Description
Snap Pea Pickles bring crisp, tangy crunch to your meals with minimal effort. These refrigerator pickles capture the fresh sweetness of sugar snap peas in a simple brine loaded with garlic, dill, and warming spices.
Ingredients
- Sugar snap peas (enough to fill a 1-quart jar), ends trimmed
- 3–4 small sprigs fresh dill
- 1 star anise
- 1/4 teaspoon white peppercorns
- 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 4 cups water, divided
- 2 cups white vinegar
- 3 tablespoons salt
- Optional: 1 dried red chile pepper or pinch of chile flakes
Instructions
1. Wash the snap peas thoroughly. Snap off the stem ends and pull away any strings running along the seams. Pat dry with a clean kitchen towel.
2. Layer the snap peas in a clean quart jar along with dill sprigs, star anise, peppercorns, mustard seeds, and garlic cloves. Pack them snugly but don’t crush them.
3. In a small pot, combine 2 cups water, white vinegar, and salt. Heat over medium-high heat, stirring until salt dissolves completely. Remove from heat and stir in 2 cups cold water to cool the brine quickly.
4. Pour the brine over the snap peas, covering them completely. Leave about half an inch of headspace at the top. Seal the jar tightly with the lid.
5. Place the jar in the refrigerator and let it sit for at least 24 hours before eating. The flavor develops and intensifies over the first few days.
Notes
Use room temperature jars to prevent cracking from hot brine.
Add the cold water to the brine to speed up cooling time.
Taste the brine before pouring – it should be noticeably salty and tangy.
Shake the jar gently every day to redistribute the spices.
Keep snap peas submerged in brine for best preservation.
Add a dried red chile or chile flakes for a spicy kick.
Experiment with other aromatics like fresh ginger slices, coriander seeds, or whole cloves.
For sweeter pickles, add 1-2 tablespoons of sugar to the brine.
When stored properly in the refrigerator, these pickles keep for up to two months.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Condiments
- Method: Pickling
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Calories: 15
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 450mg
- Fat: 0g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 3g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 0mg