The Easiest Way to Make Quick Pickles (No Recipe Required)

In an ideal world, there’s a jar of something pickled in my fridge at all times—hether it be red onions, pickled kale stems, or some napa cabbage I forgot to cook. I don’t plan for this, but when I have veggie scraps, trimmings, or simply a wilting head of something or other, I follow the easiest pickling ratio in the world: the 3-2-1 brine. That’s 3 parts water, 2 parts vinegar, and 1 part sugar. That's it.

This isn’t a secret—plenty of chefs are out here using this ratio—but it’s the one that stuck with me. It’s like culinary muscle memory.Sometimes, having to look up a brine recipe is the difference between veggies going in the pickle jar or going in the trash. This is a decidedly sweet-and-sour pickle, a real-crowd pleasing flavor profile that’s perfect for veggies like onions or radishes, which have a bit of bite and crunch to them.

So here’s the breakdown:

• 3 parts water: To tone down the acidity and turn this into a true brine.

• 2 parts vinegar: Any type works, but I like the flavor and versatility of apple cider vinegar.

• 1 part sugar: Just sweet enough to round everything out.

For salt, a good rule of thumb is 1 tablespoon for every cup of vinegar. Bring it all to a boil, pour it over your veg, and you have yourself a quick pickle. Add spices if you’re feeling fancy—right to the jar before adding the brine. Think fennel seed, chili flake, mustard seed, garlic clove—whatever’s knocking around.

A few favorite uses:

• Thinly sliced red onions for tacos, grain bowls, or anything grilled.

• Saving kale stems from the garbage. See my recipe here.

• Carrots and radishes for a quick banh mi situation.

This isn’t canning or true fermentation. These won’t last months, but they will last a couple weeks in the fridge. Truth be told, they’re usually long gone before that.

Do you stick to the 3-2-1 ratio or have your own pickle brine trick?