As they say, and now for something completely different … Our June Strawberry Month goes in a new direction with today’s recipe for enjoying these beautiful berries. We’re all familiar with that old tongue-twister, “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled strawberries …,” right? Wait, what? Yes, you can pickle strawberries! Who knew?! If you haven’t done so before, why not try these quick-pickled method Pickled Peppered Strawberries now when fresh berries are seasonally abundant.
[Note: Recipe updated since original publication in 2016.]
Strawberry Classics
It’s strawberry season, and there are so many wonderful ways to enjoy them. There’s fresh out of the basket, my favourite way to eat any fruit. But then there are also classic strawberry dishes, like strawberry shortcake or paired with rhubarb in a crisp, and new classics such as in smoothies or chia seed pudding.
For my family, pancakes just aren’t pancakes without a topping of sliced strawberries, which is how my children enjoyed the strawberries my Mom picked from her garden and froze for them to enjoy all winter long.
New to Me and Maybe You
All that said, I was looking for something different and new, at least to me. I had heard about picked strawberries a few times, and was intrigued enough to investigate further. In 2015, Dana McCauley of Food Trends TV via Food Bloggers of Canada identified pickled fruit as a hot new trend. Not being one to jump on a trend right away, here I am down the road, giving these a whirl.
Making Pickled Peppered Strawberries
It takes very little time to make a quick pickle … just prepare the fruit and whatever herbs you’re using (if any) and boil up a brine. Combine, cool and refrigerate, and voila!, you have pickled strawberries. They’ll be ready to eat in about 24 hours.
I’m still experimenting with ways to use these, and no doubt you’ll see them cropping here on the blog, and also on my Facebook and Instagram feeds, where I showcase what’s happening in the kitchen without necessarily making it to the blog. I’ve enjoyed them on salads, and I have a gimlet in mind that I’d like to try soon too.
I bet you’re wondering how they taste. I just ate one, pickled almost two weeks ago. The texture is firmer than the original berry, with a certain crunchiness like — what else — a pickle. The sweet taste of strawberry is still there, of course, but it’s accompanied by the vinegary tang of the brine and the heat of the cracked pepper. I couldn’t really taste the thyme, so I’ve adjusted the recipe to use more than in my first attempt.
All in all, these Pickled Peppered Strawberries are an unusual and attention-getting treat!
Tips for Pickled Strawberries
A few notes about making quick pickled strawberries:
- Small berries, less than an inch across, work best for quick pickling. Rather than cut larger berries, I bought two baskets and selected the smallest berries to fill one quart basket.
- When you pour the brine over the berries, it should cover them, or almost completely. The berries will release some of their juices and shrink down. Shaking the jar gently may help them settle. If there seems to be too many berries, just remove the excess.
- I looked at quite a number of recipes online, and the longest suggested storage period was two weeks in the refrigerator. Next time, I think I’ll make a half batch, as I’ve been hard-pressed to get through the entire batch ( or else I’ll recruit more pickled strawberry eaters!).
Enjoying Pickled Strawberries
I think these berries would be a hit for summer entertaining, whether used in salads, cocktails, or as an accompaniment to cheese and charcuterie platters. They’re tasty, fun, and unique enough to get your guests — and their palates — buzzing!
This is a quick pickling recipe, therefore it needs to be stored in the refrigerator. I recommend using the berries within a couple of weeks.
I checked out numerous recipes on the internet and slightly adapted this one from Simple Bites, where it was adapted from Marisa McClellan's book, Preserving By the Pint. Recipes do get around and change a bit as they pass from person to person! (I amended the recipe in 2019 to make a greater quantity of brine.)
- 1 quart small strawberries, less than 1 inch across
- 8 stems fresh thyme
- 1 cup white wine vinegar
- 4 tsp organic cane sugar
- 4 tsp sea salt
- 1 teaspoon cracked peppercorns
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Stem and wash the berries. Place them in a 1-litre Mason jar along with the stems of thyme. (I like to place the thyme against the sides of the jar for visual appeal.)
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In a small pot, combine the vinegar, sugar, salt and peppercorns. Bring to a boil and stir until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Let the brine cool for a few minutes, then pour over the berries. The brine should completely or almost completely cover the berries.
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Allow to cool uncovered, then cover. Shake the jar gently to redistribute the berries if they're not almost covered by the brine. Remove excess berries if necessary. Refrigerate. Allow the pickling at least 24 hours to take effect before using the berries. Store up to two weeks in the refrigerator.
Wondering What To Do with Pickled Strawberries? Need a Drink at the Thought of Them?
Here are a couple of ideas for enjoying those pickled strawberries. You can use the brine in a vinaigrette, and use the berries themselves in this salad with pickled strawberries, goat cheese and honeyed walnuts. And if pickled strawberries aren’t your thing, you just might enjoy this strawberry gin cocktail.
Published 2016 06 30
Republished 2019 06 21
Republished 2020 06 08
[…] Pickled Peppered Strawberries — my most unusual strawberry recipe, picking up on the trend of quick pickling fruit […]
You think of everything why not was at the store and came home with 16 /1 lb clamshell a nd froze them waiting for the field to go pick…
It’s so smart to freeze strawberries, Suzanne! They’re wonderful all winter long.
[…] discovered the delight of pickled strawberries recently, I didn’t want to let their intense strawberry-red brine with its punch of flavour […]
I love a quick pickle, Mar, but never have thought to try it with fruit/berries. I have made strawberry jam with black pepper and it is a very tasty combo. I bet yours taste as least as good. My quick pickles last a long time in the fridge but, then again, they aren’t as delicate as most fruit and certain not strawberries. Even if the berries were still good, I think their texture would be ruined. I guess we’ll never really know, for I cannot imagine a jar of these languishing in my fridge for longer than a coupe of days. 🙂
I think you should give these a go, John — I’m sure you would enjoy them! Not only are they delicious, but almost everyone I mentioned them to did a double take at the idea. It’s always fun to put something so unique on the table!
[…] all, first there were these pickled peppered strawberries. And then, honeyed walnuts made an appearance, followed shortly by pickled strawberry vinaigrette. […]
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[…] recipe makes good use of the Pickled Peppered Strawberries brine and yields about six tablespoons of vinaigrette. Since I like my salads lightly dressed, this is […]
[…] assemble this salad, you'll need to have prepared pickled peppered strawberries, honeyed walnuts and pickled strawberry vinaigrette. If you have only the pickled strawberries on […]