Easy Quick Pickled Strawberries

What You Can Expect From This Recipe

Pickling strawberries is an unexpected way to use up some of those fresh strawberries. With an end flavor result of sweet, tart and tangy they’re hard to stop eating.

Stunning, simple and a conversation starter, they are spectacular on pork, lovely with cheese and a perfect salad topper.

This pickled strawberry recipe is a no-canning recipe, and super easy to make, let’s take a look.

I’ve always enjoyed pickling, but before Culinary School, my repertoire was limited to more predictable things like my Spicy Pickles and Pickled Beets. So where did I learn to pickle strawberries?

During cherry season, one of the Chef Instructors gave us the project to pickle cherries for a charcuterie board. During the demonstration, he became so wound up and enthusiastic about fermenting, and what to pickle, he stopped his sentence short and stated, “just pickle every damn thing you have.” It was endearing and it was totally inspiring.

Since that day, I’ve pickled pineapple and my latest adventure pickled strawberries.

• 1 pint fresh strawberries: Tops sliced off
• White wine vinegar
• Cumin Seed
• Honey
• Kosher Salt
• Peppercorns
• Coriander Seeds
• Mustard Seeds: Yellow Mustard Seeds

Ingredient Swaps and Substitutions

• Vinegar: Don’t have white wine vinegar? Plain white vinegar is always a great choice for pickling. And if you have Champagne Vinegar, even better yet.
• Honey: If you don’t have honey, but have a bottle of Agave Nectar, you can substitute. You can also substitute sugar in place of honey.
• Peppercorns: Delicate in color, Pink Peppercorns are a very good choice to substitute for black peppercorns. They’re a little big milder, sweeter and fruitier.
• Mustard Seeds: Black Mustard Seeds can be used in this recipe. The flavor of black mustard seeds is a bit more pungent.

How To Make Pickled Strawberries, It’s Easy

1. Step 1: Cut the green tops off the strawberries and slice them in half.
2. Step 2: Place the strawberries in a shallow wide bowl. You’ll need a bowl that will allow the strawberries to be covered in the pickling brine.
3. Step 3: In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar, honey, salt, mustard seed, peppercorns and coriander seeds over high heat. Stir to combine.
4. Step 4: As soon as mixture boils, it’s done cooking. Turn off heat immediately, don’t let is boil over. Let steep for ten minutes.
5. Step 5: When pickling liquid is room temperature, pour over strawberries.

6. Cover and chill for at least two hours or up to 24 hours. Store them in a glass jar, so that every time you open the refrigerator you can gaze at these beautiful berries.

More Uses For Pickled Strawberries

Now that you’ve got them, here’s what to do with pickled strawberries.

• Bruschetta: Use a serrated knife to slice a baguette into ½ inch slices. Brush the slices with olive oil using a silicone basting brush. Toast the baguette slices under your oven broiler until golden brown. Slather on some cream cheese and top with a couple of pickled strawberries.
• Use them on top of a simple tossed green salad.
• Spread a bit of blue cheese on a cracker and top with a pickled strawberry.
• Make a Pickled Strawberry Vinaigrette: four tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, two tablespoons pickled strawberry brine, one teaspoon honey, salt and pepper. Whisk until blended.
• Add a small bowl of pickled strawberries to your next charcuterie board.

I highly encourage you to give pickles strawberries a try. You’ll fall in love. The bring an unexpected pop of sweet vinegar goodness to any way you decide to use them.

Related Recipes

• Pickled Pineapple
• Best Spicy Pickles Made from Store Bought Dills
• Mexican Pickled Onions
• Pickled Beets

This recipe is adapted from Wine Spectator Magazine, which also gave me the idea to serve them over grilled pork roast.