🧈Apple Butter: Use your fall apple harvest to make this delicious, caramelized spread. Both Instant Pot and slow cooker instructions are given in the recipe along with canning instructions.
Apple Crumble: Make this classic brown sugar-cinnamon dessert in individual ramekins or family style in a larger dish.
Creamy Pumpkin Tomato Soup with Apples: This healthy seasonal pumpkin soup gets a bright sweet note from the addition of an apple.
Apple Crisp Granola: This variation on apple crisp relies on granola as a crunchy shortcut ingredient in the topping!
Quick and Easy Pickled Apples: Sweet and Tangy
Equipment
- 2-quart saucepan
- Liquid measuring cup
- Vegetable peeler
- Wooden spoon or spatula
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1½ Tablespoons honey
- 1½ teaspoons salt Kosher
- 1 strip lemon zest large
- 1 pod star anise
- 1 pound apples about 2 large or 3 small
Instructions Start Cooking
- Wash hands thoroughly, lathering with soap and rinsing with water before starting prep,
- In a small to medium saucepan, combine water, apple cider vinegar, honey, salt, and star anise pod. Use a vegetable peeler to remove a large strip of zest from a lemon and add to the saucepan. Bring everything to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. Cut the heat, and let the brine steep for 10 minutes.1 cup water 1 cup apple cider vinegar 1½ Tablespoons honey 1½ teaspoons salt 1 strip lemon zest 1 pod star anise
- While the pickle brine is steeping, wash and dry apples. Remove the core and slice ¼- to ½-inch thick.1 pound apples
- Prepare clean jars and lids, by rinsing with hot water. This keeps them from cracking when the hot brine solution is poured over the apples.
- Pack apples into jars and pour the brine over the top, leaving about ¼ inch at the top of the jar. Screw the lid on tightly. Let the jars cool and then place in the refrigerator. Pickles are ready to enjoy once they have reached refrigerator temperature, but will benefit from another hour or two soaking in the brine.
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