Is there anything better than homemade pickles? From traditional cucumbers to one-of-a-kind ferments, and everything in between, we love pickles! Now’s the time to plant your second succession to enjoy fresh, canned, or fermented pickled veggies all year long. We’ve got 50% off all annual veggie starts — cucumbers, squash, okra, tomatoes, peppers, and more — while supplies last.
Can't make it into the shop? Check out our ever-expanding selection of shippable plants on our website!
Whether you’re making easy, quick fridge pickles, brined classics, or fermented batches, growing your own gives you better flavor and more to put up for later. There are a few different ways to go about it, depending on what you’ve got on hand and how long you want it to keep.
Quick Refrigerator Pickles
These are the easiest place to start — no canning, no fermentation. Just slice your veggies, pack them in a clean jar with herbs or spices, and pour over a hot brine of vinegar, water, and salt. I like to do a 1:2 ratio of apple cider vinegar:water, a few cloves of garlic, and too much dill. But after a batch or two, you'll dial in what works for you. Let the pickles sit in the fridge for a couple of days and enjoy!
They’ll keep for 2–4 weeks in the fridge, but let's be honest, in my home they only last a week or so! This method works work well for melon rind, quick pickled red onion, cucumbers, squash, peppers, asparagus, and whatever you can dream up!
Vinegar-Canned Pickles
If you’re looking to put up a larger harvest, vinegar-based canned pickles are a tried-and-true method to stock your pantry. You’ll need to follow a tested recipe and use a water bath canner to process the jars safely. But it's really so much easier than it seems! I learned to can on YouTube.
Some of our favorite veggies to can include peppers, green tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans, okra, squash, carrots, and even melon rind! One of the more creative recipes I've tried was nasturtium green seedpod "capers". These pickles are shelf-stable and can last a year, or more.
Fermented Pickles
Fermenting is one of the oldest (and healthiest) ways to preserve vegetables. It’s also surprisingly simple: just salt, water, and time. Unlike vinegar pickles, fermented veggies develop their tang from natural bacteria, and they’re loaded with probiotics.
Submerge your veggies fully in a saltwater brine, keep them weighted down, and let them ferment at room temperature for about a week or two. Once they taste how you like, pop them in the fridge.
This method works beautifully for cucumbers, okra, green beans, squash, and radishes. This year I hope to try a fermented butternut squash kimchi! If you’re ready to give it a try, we carry fermentation crocks and weights in the shop.
Get Growing
If you’re still working on filling out your garden, we’ve got veggie starts that are perfect for mid-season planting — including cucumbers, squash, and okra are all great candidates for pickling down the line.
Come by the shop in Marshall, grab a few starts, and check out our fermentation supplies if you’re ready to try your hand at a small batch of pickles.
We’re always happy to talk plants and help you find a method that works for your kitchen and your harvest. Stop by to enjoy 50% off all annual veg starts until supplies are gone.