Easy Pickled Brussels Sprouts
Try this easy pickled brussels sprouts recipe at home ready in just a couple of days, or preserve for months and enjoy throughout the year. Eat these tangy, crunchy brussels sprouts right out of the jar or serve on a charcuterie cheese board at your next gathering.
Table of Contents
Pickled Brussels Sprouts Recipe
Are you in the love or hate camp when it comes to brussels sprouts? To be honest, it has only been about 5 years since I changed my tune from hate to love when eating brussels sprouts.
It wasn’t until I started experimenting with different ways to cook “baby cabbages” myself to appreciate how tasty brussels sprouts are. These maple glazed brussels sprouts recipe has been a staple at our house and sure to change brussels sprouts haters minds.
The dense nutty flavor is satisfying and pairs well with lots of main dishes.
In addition to the traditional way of serving brussels sprouts, pickled is perfect to serve as an appetizer or just snack on (my personal favorite).
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Simple recipe: you will need just a hand full of ingredients, but you can change the flavors to your liking.
- Great gift: wrap to give to neighbors and friends! Add a pretty ribbon and note card and you have a thoughtful gift.
- Charcuterie board: pickled Brussels sprouts are the perfect addition to your cheese board.
Variations
I kept this recipe simple so that most home cooks will have all the ingredients on hand. However, feel free to add additional spices to change the flavor profile to include a few more spices.
- Additional spices to consider: dill seeds, fennel seeds, coriander seeds, allspice berries and cloves.
- Pickle a variety of vegetables: consider adding a mix of vegetables like sliced carrots, green beans, asparagus, cucumbers, onions, or beets. The list is endless!
Let me know if you try any additional spices. I’m always experimenting with what I have on hand.
Ingredients:
You will only need a handful of spices to make this pickled brussels sprouts recipe.
- Brussels sprouts – You will need about 1 – 1 1/2 pounds or about 20-24 similar sized brussels sprouts.
- White vinegar and water – You can use cider vinegar or a mix of vinegars. Note that cider vinegar will give you a tint of amber color and a slightly floral flavor. Vinegar is the key to pickling it helps keep vegetables crispy (with the salt), helps extract the flavor from the spices, and prevents spoilage.
- Kosher salt – enhances the flavor and contributes to keeping the sprouts from becoming mushy.
- Peppercorns – adds a warm spicy flavor.
- Mustard seeds – adds an earthy sharpness to the brine mixture.
- Bay leaves – compliments the spices adding floral peppery notes.
- Garlic cloves – the fresher the better!
- Red Pepper flakes – double up the amount if you like an extra heat. The amount in the recipe adds flavor, not heat.
How To Make Pickled Brussels Sprouts
Once you make this recipes and taste how delicious pickled brussels sprouts are you are going to be inspired to pickle all types of vegetables. See the recipe card at the end of the post for additional details.
- Clean and Slice – prepare the brussels sprouts by washing them and removing any loose or bruised leaves.
2. Cut the core leaving about 1/4 inch to ensure the whole head does not fall apart.Then slice the brussels sprouts in half.
3. Steam – steam for 10 minutes. Once the brussels sprouts are cooked, plunge them in cold water to stop the cooking process.
4. Simmer vinegar mix – In a separate small sauce pan bring the vinegar, water, and kosher salt to a soft boil just until the salt dissolves. Set aside. Add remaining spices to the Mason jar.
5. Add sprouts – place the prepared sprouts to the Mason jar(s).
6. Add warm vinegar – Top pickled Brussels sprouts with warm vinegar-water-salt solution. Use a long thin tool like a plastic chopstick to poke around the jar giving room for all the sprouts to get immersed in the vinegar mix.
How To Store Pickled Brussels Sprouts
Keep pickled Brussels Sprouts in a covered jar. Pickled vegetables will last refrigerated for 5-6 months.
Canning Brussel Sprouts
To preserve pickled brussels sprouts, I recommend the water bath canning method. You can follow step by step instructions at The Spruce Eats.
Properly preserved brussels sprouts stored in a cool dark place will last for up to two years.
Frequently Ask Questions FAQs
No. I purposely did not add any sugar to the pickled brussels sprouts recipe. I like the tart flavor and added a little more water to cut the sharp flavor.
Yes. Instead of steaming the brussels sprouts you can blanch them for about 3-4 minutes. You will continue to submerge in a cold ice bath as noted in the recipe card.
No. Pickled brussels sprouts that are refrigerator ready can have a lower acidity level. For canning, you will need vinegar with a minimum of 5% acidity.
More Brussels Sprouts Recipes To Try
Love this recipe? Be sure to check out these dishes too!
- Brussels Sprouts Gratin – cheesy 30 minute side dish.
- Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad – served with a delicious vinaigrette.
- Brussels Sprouts With Bacon – low carb, gluten free recipe.
- Balsamic Honey Roasted Brussels Sprouts – roasted, crispy topped with nuts.
Easy Pickled Brussels Sprouts Recipe
Equipment
- Steamer
- Wide mouth Mason jar (24 ounce) I use one large jar, but this can easily be divided into smaller jars.
- small saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 – 1 1/2 pounds about 20-24 Brussels sprouts
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1/2 cup white vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 4 garlic cloves sliced
- 2 Bay leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Wash Brussels sprouts under cool water and let drain in a colander.
- Remove loose leaves and any bruised leaves.
- Cut core 1/4" from bottom of each sprout.
- In a medium size pan with a steamer insert bring about 1" of water to a boil.
- Place Brussels sprouts in pan, cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Steam for 10 minutes.
- Rinse hot Brussels sprouts under cold water or plunge in an ice bath. Drain well.
- In a small sauce pan over medium heat add vinegar, water and Kosher salt. Bring to a rolling soft boil just until the salt dissolves. Remove from heat.
- In a clean 24 ounce Mason jar add peppercorns, mustard, sliced garlic, bay leaves and red pepper.
- Add prepared Brussels sprouts to the Mason jar leaving about 3/4" room from the top of the jar.
- Fill jar with vinegar brine solution. Cover and refrigerate.
- Enjoy after 24 hours or let sit for several days for the flavors to penetrate longer.
Notes
Nutrition
Disclaimer
Please note that the nutritional information provided are guidelines and may vary based on the brand of products used. For your specific nutritional goals use My Fitness Pal or Verywell Fit recipe calculators. All content within this site is not intended as medical diagnosis or treatment and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical expertise.
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How long does this last in the frig?
About a month…if they last that long!
I have several bags of frozen sprouts from the store. Can I sub these for the fresh ones and if so, would you still steam them or do anything else differently?
Hi James, I haven’t tried pickling frozen, but I would thaw them and follow my instructions. There isn’t a need to steam them. Let me know how they come out!
You don’t mention cutting the sprouts in half in the recipe but all of the pics show them in halves. To split or not split…
Thx. H
I love Brussels Sprouts, but I have never pickled them. I am so trying this recipe soon. Thanks!
They are delicious! I hope you love it as much as I do! YUM.
This recipe is easy and delicious! This is the first time I’ve pickled baby cabbages. They’re so good!
We call them baby cabbages also! I don’t even know how old I was when I realized they weren’t actually babies, haha! This is a great way to eat them. So crisp and bright tasting. Pickling is a genius idea!